Friday, August 5, 2016

Friday - Numbers 25 - The Power of One

The whoredom of Israel with the daughters of Moab was no accident. As we have seen before, it happened as a direct result of Balaam's advice to Balak (Revelation 2:14). It was a strategy meant to accomplish through covert infiltration what they had not been able to accomplish through sacrifices and prophecies.  Just the wicked counsel of one man, Balaam, affected a whole nation very negatively.

However, Balaam was not the only important figure in this story. He had a nemesis. There was one man in Israel who had more courage and boldness than any other at that time... his name was Phinehas.

When the people followed the Moabites into idolatry, God was offended. God decreed the death and public desecration of the people who had led in the debauchery (Numbers 25:4). But, in the middle of the execution of justice and of the repentance of Israel's leaders, one man (Zimri) acted with brazen disregard of God's righteousness. And one man (Phinehas) took a javelin and ended Zimri’s ungodliness by skewering him through his belly.

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