https://esv.literalword.com/?q=Numbers+25
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 11 April 2025:
Listen to this message on Numbers 25 and “cosmic treason” by Thabiti Anyabwile: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/conferences/the-holiness-of-god/cosmic-treason
Numbers 25:1-3 — While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
Numbers 25:1-3 describes a pivotal moment when the Israelites, while encamped at Shittim, engaged in sexual immorality with Moabite women. These women invited the Israelites to participate in sacrifices to their gods, leading the Israelites to eat sacrificial meals and bow down before these deities. As a result, the Israelites yoked themselves to Baal of Peor, igniting the Lord’s anger against them.
The Israelites’ sin began with seemingly minor compromises—fraternizing with the Moabites—which escalated into idolatry and immorality. This progression underscores how small concessions can lead to significant spiritual downfalls and the dangers of succumbing to external temptations that lead to spiritual unfaithfulness.
For Christians today, this passage serves as a reminder to remain vigilant against influences that may lead to moral and spiritual compromise. It encourages believers to uphold their commitment to God’s principles, avoiding situations and relationships that may entice them away from their faith. Be vigilant in personal conduct and associations. Small compromises can gradually lead to significant deviations from God’s standards. Regular self-examination and a steadfast adherence to biblical teachings are essential in maintaining spiritual integrity.
Numbers 25:6 — And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting.
This is a shocking account of open defiance and complete loss of shame. The man brings the Midianite woman boldly and publicly, right in front of Moses and the gathered community. This act reveals a complete disregard for God’s commands and a shocking lack of shame or fear of consequences. It shows that sin had become so normalized among the people that even blatant rebellion no longer triggered moral restraint. The fact that it happened “while they were weeping” adds deep contrast—some were grieving their sin, while others flaunted it.
This moment reflects a larger cultural climate: not just one man’s sin, but an environment where evil had become acceptable, and God’s standards were ignored. When shame disappears, it’s often because the community no longer holds the line on truth or righteousness. This mirrors what Paul later describes in Philippians 3:19: “Their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”
Sin, especially of this kind, doesn’t want to hide—it seeks approval and public validation. Bringing the woman into the camp was likely a defiant statement: “This is acceptable now.” When there’s no correction or accountability, sin becomes not just tolerated, but celebrated. We see this today most visibly with the LBGTQ movement.
Guard against cultural drift. As Christians, we must be alert when society—or even parts of the church—begin to accept or celebrate what God clearly opposes. Silence and passivity can lead to normalization of sin.
Keep a tender heart. Unlike the bold sinner in this verse, the congregation was weeping. Let our hearts remain soft toward God’s holiness and broken by our sin and the sin around us.
Stand visibly for righteousness. Just as the man sinned publicly, Phinehas’s response (vv. 7–8) was also public, decisive, and righteous. In a culture that shrugs off sin, believers are called to lovingly but boldly uphold truth, even when it’s unpopular.
Numbers 25:7-8 — When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.
Phinehas “saw it”—he didn’t look away or rationalize it. He responded immediately. His zeal for God’s holiness drove him to act when others may have hesitated out of fear, passivity, or tolerance. This wasn’t a personal act of revenge—it was a priestly, covenant-driven act of intercession on behalf of a holy God. Though a priest, Phinehas picked up a spear, symbolizing the need for decisive action in matters of sin. He stepped out of the assembly (a place of lament) and into the scene of rebellion—he went where the sin was and confronted it. This illustrates how intercession sometimes requires courageous confrontation, not just quiet prayer.
Phinehas entered into a private, intimate, and defiling act to stop it—meaning he risked his reputation, his safety, and his comfort. His action was radical, not reckless—it was in line with the severity of the sin and the judgment that was already falling on the people (the plague). God had sent a plague as judgment, but it stopped when Phinehas acted. One man’s bold righteousness turned the tide. This foreshadows Christ, the ultimate High Priest, whose sacrificial act stopped the plague of sin for all who trust in Him.
God honors courageous, holy zeal that confronts sin out of love for His glory and the good of His people. Phinehas wasn’t violent for the sake of anger—he was zealous because God’s holiness was being mocked, and lives were at stake. God later commends him (v. 11) saying he “was as zealous for my honor among them as I am.”
Confront sin with truth and love. We’re not called to take up literal spears, but we are called to take up the Word of God with courage and compassion. Don’t tolerate what God calls dishonorable.
