Numbers 25 Commentary
A combination of Moabite women and Israel’s unfaithfulness is the main subject here. Sexual infidelity is an outward manifestation of spiritual infidelity – clearly on display here.
Israel has quickly forgotten her God. We want to suspect we have the same formula as in the Book of Exodus. When Israel substituted her God with a golden calf, the result was revelry and wild conduct – pagan indulgence without moral restraint.
Idolatry is always the first step. Idolatry and then adultery. It is always the same formula. One must first forsake his God and after that, you have the physical manifestation of sin.
God’s response is swift. The penalty for sin is death. 24,000 people die before Phinehas’ quick action saves the day.
God is happy with Phinehas’ zeal. This is so strange. God is happy that someone moved quickly to stop mass murder, but this is murder by God!
It is the mystery of Mercy and Justice combining once again. Justice nearly got its way, but mercy prevailed eventually. Importantly, these lines point us to the cross. It took the death of one important sinner for peace to reign again. He carried our sins; then Zimri and Cozbi didn’t have to die for their sexual sin.
24,000 is an important number in the Book of Numbers. It represents yet another wave of deaths as a result of sin. The wages of sin are death, and we hear it very loudly in this book.
This is interesting. Balak’s attempt to curse Israel yielded zero results. You cannot curse what God has blessed. But adultery does what no curse can do: Twenty-four thousand die! If Israel’s numbers reduce, it isn’t because of witchcraft, curses, or even enemy aggression. We can blame idolatry manifesting itself in all sorts of sinful situations – complaining, doubt, fear, adultery, and general ungodliness.
Chapter 25 isn’t different from the last three chapters. They both explore ways and means of defeating Israel. Chapters 22, 23, and 24 are about a well-organized attempt to use magical powers to unsettle Israel. It failed. Chapter 25 presents yet another attempt on Israel and it worked!
Sexual sin is a weapon against humanity. This weapon works where many other weapons fail!
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