The Zeal of Phinehas

1. Balak & Balaam and the attempted cursing of Israel

• Balak – king of Moab – hired Balaam to curse Israel• Balaam tried to curse Israel three

times but each time ended by blessing them

Numbers 24:10

• And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

2. Balaam’s Evil Influence

• Num. 25:1-3• “And Israel abode in Shittim, and the

people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

• And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.”

• Balaam apparently told Balak that Israel could be defeated if its people were enticed to commit idolatry --- to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication

Num. 31:16

• Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

Rev. 2:14

• But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

2 Pet. 2:15

• Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Jude 11

• Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

3. The Zeal of Phinehas

• Phineas = grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar• Zimri = “a prince of a chief house

among the Simeonites”• Cozbi = Woman of Midian,

daughter of Zur a leader in Midian

Num. 25:6

• And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Num. 25:7-8

• And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

Num. 25:11-13

• Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. :

• Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace. And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

Lessons

• 1. The things Israel did – specifically Zimir and Cozbi – were violations of God’s law and punishable by death

Ex. 20:5

• Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

• 2. One person’s actions can have far-reaching effects• Balaam influenced Israel for evil• Phinehas influenced them for

good

• Samuel• Noah• Paul the Apostle• Jesus of Nazareth

• 3. The need for decisive action• We should think before we act

but the thinking should be followed by action where needed

Eccl. 8:11-12

• Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

• 4. Sin ignored is sin approved• 1 Cor. 5:1-8• (verse 7) “Purge out therefore the old

leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”

Deut. 13:6-11

• If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

• Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

• Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people

• And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

Rom. 13:1-4

• Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

• For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

• For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.