31 October Numbers 25

Putting sin to Death

Numbers 25:6-13 (NIV) “Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. The Lord said to Moses, “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honour among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honour of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

The Israelites were staying in a foreign land called Moab. Some women from Moab, called Midianites, tempted some of the Israelites to commit sexual sin with them. But it didn’t stop there – the Israelites also began worshipping the gods of Moab. This made God very angry, and He decided to punish them. God told Moses to hang all who sinned so His anger would be calmed.

While this punishment was happening and the other Israelites were crying at the Tabernacle, a man named Zimri boldly brought a woman named Cozbi to commit sexual sin with her in front of everyone, including Moses and the whole congregation.

In anger, Phinehas, full of zeal, took a spear, entered Zimri’s tent, and killed both Zimri and Cozbi while they were sinning. This act pleased God, and He stopped the judgment of Israel. God then made a lasting covenant of peace with Phinehas and his descendants.

Think about God's strong message in this event and throughout the book of Numbers. Sin must be destroyed. Sin is not okay, and it's not something we should allow or tolerate in our lives. God wants us to put an end to sin. This is the kind of image we need to remember when we talk about the fight against sin.

Colossians 3:5-6 (AMP) “So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God]. Because of these [sinful] things the [divine] wrath of God is coming [a]on the sons of disobedience [those who fail to listen and who routinely and obstinately disregard God’s precepts]”.

Psalm 106:28-31 (AMP) “They joined themselves also to [the idol] Baal of Peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the dead. Thus they provoked Him to anger with their practices, And a plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas [the priest] stood up and interceded, And so the plague was halted. And that was credited to him for righteousness. Paul says this in

Romans 4:22 (AMP) "And that was credited to him as righteousness, to all generations forever”, and in "Romans 8:13 (AMP)"For if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever."

True faith leads us to live a holy life. Since faith is how we are made right with God, and Phinehas was considered righteous for acting to protect God's holiness, we can understand that pursuing holiness is part of having faith.

Jesus came to defeat sin, and now we must remove sin from our lives. We must fight against sin and not let it stay in our hearts. Getting rid of sin is part of living by faith. Walking by faith means fighting sin. Pursuing holiness in every part of life is what it means to walk by faith.

In conclusion, the story of Phinehas serves as a powerful reminder of God’s solemn stance on sin and the need for holiness in our lives. Just as Phinehas acted boldly to defend God's honour and end sin in Israel, we are called to take a stand against sin. Sin is not something to be ignored or tolerated, but something to be put to death, as Colossians 3:5-6 urges. Through our faith in God and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, we can fight against the sinful nature within us and live a life that pleases God.

True faith isn’t passive; it actively seeks holiness in every area of life. Jesus has already won the battle over sin, but we are responsible for continuing that fight in our hearts. As we do, we walk the path of faith, showing our commitment to God by pursuing righteousness. Just like Phinehas was rewarded with a covenant of peace, we, too, are promised the peace and life that comes from living in obedience to God’s call for holiness.