Numbers 25:7, commentary and pictures

Phinehas saw an Israelite prince openly bring a Midianite woman into the camp in bold impurity while the congregation wept before the tabernacle under plague, and he rose from among them with a javelin, followed them into the tent and thrust them both through to stop the crime. This belonged to Israel's national apostasy at Baal-peor near the close of the wilderness wandering, when at Balaam's suggestion Satan ensnared them through Midianite women and a heathen feast into idolatry and licentious transgression on the borders of the promised land. By that zealous deed the plague was stayed after twenty-four thousand died for joining to Baal-peor, God's wrath was turned away so He consumed not Israel, and Phinehas received God's covenant of peace, even an everlasting priesthood for him and his seed. The judgment destroyed all who followed Baal-peor with disease and death while those who cleaved to the Lord and kept His commandments lived unharmed, showing obedience brings life and disobedience brings disaster. All this happened as an ensample and is written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, for the same snare laid just before entering Canaan is laid for God's people now who are repeating that history.

Setting and Zealous Action

This moment belongs to Israel's national apostasy at Baal-peor near the close of the wilderness wandering on the very borders of the promised land just before entering Canaan. At Balaam's suggestion carried out through the Midianite women, Satan laid a snare by a feast connected with heathen worship, enticing Israel to sin and transgression. Licentious practices spread from Mount Peor into the camp, drawing Israel into brazen impurity and idolatry and provoking the indignation of Moses and the wrath of God.

The immediate scene was grief and judgment, with the congregation weeping before the door of the tabernacle over its sin while the plague was killing the people during God's reproof. Into that mourning came bold, defiant sexual immorality, when an Israelite prince openly brought a Midianitish woman to his brethren in grave public wrong. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it and rose up decisively from among the congregation, took a javelin in his hand, and went after them into the tent to thrust both through, killing the man of Israel and the woman. That decisive action was commanded by God to stop the offender and to stop the advance of impurity and crime, which had become so bold that only the severest punishment could stop it.

By that deed the plague was stayed from Israel after twenty-four thousand died for joining unto Baal-peor. It was zeal for God that turned God's wrath away from Israel and made an atonement for Israel so that God consumed them not in His jealousy. God gave Phinehas His covenant of peace, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood for him and his seed after him. The slaying connected with the sin is also reckoned as twenty-three thousand slain by the sword at God's command through Moses, and the fall connected with the fornication is also reckoned as three and twenty thousand falling in one day.

Judgment and Last-Day Warning

The record at Baal-peor reveals a clear distinction by God between the disobedient and the faithful. Israel separated from God by fixing the will on self-indulgence against His direct commands and following temptation into idolatry, bringing disaster and laying the nation under the curse. All the men that followed Baal-peor were destroyed from among the people, smitten with disease and death. By contrast those who cleaved unto the Lord and kept His commandments were alive and unharmed that day, proving that obedience brings blessedness, prosperity and life and that the commandments are not grievous while the people remain firm in allegiance.

The judgment that followed was both just upon the guilty and merciful toward Israel. Those led into sin were destroyed, and the severe punishment stopped the advance of impurity and crime. Impurity and crime had become so bold that only the severest punishment could stop their advance. Their continued influence could have corrupted all Israel, so the judgment warned the people not to dishonor God and disregard His law. It also gave Israel victory over a people seeking by every evil art to destroy them.

The wile laid for Israel filled up the measure of Midianite iniquity, ended their day of probation, and closed the door of mercy to them. This brought the divine mandate to vex the Midianites and smite them in judgment. The Midianite women were the principal criminals, idolatrous and licentious, and sparing them as captives would constantly endanger the morals of Israel. Thorough execution of God's command against the guilty was therefore required.

Such execution was not to gratify malice or revenge but as God's instrument in obedience to Him from zeal for the divine glory. God requires His messengers to faithfully perform the appointed work of judgment however repugnant to natural feeling, and He reproves lack of faithfulness rather than too great thoroughness and severity. This is because sin is a deadly contaminating leprosy, God as Creator and owner has full right to take abused blessings from persistent despisers of divine authority, and His name and authority as ruler must be maintained against idolatry, blasphemy and rebellion, with certain retribution in the future judgment upon every evildoer according to deeds done. Sympathy that spares transgressors is contrary to the will of God and is not the charity of the Bible. The friendship of the wicked is more dangerous than their enmity, for none can prevail against the servants of the living God except by tempting them to disobedience, and the offensive character of such sin is estimated only in the light of the cross, where Christ took upon Himself the guilt of the disobedient and suffered in the sinner's stead.

At that time the conditions of the covenant were repeated, and those who remained faithful renewed their vows of allegiance. Through Moses Israel was warned against temptations that would assail them in the future and earnestly exhorted to remain separate from the surrounding nations and to worship God alone. This was by hearkening to His statutes and judgments in obedience, that they might live and possess the land.

The outbreak of fornication brought a signal manifestation of God's displeasure, with judgment following close upon the heinous sin when thousands fell and their polluted bodies were left in the wilderness. The fall is also reckoned as three and twenty thousand falling in one day. Although all were under the cloud and passed through the sea and were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and ate the same spiritual meat and drank the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, with many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness. All these things happened for ensamples to keep people from lusting after evil things and from committing fornication, idolatry, tempting Christ and murmuring, and are written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. This is because Israel placed itself on a level with idolatrous nations and suffered the sure results of its own choice; the facts are to be repeated lest they be forgotten, so that him that thinketh he standeth must take heed lest he fall, knowing no temptation is uncommon and God is faithful to make a way of escape to bear it.

The failure just before entering Canaan warns that God's people can be caught in snares through impurity and other sins. The same snare of Satan laid just prior to entrance into Canaan is laid for God's people now, who are repeating that history. Terrible judgments fell upon the guilty, yet many still cherished the same sins afterward. Phinehas held up that punishment as a warning against rebelling against the Lord, fearing that Israelites living surrounded by worshipers of that idol would again be led to partake of its iniquity and bring wrath upon the whole nation. The fearful results of the sin remained fresh in Israel's memory and shaped their horror as they looked upon Jericho.