“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Numbers 25:11
How jealous and zealous are we for God? Are we bystanders and qawkers rather than engaged in the fight for what is right? Phinehas is the poster child for what these traits look like in a man or woman.
His claim to fame was his righteous indignation and rightful response to blatant immorality committed in the clear sight of all within the confines of the tent of meeting (e.g. the church building in that day), not so much that he was the grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar, and was therefore of priestly descent.
5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.” 6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. 9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000. Numbers 25:5–9
In an unbelievable act of defiance and debauchery, one of Phinehas’ peers, Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites (Numbers 25:14) had the audacity to bring a Midianite woman, Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian (Numbers 25:15), into the covered entrance to the tent of meeting while people (and his relatives) were there weeping for the plague underway due to the people’s shameful involvement with Baal of Peor. There the couple engaged in a sexual act in clear view of all. Seeing this, Phinehas without hesitation, grabbed a long knife or spear, charged them, and pierced them both with a mighty thrust. The biblical description indicates that the spear exited the “belly” of the woman, likely entering the man’s back first, clearly describing what was transpiring.
It should be stated before we try to find an example of this kind of open sin today and reprisal, there seems to be a long line forming of men of the cloth falling victim to sexual sin euphemistically described as an “inappropriate” relationship, and remember this, “it takes two to tango.” Whether in the tent of meeting or in some clandestine meeting place, cavorting outside the bond of marriage is a sin worthy of death, or at least a very hard and unforgiving fall from grace. It is hard to envision a man (or woman) succumbing to such temptation who is zealous for a jealous God.
The way a nation or a man or woman remains pure is zeal for God. One cannot be truly zealous for God and compromised. It’s all or nothing. Driving the zeal is a jealousy for position of the Lord over all. We should want Him in that vaunted position always, and we should be willing to defend his preeminence and honor. After all, He is jealous for us! He wants to have our backs. He provides us everything we need to stay pure in a cratering society. As the sword was conveniently available to Phinehas, so is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God to us.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.Ephesians 6:17
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Another zealous man comes to mind in this context, Joseph, who resisted the alluring charms and advances of Potiphar’s wife daily. He exclaimed this expressing his zeal for a jealous God.
“There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9
Know this.
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31
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