Numbers 25:The Orgy at Shittim
25:1-3 While Israel was camped at Shittim (Acacia Grove), the men began to have sex with the Moabite women. It started when the women invited the men to their sex-and-religion worship. They ate together and then worshiped their gods. Israel ended up joining in the worship of the Baal of Peor. God was furious, his anger blazing out against Israel.
4 God said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of Israel and kill them by hanging, leaving them publicly exposed in order to turn God’s anger away from Israel.”
5 Moses issued orders to the judges of Israel: “Each of you must execute the men under your jurisdiction who joined in the worship of Baal Peor.”
6-9 Just then, while everyone was weeping in penitence at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, an Israelite man, flaunting his behavior in front of Moses and the whole assembly, paraded a Midianite woman into his family tent. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw what he was doing, grabbed his spear, and followed them into the tent. With one thrust he drove the spear through the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman, right through their midsections. That stopped the plague from continuing among the People of Israel. But 24,000 had already died.
10-13 God spoke to Moses: “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has stopped my anger against the People of Israel. Because he was as zealous for my honor as I myself am, I didn’t kill all the People of Israel in my zeal. So tell him that I am making a Covenant-of-Peace with him. He and his descendants are joined in a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the People of Israel.”
14-15 The name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the head of the Simeonite family. And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.
16-18 God spoke to Moses: “From here on make the Midianites your enemies. Fight them tooth and nail. They turned out to be your enemies when they seduced you in the business of Peor and that woman Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed at the time of the plague in the matter of Peor.”
It all started because gorgeous Midianite women invited handsome young Israelite men to a feast with plenty of juicy meat. Who can resist a steak? No way were these men about to seek for permission or advice as to whether or not their actions would be acceptable to God. But what these guys failed to realize was that the meat they were enjoying came from pagan sacrifices and that by eating that meat, they were entering into worshiping the demons to whom it had been sacrificed. And of course, once these foolish youths had enjoyed a delicious meal with plenty of wine, the Midianite ladies faced no problems in seducing them. These guys were pushovers!
But these fools had already brought destruction on Israel. “God was furious, his anger blazing out against Israel. 4 God said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of Israel and kill them by hanging, leaving them publicly exposed in order to turn God’s anger away from Israel.”
5 Moses issued orders to the judges of Israel: “Each of you must execute the men under your jurisdiction who joined in the worship of Baal Peor.” A plague (perhaps cholera?) had already broken out, and 24,000 people were dying, even as these men were still having sex with the Midianite women. God ordered Moses to hang all the leaders who had been involved in the orgy. But then things became worse.
“6-9 Just then, while everyone was weeping in penitence at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, an Israelite man, flaunting his behavior in front of Moses and the whole assembly, paraded a Midianite woman into his family tent. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw what he was doing, grabbed his spear, and followed them into the tent. With one thrust he drove the spear through the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman, right through their midsections. That stopped the plague from continuing among the People of Israel. But 24,000 had already died.”
While most of the Israelites were weeping and repenting, Zimri, the son of Salu, the head of the Simeonite family, proceeded to saunter into his family’s tent, taking Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, with him. Cozbi’s arm was around Zimri’s neck and she was virtually plastered on Zimri. Perhaps these two felt entitled, certain they wouldn’t be punished because their fathers were chiefs. Confronted with this outright act of rebellion, Phinehas, Aaaron’s grandson, grabbed a spear, rushed into the tent, and drove the spear through Zimri’s and Cozbi’s bodies as they were having sex.
What we fail to consider when we read this story is this: Phinehas might well have been friends with Zimri. After all, Zimri was from the leading family in the Tribe of Simeon, while Phinehas was Aaron’s grandson. These two men may well have grown up together, played together, hunted together, and perhaps even worshiped together. Phinehas was standing there aghast as he watched his childhood friend blatantly advertising his lust. But when the situation became desperate, Phinehas did not hesitate to kill Zimri and Cozbi. Plague of some kind had already struck the Israelite camp, and Phinehas could hear wailing and screaming from the bereaved families.
Phinehas’ actions stopped the plague; however, now there were 24,000 corpses to be handled, plus the bodies of the leaders who had been hanged at God’s command. Dazed, the rest of the Israelites could only stand in wonder. What would God do next?
God allowed Moses to include this story to demonstrate that outright sin would require stringent measures to address it. God announced, “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has stopped my anger against the People of Israel. Because he was as zealous for my honor as I myself am, I didn’t kill all the People of Israel in my zeal. So tell him that I am making a Covenant-of-Peace with him. He and his descendants are joined in a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the People of Israel.”
Notice God’s assessment of the situation: Phinehas picked up that spear because he was as zealous for God’s honor as God was. Honoring God does not necessarily gain one praise. There was every possibility that the Israelites could have turned on Phinehas, branding him as a murderer. The Israelites might have rioted, slaughtering Phinehas and every member of his family. But God stepped in.
Does this story promote human sacrifice? No. God ordered the hanging of the leaders who had participated in the orgy to eliminate those who might lead others into demon worship. Zimri could have saved himself, had he repented; however, Zimri’s flagrant act of rebellion sealed his fate and that of his sex partner. These deaths were necessary punishments, not human sacrifice. What of the 24,000 people who died from the plague? Presumably, these people had been active participants in the orgy and might also have led others into demon worship had they lived.
This story is not primarily a story about blood sacrifices but rather the story of a courageous young man who was zealous for the Lord’s honor, no matter the cost. Even when Phinehas was forced to kill his childhood friend, he didn’t hesitate. Throughout history, those who have stood for righteousness have frequently suffered themselves. Even in recent times, whistle blowers have been punished, ostracized, or even murdered. But God still keeps the books. Were we able to trace Phinehas’ family to the present, we would see that God’s promises were still being fulfilled.
Consider the words of this old hymn:
1 Once to every man and nation
comes the moment to decide,
in the strife of truth with falsehood,
for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision,
off’ring each the bloom or blight,
and the choice goes by forever
‘twixt that darkness and that light.
2 Then to side with truth is noble,
when we share her wretched crust,
ere her cause bring frame and profit,
and ’tis prosp’rous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses
while the coward stands aside,
till the multitude make virtue
of the faith they had denied.
3 By the light of burning martyrs,
Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track;
toiling up new Calv’ries ever
with the cross that turns not back.
New occasions teach new duties;
ancient values test our youth.
They must upward still and onward,
who would keep abreast of truth.
4 Though the cause of evil prosper,
yet the truth alone is strong;
though her portion be the scaffold,
and upon the throne be wrong;
yet that scaffold sways the future,
and, behind the dim unknown,
standeth God within the shadow
keeping watch above His own.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to pursue righteousness, no matter the cost. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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