Numbers 25:10–30:1: Losing your first love

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Adultery is seen as no big deal in today’s society. Consider, though, how the hurt person in the relationship feels. That’s why Israel’s running after false gods and treating YHWH with contempt or apathy is compared to adultery many times in Scripture. This kind of unfaithfulness and rebuilding of the relationship between Creator and created is the subtext of the Torah reading פינחס Pinchas (“Phinehas”).

When Balak and Balaam’s attempt to curse Israel outright did not work, they conspired to curse Israel indirectly by seducing Israel into immorality and idolatry.

The children of Israel were tricked and enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian into unequally yoking themselves to the Baal-Peor. This had far-reaching consequences for all three nations.

The pull of this type of temptation is huge no matter the era. The world away from God can be seductive and you don’t know how far away you have gone from God until you are very far. You don’t notice the drift until you are so far apart that it’s difficult to reconnect.

Why are Midian here? Moses’ in-laws were Midianites and Moses’ father in law, Yitro/Jethro, had been a high priest of Midian 40 years before. Yet, Cozbi, the Midianite woman who is mentioned here, is a daughter of a Midianite chieftain. In the span of 40 years, it appears that the nation of Midian have moved from knowing YHVH into using themselves as a secret weapon fighting against God.

Pinchas’ violent zeal brings covenant of peace

Who is Pinchas/Phineas? The name of Pinchas (Phinehas) has two main definitions in the lexicons:

The first possible meaning is פִּינְחָס pinkhas (H6372) from Egyptian Pe-nehasi, which means “the black man.” This hints at the possibility that Aharon’s grandson may have been dark-skinned, like the Nubians (Ethiopians).

The second possibly meaning comes from the word פִּינְחָס Piynchaç (H6372), apparently from H6310 and a variation of H5175, “mouth of a serpent.”

פֶּה peh (H6310), from H6284, the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech)
פָּאָה paʾah (H6284), a primitive root; to puff, i.e. blow away
נָחָשׁ nachash (H5175) from H5172 (נָחַשׁ nachash, to hiss), a snake (from its hiss).

We see that Phineas was praised for his jealously and zeal for God. The Hebrew word for jealous is קָנָא qanaʾ (H7065), which means “to have zeal.” There is a fine line between zeal, jealousy passion and terrorism, or as Gerald Seymour said:

There is a lot of equivocation in our day over-zeal or passion towards a cause. It comes down to what is in the heart of the person.

One of Yeshua’s 12 apostles was Simon the Zealot or Simon the Canaanite. In the 1st Century AD, the Zealots were a group of hyper-nationalists who were looking to cleanse Israel from Roman occupation and influence.

We see in the days of the Maccabees, they needed some serious righteous zeal to overcome Hellenist persecution but by 100 BC or so, they actually had to bring the Romans in to mediate a peace after they basically went into civil war.

When Yeshua interacted with these zealots, He told them that this is not the time to strike out against the Romans. Where does the zeal lead and will it come to a stop? Were they zealous for what God says or merely to bring in a kingdom as a substitute for Rome? What they were missing is that the only way to bring about lasting change is to have change from the inside out.

Let’s jump into the text:

“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.” (Numbers 25:6 NASB)

The people were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting because they were repenting and crying out for the end of the plague which had broken out after many of the people of Israel had yoked themselves with the deity of Baal-Peor.

This couple is coming through in clear sight of these people and go into a tent. This is blatant, public, and “in your face.”

This couple cared nothing for the death and suffering from the plague that came about due to the very sin and cavorting they were committing right in the camp.

“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. Those who died by the plague were 24,000.” (Numbers 25:7–9 NASB)

There is a profound connection between adultery and idolatry. Both start with a commitment and one of the partners leaves it. God has gone through all sorts of lengths to bring Israel to freedom and the children of Israel go off. Seeing this brought God a lot of pain. Yet, God stuck with them and was willing to accept them back.

Scripture is full of incredible paradoxes, for example the instruction of being angry but not sinning. Being angry but not sinning is like having a 600 horsepower engine and being at a stop light on glare ice. It’s a lot of power but you have to be extremely careful with it because it can get out of control very fast. When anger wells up in you, watch out. Pray for God’s spirit to inform you what is really going on.

In Phineas, we see an example of righteous zeal and passion. He did not have any blood lust. He simply wanted to reestablish sanity, decorum and righteousness into the Israelite camp.

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “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 25:10–13 NASB)

Phineas’ action here borders on vigilantism and it was very drastic but it stopped the plague. The covenant of peace (brit shalom) Phineas brought was bought with a high price. Peaceful people have to use violence to subdue the violent. Strong action is required in perilous times, but God strongly speaks out against vigilantism.

Phineas was anointed to go into God’s presence. He was the only one alive (besides Moses) who could do that. He lived in another realm of holiness.

The Second census

Some of the tribes had large fluctuations in their membership while others were steady. The overall population of the children of Israel had 2000 fewer people than when they left Egypt.

Some people speculate that the 24,000 who died in the plague were mostly from the tribe of Simeon. Zimri, was the Simeonite elder who was killed by Phineas.

I want to look at the census of the tribe of Asher for a moment. It mentions Asher’s daughter Serah. She is mentioned in the census even though she would have been nearly 250 years old at this time.

41 Pinchas tribe numbers

Jewish tradition says that men need Torah while women have a natural connection with the divine.

For us today, when we pass our name to our next generation, we have to ask ourselves how are we known. Does that name get picked up by the next generation. We are not just Jones, Smith, etc. A name is about reputation.

We don’t have names like they had in Ancient England “Edward the Unready” or “Edward Longshanks” anymore. Their name comes from the reputation they had while they were alive. What are you known for? Will it pass to future generations? If not, you name, in a sense will die.

In my family tree, my original American ancestor was a man who came over to New York from Holland in the mid 1600’s. I have no idea what he was like. One side of my family were Loyalists (Tories) and the others were Patriots (Rebels). I don’t really know them.

A new leader emerges

“Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. “You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. “Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” Moses did just as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.” (Numbers 27:15–23 NASB)

Most of Moses’ legacy was tied to Caleb and Joshua, the only two men of his generation allowed to enter the Promised Land. We can note here that God did not appoint either of Moses’ sons to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land.

Dividing the land

The land of Israel was divided proportionally. The larger tribes would get more land, and smaller tribes would get less. Which tribe would get what land would be decided by lot. It was done by a Levite because they did not have a stake in it. They were a neutral party.

A chief tool of decisions (judgments) in Yisrael was the Urim and Thummim (Num. 27:21; Ex. 28:30; 1Sam. 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65). They were stored into the high priest’s breatplate (Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8).

The word urim is אוּרִים ʾuwriym (H224), which means “lights.” The word thummim = תֻּמִּים Tummiym (H8550) which means perfection, complete, prosperity and innocence.

All the sacrifices mentioned in Numbers 28-29 were to bring the people of Israel closer to God. That is what Yeshua did for us. We are brought near to God through the blood of His Lamb, Yeshua. God is going to bring a whole people, a restored people to Himself.

God is throwing them a life-preserver at the end of this reading by reiterating that even the sin of Baal-Peor can be forgiven.

Banner Photo: A Qashqai nomad tent in Isfahan Province. Photo by Ninara shared via Creative Commons License.

Summary: Tammy

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