Has anyone ever told you a story and you thought to yourself, “Maybe you should have kept that information to yourself?” Some people have a tendency to overshare. Others include a few too many details that make us cringe and say “TMI.”
The Bible includes a few accounts that feel like an oversharing friend. It’s within some of these more cringy accounts that God makes the most potent points.
One of these “TMI” accounts occurs when Israel was on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. The old generation, who were known by their grumbling, had died out. A new generation arose who recognized God as their provider, but failed to worship Him alone.
The Cost of Compromise
Numbers 25 records the new generation of Israel being invited by other nations to sit, eat, and worship false gods. Unfortunately, many of Israel’s leaders were “lured and enticed by [their] own desire[s]. Then desire, when it was conceived, [gave] birth to sin” (James 1:14-15).
Israel prostituted themselves physically and spiritually by aligning themselves with Baal. This sin led to the execution of Israel’s leaders, and the people were grieved by sin and death. To make matters worse, during the people’s grief and repentance, a brazen Simeonite paraded a Midianite woman past the entrance of the tabernacle, making his sin unashamedly known to everyone.
I’ll spare you the details recorded in Numbers 25:6-15 and summarize it like this: While sin was actively being committed, Phinehas the priest executed justice and judgment on the Simeonite and Midianite woman, satisfying the wrath of God upon the community.
A Shadow of the Savior
Now, if I were writing the Bible or telling my family history, I would probably not include such a colorful tale. Typically, I would fly through this particular passage, making only a small note of this portion of Israel’s journey. However, God does not shirk from sharing the detestable, nor does He reveal it in order to glorify sin.
Israel’s shame highlighted how sin keeps us from God. One zealous priest sheds light on what a life fully dedicated to God should look like. Phinehas did not blush and turn away; He confronted sin head-on, putting a swift end to the rebellion that was bringing death to the whole nation.
Phinehas stood between God and man in order to satisfy the wrath of God. Jesus stood in that same place for you and me. He did not turn away from the sinners in His path or snub His nose at the punishment of death. Jesus understood that the only way to satisfy God’s wrath for the world was to absorb that wrath through His own death on the cross.
The Covenant of Peace
God honored Phinehas and his family for his zeal, which drove him to a deep concern for the things and people of God. This "covenant of peace" is a part of Scripture’s relentless pursuit of true shalom—restoration to a complete and whole relationship with God that cannot be shaken.
Malachi explains this covenant given to the priesthood:
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; It called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity and turned many from iniquity.” — Malachi 2:5-6
God is not asking for people to walk around stabbing those who are in sin. What He does desire are lives so enamored with awe and reverence for God that they will not allow sin to permeate their hearts or homes. The priest of God was called to:
- Walk in peace and integrity.
- Guard the knowledge of God and His Word.
- Live in such a way that people desire instruction because he is God’s messenger.
Our Call to Zeal
As New Testament Christians, we have been given the seal of the Spirit. The law of the LORD has been written upon our hearts. We are inaugurated into a permanent priesthood under Christ (Ezekiel 36:24-29, Hebrews 7). We are called to live zealous lives, as Romans 12:11 commands the church not to lack diligence in zeal.
Ask yourself these questions today:
- Relationship: Do you revere God and stand in awe of His name?
- Commitment: Are you hiding God’s Word in your heart? Is your conversation saturated in love and boldness for the Word?
- Walk: Are you a peacemaker or a breaker? Do you boldly (and lovingly) stand for truth, encouraging others to turn away from sin?
Closing Thoughts
Numbers 25 is an uncomfortable account that often elicits a "fly-through" of the story. However, when this passage is given careful thought, we see that it is a call for God’s people to pay attention.
Sin is real. It desires to rule over your life. We must not let it. Believer, choose today to be on your guard. If sin is threatening to devour your life or the life of the one you love, do not take a passive stance. Be bold. Be kind.
Christ absorbed every inch of God’s wrath so that we do not have to. Let’s be believers who live with holy zeal out of gratitude for God’s love and mercy. Are there areas in your life where holy zeal is lacking? Ask God to reveal those areas and to make you more enamored and bold for Him.
