Today's reading in the One Year Chronological Reading Plan is taken from Numbers 25 and 26.
Using SOAP format today:)
Scripture: "The LORD said to Moses, 'Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. 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 honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.'"
Numbers 25:10-12
Observation: God desires justice for rebellion against him. He will bring it about or will be content with his servants bringing it about. Although Phinehas was well within his rights we must add to do this, he was a leader and the decision had all ready been made and given to do this. He was not acting out of his bounds. As Mathew Henry says in his commentary:
"Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance. "
Application: It is a lesson to us to be passionate about God's ways being respected. In our culture it is so easy to go along with tolerant conversation about sin and the righteous falling into it. This recently happened in our community when a Christian leader left his wife of 30 years for an 18 year old. It saddened me greatly but it also has challenged me to be kind and yet call sin what it is, sin. God blessed Phinehas for being zealous for Him and I'm absolutely sure he will bless us if we do the same. Though this is a OT story with a Godly vengeance and a spear, and I'm not saying that is at all the drama we need to replicate, it is a lesson in passion for respecting the Lords statutes.
Prayer: Lord, help us to recall Phinehas and how he had just no tolerance for you being disrespected. Help us to pray for those who fall and have grace and yet truth for them and about them as we converse with others in our culture of tolerance and excuses. We have Christ now, the author and perfecter of our faith who desires that we be like Him being full of grace AND truth. May we take the logs out of our own eyes in repentance to you always Lord for the sins that we let nest in our hearts and distance us from you. May we live both with zeal and humility for what you desire of us and what you have completed for us. May we point all men to you. Amen.
Tomorrow's readings are in Numbers 27-29:40
4 comments:
(formerly ValleyGirl)
It's a little worrisome that so many Christians today claim they believe God is unchanging, and yet they don't really live like God has the same burning desire for His name to be reverenced as He did in OT times. If He hasn't changed, we need to make sure we care A LOT about pursuing holiness and HIS glorification in all we do, just like the Israelites were instructed to!!
Very true Tammi!
God rewards Phinehas for his zeal in standing up for righteousness by declaring his descendants to become the high priests of Israel throughtout the history of the tabernacle and the temple.
Future generations can be blessed by us standing for the truth today!
An interesting note in the Life Application study Bible - the combination of sexual sin and idolatry turns out to have been Balaam's idea (31:16, Rev 2:14), the very same Balaam who had just blessed them and who appeared to be on their side. Balaam seemed to say and do the right things, for awhile. But he was motivated by greed, used sorcery and was deeply into pagan religious practices. Though we cannot know someone's heart or motives, a good deal is reflected by taking note of word AND deed - consistently.
Ooops, I forgot to add, "...so many Christians today ~ myself included ~ claim they believe God is unchanging..."
I'm definitely guilty of it, too.
I always find Balaam's story interesting because he was clearly not a follower of God (as evidenced when he turns to clever seduction as a means of getting the Israelites to fall when outright cursing them doesn't work) and yet God speaks to Him and blesses Israel through him.
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