August 14, 2013
GOD IS JEALOUS. WE SHOULD BE ZEALOUS
Numbers 25
Anne Marie Mason
Central Truth
God is jealous for us -- for our hearts, but He also wants us to be zealous for Him.
Key Verse | Numbers 25:3
So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel. (Numbers 25:3)
Numbers 25
Baal Worship at Peor
1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4 And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang 1 25:4 Or impale them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
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. 7 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 8 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. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
The Zeal of Phinehas
10 And the LORD said to Moses, 11 “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. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”
14 The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father's house in Midian.
16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Harass the Midianites and strike them down, 18 for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.”
Dive Deeper | Numbers 25
The Israelites were untouchable. Their enemies could not find a way to defeat them. Yet, camping just east of the Promised Land, 24,000 gave in to instant gratification. They had come so far, seen miracles, many miracles, and were so close to the land flowing with milk and honey; and yet they were defeated by their own selfish desires.
While the Israelites did not set out to worship Baal, their sexual immorality led to idol worship. We have to remember that idolatry can be subtle, and we always have to look at the root of our actions, whether those actions begin sinfully or not. God hates idolatry because it shows a heart turned away from Him.
Our God is a jealous God. Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 that adulterers and idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God unless they have been washed and sanctified in the name of Jesus Christ. Only through Jesus can our hearts be fully devoted to God.
God is not only jealous for our hearts, but He wants our hearts to be zealous for Him (Numbers 25:11). Zeal is described as an enthusiastic devotion to a cause and tireless diligence to its furtherance. There have been many times in my life when I've had great zeal for things other than God. That zeal turned into idolatry, which then turned into dissatisfaction. It always does.
We are offered salvation as a free gift from Jesus Christ. He has the power to give us a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19). And, if that really impacts our hearts, then how can we not be zealous for the Lord? Don't let the instant gratification of this world defeat you. The Promised Land is near!
Discussion Questions
1. What pulls your heart away from God?
2. What have you compromised to get what you want?
3. Do you have a friend who points out your idolatry?
4. When was the last time you felt zeal for God?
5. How can you be zealous for the Lord today in your work?