Be willing to step out of the crowd. Like Phinehas, sometimes doing the right thing means leaving the place of passive lament and stepping into uncomfortable action.
Pursue God’s glory above social approval. Phinehas did what was righteous, not what was popular. Ask: Am I more concerned with honoring God or being accepted by people?
Be an agent of repentance and healing. Bold obedience can break cycles of judgment. Your courage to stand for holiness can ripple outward to others—stopping spiritual decay and calling people back to God.
How could someone say Phinehas’ action was loving? True love starts with honoring God above all. Phinehas was zealous for God’s name, not his own reputation. In Numbers 25:11, God Himself says Phinehas was “zealous with my zeal…so that I did not consume the Israelites in my jealousy.” His action wasn’t motivated by hatred, pride, or self-interest—it was a priestly response to covenant betrayal. Loving God means we care deeply about what He cares about, and we cannot stand idly by when His name is dishonored.
Israel was under a plague because of unrepentant sin—24,000 people had died already (v. 9). Phinehas’ intervention stopped the plague. In a very real sense, his bold act saved thousands of lives. Just as a doctor might perform radical surgery to stop the spread of infection, Phinehas’ action was a form of spiritual triage—cutting out the source of contagion to preserve the body. Love doesn’t stand by while sin destroys people—it steps in, even when it costs something.
This is harder to see at first, but still true: Phinehas’ action gave visible, urgent warning to the rest of Israel and to future generations (Psalm 106:30–31). The sin was flagrant, public, and contagious. Without drastic correction, more people would have followed the same path. In that sense, his act was protective and redemptive, sparing others from walking into judgment. Sometimes love says: “This must stop now—for your sake and the sake of everyone else.”
Phinehas points ahead to Jesus, who also stepped into sin, wrath, and death—not with a spear in His hand, but by receiving the spear in His side. Both show that true love confronts sin and sacrifices self for the life of others.
Phinehas’ act was loving because it was faithful. It upheld God’s holiness, protected the community, and stopped destruction. Love is not always soft; sometimes, it is fierce and righteous. And in a culture where sin had become shameless, Phinehas loved enough to say: “No more.”
Numbers 25:10-11 — And the Lord said 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.”
Perhaps no sin is addressed more in the Bible than sexual sin. Perhaps nothing is more destructive to a person, a people, or a nation than sexual sin. From the very beginning (Genesis) God placed His standards on sexual activity to be between one man and one woman in one life-long marriage. Marriage is a spiritual union, far beyond the physical, and reveals not only the love we have for our spouse, but also the love we have for God. Marriages are meant to emulate the love Christ has for his Church (Ephesians 5:32-33), and are intended to raise godly children (Malachi 2:15).
God takes sexual sin VERY seriously, calling them abominations (Leviticus 18:22), despite the fact that our society rejoices in them. Today, to commit adultery is to “have an affair.” To “whore around” is to be sexually free. Acceptance of homosexuality is “enlightened tolerance” (see (1Cor 6:9, 10; Lev 18:22; Lev 20:13; Gen 19:4-8; Rom 1:26, 27; 1Tim 1:10; and Jude 7). Today’s OT readings offer a shocking story of how seriously God takes sexual sin. In case it is lost in translation, God honors Phinehas’ commitment after Phinehas, seeing a man taking a Moabite woman into his tent to have sex, enters into the tent and runs a spear through both of them while they were having sex. While this may seem like a cruel act, consider how much pain and suffering you have seen over your lifetime directly caused by sex outside of marriage – divorce, abortion, STDs, crimes of passion, destroyed families, child abuse, pornography, sexual assault, etc. Now that our Nation has dissolved most historic standards related to sexual conduct, where do you think our nation is going – to a better condition? I pray that more Christians will be bold enough to stand up for God’s standards on sex and marriage, regardless of what the “culture of death” says is the “enlightened” answer.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 11 April 2025: Identify any place in your life where you are compromising. Ask God to reveal where you’ve let culture reshape your values—entertainment, relationships, priorities, even “small” moral choices. Act quickly and faithfully to repent and put the sin to death – removing any negative influences from your life. Don’t wait to “feel” like changing—take a courageous step today to cut off what leads you away from God (Matthew 5:29–30 kind of urgency). Use the time you spent in that sin for prayer, Scripture reading, fellowship with other Christians and good works. Ask God to sharpen your zeal for His glory and your hatred of sin—not just in the world, but in yourself.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 