Numbers 25 Moab’s Trick
The king of Moab tried to get Balaam to curse Israel. It didn’t work, but Moab’s tricks aren’t done yet. They use their women to lure Israel into sin, and turn God against Israel.
I won’t swear that Moab set out deliberately to entice Israel away from the Lord, but that was the result. Israel hasn’t had the best track record of remaining faithful to the Lord. They seem to have an eye always roaming, looking for something better, or longing for what they left behind. They could take a lesson in contentment. One in faithfulness and faith wouldn’t be too far off the mark either.
Let’s rejoin the congregation as they wait for God to say the final words. “Onto the Promised Land!”
♥ ♦ ♥
The Promised Land is so close that the people can ‘smell’ it. It’s just across the river! And here they are, just waiting.
Every day, someone asks Moses the same question; “Is it time yet?” Every day, they get the same answer. “Look to the pillar of cloud over the Tabernacle.” Weeks have gone by and the pillar of cloud and fire remain in place.
The people are growing wrestles and bored. They begin looking around them at the people nearby. Not at their neighbors within the camp, but to the strange women outside their camp. These women are indeed beautiful and intriguing. And they are looking back with welcome to the men of Israel.
“Come and see the wonders of our world. I can please you in ways you never dreamed of!”
“But we’re not supposed to…”
“No one will ever know.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me” said in a sultry voice.
This conversation is played out over and Over and OVER again. At first it was only a handful of men who had snuck off to visit with the women. And it was initially fairly ‘innocent’. They were curious.
Moses did his best to stem the tide of men who were enticed to follow these foreign women. What started out as a trickle of men became a gushing river. And the men who ran to these women began doing whatever it took to please them.
“You have to come check out my god. He calls me to please you in the most exciting ways! You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced arousal on the altar.”
“I’m not supposed to worship other gods.”
“Who’s worshiping? We’re just having fun. Our god wants us to have fun. Yours is too restrictive. How can you live like that?”
“I suppose just checking it out won’t hurt.”
“That’s the spirit!”
After the initial ‘taste’ the men are hooked by the appeal to their baser instincts. It would take binding them hand and feet to bring them back; such is the pull these women have over Israel’s men.
There are two others who are watching all this transpire. The first is the king of Moab. He has found a way to drive a wedge between the people of Israel. It is also a way to get them to give up their lives and join in his. He is pretty certain that, if Israel rejects their God, He will reject them too. No God, no glorious victories. The king laughs every time he sees men of Israel at the shrines of his gods. “One at a time if I have to” he thinks.
The other watcher is MUCH more important. He also knows the danger following after Moab’s gods poses. This ‘watcher’ is the Lord God Himself. He cries every time He sees one of the men of Israel at the shrines of Moab’s detestable god. “ENOUGH!” says the Lord and all Heaven shakes.
The Lord calls 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.” (Numbers 25:4)
Moses is not one to shy away from the Lord’s commands, but he knows that more than just the leaders are spending time with the Moabite women. He calls for an even stronger reaction. “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.” (Numbers 25:5) Moses tells the congregation.
There are enough men who still fear the Lord that they begin carrying out Moses’ command. Men are falling left and right, as the righteous anger of the Lord flows through the camp. There is weeping over the loss of life. This is not an easy task. Brother is killing brother. Wives are becoming widows and children are being orphaned by all the bloodshed. Yet, it HAS to happen to cleanse the people; just as it had to happen when they erected the golden calf.
While the camp is in mourning over all the death dealt out, Zimri strolls into camp. At his side is Cozbi, a Midianite woman. She is the daughter of one of their chiefs. Zimri makes no effort to hide her. He parades her right past the Tabernacle and all those who are weeping at its gates.
Laughing and hand in hand, the two make their way to Zimri’s tent. It is among those of the tribe of Simeon.
Phinehas, a son of Eleazar, is incensed by their behavior. The Lord has just punished MANY in the camp for going out to the women of Moab and Midian. “How DARE Zimri bring that woman into the camp of Israel!”
Phinehas snatches up a speak, that was nearby, and follows the two of them. He is far enough behind them that they enter Zimri’s tent before Phinehas can reach them. When Phinehas arrives at the tent door, he doesn’t wait for an invitation. Phinehas pushes aside the tent door and he sees the two of them locked in an embrace. With all the force he can muster, and a primal yell from the depths of his soul, Phinehas drives his spear through Zimri’s back, out his stomach and through Cozbi’s stomach. The two are impaled together with the spear. Phinehas continues to drive the spear until the two of them fall together onto the ground and the tip of the spear becomes embedded in the ground itself, as it exits Cozbi’s back.
The two would be lovers spend their last moments trying to free themselves from one another before succumbing to death. Phinehas breaths a sigh of relief. The last of the sin has been driven from the tents of Israel.
Phinehas walks back to the Tabernacle and rejoins the people. As Phinehas approached the people, the Lord spoke 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.’” (Numbers 25:11-13)
Moses shares the words of the Lord with the people immediately. He wants them to know that the Lord’s anger is now sated, as well as the reward He has bestowed on Phinehas for his zeal.
Phinehas is honored by the words of the Lord. He vows in his heart to continue to be zealous for the Lord for the rest of his life. He doesn’t know what that will look like, but he trusts that he will know when the time arises; just as he did today.
A burial detail is created to deal with all the fallen. These bodies will not receive any honor as they are disposed of. There were more than 24,000 men who fell at the hand of their brothers for their sin against the Lord.
(to be continued)
This would finish off all but a few of the final people left from the first generation. Those whose names were included on the census. A new census is about to be taken. These will be the people that the Lord leads into the Promised Land. It’s almost time!
Father God, thank You for Your love, even when I fail. I PRAY I haven’t fallen into Israel’s trap of letting others lead me astray. I don’t believe I have. But I know I’ve let other things take Your throne in my life from time to time. THANK YOU for loving me right back into relationship. Even when I had to pay a price for my sin. It wasn’t as costly as Israel’s was. Thank You for that too!
This story was difficult to get inside. Thank You for letting me have a little peak anyway. I pray I honored You with its telling.
