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NUMBERS
CHAPTER 25

1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

Shittim is a large flat area located on the East side of Jordan,
and in that day belonged to the Moabites (descendents of Lot).
Balak was the king of the Moabites at that time. This was Israel's last
stop before crossing Jordan and entering the promised land. A very sad
thing happened here. Israelite leaders (verse 4) led in committing
"whoredom" by worshipping Baal-peor (the god of the Moabites).
Worship of this god meant being joined to temple prostitutes.
Balaam knew of this practice and advised the use of it to corrup
Israel (Revelation 2:14).
Thus we learn a bit more about Balaam who heard an explicit WORD
from God, and seems to be very diligent in righteousenss!
Friends, money and sex will sway ANYONE -- even God's ELECT!
"Be SOBER, be VIGILANT; because your adversary the devil, as
a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
(1Peter 5:8)
Notice in verse 34 that God's judgment for such leadership into sin
is public execution!
Many a religious leader has been exposed for his indulgence in
wrongdoing - and his influence totally stripped!

5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. 6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. 10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

Let's pay close attention to verse 5, because we see that Moses
follows God's direction and gives orders for execution to all those
who have participated in the prostitution.
Therefore, Phinehas (Aaron's grandson) is acting under orders.
He does something no other was brave enough to do. The man he
killed was obviously very brazen, and yet was a leader
according to verse 14.
How BRASH it is to commit this lewd act right in front of the
whole congregation!
Can we say less about some of the "goings on" in America? Yet,
we are NOT under a divine decree to "murder." We are under a
divine decree to "speak the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15)
Phinehas' zeal accomplished a great deal. God stopped the plague
He had sent among the people. And God promised Phinehas a place
in the priesthood forever.
Notice in verse 11 that if one man had not valiantly stood for
righteousness, God would have destroyed the WHOLE nation!!
Thank God, He had a virtuous man prepared.
If it had not been for ONE MAN (Jesus Christ), the whole WORLD
would be destroyed! But God, in His Amazing Grace, prepared
beforehand what we needed!

14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian. 16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them: 18 For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

Forever, in shame, are recorded the names of leaders who lead people
to corruption!
God now tells Moses to "vex" (annoy, pester) the Midianites.
Remember, Moses is married to a Midianite!
Sometimes we are told to do things for the Lord that cause
personal agony.
But we MUST rid ouselves of those things which "ves"
(annoy, pester) us toward sin!
"And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Matthew 5:29-30)

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