Numbers 25: 1-13 (ESV)
While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
And the Lord said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy, Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”
Explanation:
As we see in the above passage in Numbers, breaking God’s commandments has serious consequences. I remember reading this account of the Israel leaders executing God’s judgement on the Israelites and thinking, “Wow…. that was really extreme, did I read that correctly?” You may be thinking the same thing, especially because it is a story that not many of us are familiar with. However, it is in the Bible, so that means it is important for us to learn from and also get a better understanding of who God is and what He wants from us.
A quick backstory is that God commanded His people the Israelites to remain “set apart” or segregated, and not arrange marriages with the other tribes that were living in and around their promised land. In many instances God told them to conquer, destroy, and drive out the inhabitants when they entered a new territory. This may sound crazy to us now, but there were specific reasons why the sovereign God commanded this of His people, one being the pure bloodline that would eventually lead to the genealogy of Jesus. In any case God knew that if His people were tempted by the worship of other gods, such as Baal (the Canaanite fertility god), they would be less likely to pursue a relationship with Him, the only real God that could help them. God does not need anything from us but offers an invitation for us to follow and trust Him. The Israelites did not just want God; they wanted to worship many gods. Several key points can be learned from this unusual event.
Phinehas was the only one who saw what God said was wrong and acted on it immediately. One person’s just action can save others.
Phinehas was zealous for what made God jealous, “in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them.” The word zealous means showing a strong and energetic desire to get things done; passionate; spending a lot of time or energy in supporting something they believe in.
God takes our worship of idols very seriously. This can be anything that takes our time from Him.
God can become jealous of our worship of other things, including our jobs, relationships, hobbies, and possessions.
There can be severe consequences from bad choices we make. Sin leads to death both physically and spiritually.
God remembers when we obey Him and can show blessings to us over generations. “Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood.”
What we do with our time matters to God. As a loving Father who wants what is best for His children, God will not take a back seat to anything else. He deserves all the glory.
Application:
You probably don’t have an idol or statue of Baal in your house, but what do you have in your life that take your time and energy from God?
What changes can you make today that will help rid you of distractions so you can focus on God and the plans He has for you?
Think back to a time you were zealous for God. What changes can you make to regain that mindset?
Devo Plus:
What similarities are there in this Bible story in Numbers and the story of the worship of the golden calf in Exodus 32?
Prayer:
Holy Father, You are good and I thank You for all that You have given me. I want to make You the main priority in my life. When distractions come and life gets busy, help me slow down and seek Your presence. I want You to have my time and attention. You deserve my worship! Amen.