While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.
4 The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”
5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”
6 Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;
Phinehas, as we read above, was a man who loved God and hated sin. He was zealous for God’s honor. Whenever we decide like Phinehas to turn away from evil and to accept Jesus, the devil starts his pursuit. This is done by enticement or temptation.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
The devil knows our points of weaknesses, and that is where he tempts us from. Phinehas refused to be enticed and withstood the temptation and because of that, the wrath of God was averted.
Just like Phinehas:
1. We must determine to say no to the temptation of sin.
2. We must weigh the price of being indifferent to sin. Being indifferent means being not bothered when evil is happening. Unfortunately, indifference to sin is becoming normal in these days. Instead, we should take a stand against sin and speak out against it. By taking a stand against sin, we show our zeal for God’s honor.
3. We must walk in the path of zeal. The path of zeal is lonely because not many are willing to speak out against sin.
Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.”
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