What are You Jealous For

"Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'" -Numbers 25.11-13

Israel was living in sin, and the son of the high priest had had enough of it. He took a spear, and killed an Israelite man with a Midianite woman. We see that the man was named Zimri, the son of a leader in the tribe of Simeon. The example he was setting was one of arrogance, selfishness, and destruction. There was no love or respect for God, and Phinehas could not stand by as the son of a leader behaved in such a way. He was the son of the high priest, and it was part of his responsibility to point the people back to God. He wanted the people to be holy and righteous, and so he took a spear and killed a man who knew better, and should have helped set an example.

God is pleased because Phinehas was jealous, and angry, for the right reasons. Because of the motive behind the action, God decides not to destroy Israel. They are spared because of the actions of one man seeking to end sin. God gives him the covenant of peace for him and his descendants, as well as the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. His actions, and desire for a holiness and righteousness, brought atonement for Israel from the plague God had sent because of their sin.

Men, what are you jealous for? What makes you angry? Does sin make your blood boil? Dose the desire for people to be holy and righteous consume you? What are you doing about it? Are you taking action to help people find new life in Christ? Are you working to disciple others into Christlikeness? These are the things God desires, let us fight for them.

Let us be jealous for the things of God.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Spear It

"Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked." -Numbers 25.6-8

In spite of everything, Israel still hasn't learned. This group that has been spared of death and permitted to enter the Promised Land after forty years of wandering decides to double dip. They follow God, but when their are invited to a pagan worship service, they decide it's ok too. They go and worship Baal, and God's anger rises against the people.

God tells Moses to deal with it by publicly executing the leaders. There is something about public killing that is a strong deterrent of an action, but this isn't a post on the death penalty. But there are those who live in arrogant defiance. One such Israelite flaunted his sin. In the middle of everything, he brings a pagan woman into the camp and his tent. He doesn't sneak her in at night, or even when the people are busy with tasks during the day. He does it when there is worship gong on at the tent of meeting.

Phinehas, son of Eleazar the high priest, has had enough of this attitude. He locates a spear and goes after the arrogant Israelite. He enters into his tent and there slays both the man and the woman. He pins them to the ground and kills them for their actions. Sin leads to death, and sometimes more than just our own.

Men, we must have the attitude of Phinehas. Sin must infuriate us to the point where we do something about it. Don't buy a spear off of Amazon (you can find them there), and kick down your neighbor's door to skewer him when he does something wrong. One that would be murder, a sin, and land you in jail, probably on death row. Plus unless he loves Jesus, it isn't right for you to hold him to the standards Jesus set.

Israel knew better. They knew what was right and wrong in the sight of God, and when they sinned knowingly and willfully, God brought upon them the punishment they deserved. When there is sin in our life, let us deal with it immediately. Let us spear it to the ground and kill it where it lies before it can consume us. When we see sin in the lives of other believers, let us confront it lovingly. When we see people who haven't found new life in Christ living like they don't have new life, let us love them and build relationships with them. Let us pray for them and look for opportunities to tell them about the love and transformation we have found in Jesus. As we do this His Spirit will be at work to kill sin in their lives, and maybe one day they will spear it to the ground.

Let us live lives fully committed to God, and may we always spear sin to the ground.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor