The Zeal of Phinehas
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
6/20/2010 PM
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Text:
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Numbers 25:7-13
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Psalters: |
168, 199, 184, 291 |
- The sad setting.
- Israel had just won great victories, taking all the land of Canaan east of Jordan.
- The Moab and Midian acted on the advice of Balaam (31:16; Rev. 2:14).
- The sin was that “Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor” (3) and “separated themselves unto that shame” (Hosea 9:10).
- As a whole the nation fell into sin. Three evidences.
- Many of the leaders and heads of the tribes were guilty (4).
- The sin was openly and brazenly committed by a prince of Simeon (6-8).
- So many involved: the 23,000 who were killed in the plague were all guilty of this sin (Deut. 4:3,4).
- God led Israel back to the way of constant, humble repentance.
- “The anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel” (3b).
- God’s favor is shown in chastisements too.
- God demanded Christian discipline on the leaders who sinned: they were killed and hung (4).
- And God sent a plague which killed thousands (Deut. 4:3; I Cor. 10:8).
- God’s mercy and faithfulness was evidenced in the zeal He gave to Phinehas.
- This gift of holy zeal Phinehas exercised, publicly executing divine justice fit for the sin.
- Phinehas’ condemnation of the sin “made atonement for the children of Israel” (13b).
- God publicly rewarded Phinehas’ zeal with His “covenant of peace” (13).
- Application.
- Great warnings in this incident.
- It is for his zeal as priest that Phinehas is to be remembered.
- He was willing to lose his office because he was concerned to maintain God’s glory.
- We are to strive for holy zeal for God and His glory, but we must be careful how we do it (cf. Luke 9:54,55).
- Phinehas’ zeal is a type of Christ, Who was completely consumed with zeal for God (Psalm 69:9).