Numbers 25
OGCNumbers 25:1-9
**II. IN MOAB (Numbers 25; Numbers 26; Numbers 27)
A. GRAVE SINS WITH THE MOABITES (Numbers 25:1-9)
TEXT**
Numbers 25:1. And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. 4. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. 5. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.
- And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8. And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 9. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 25:1. While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab. 2. They called the people to sacrifice to their gods, and the people ate, and bowed down unto their gods. 3. In this way Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. 4. And the Lord said to Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them in the sun before the Lord, in order that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned from Israel. 5. And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each one of you is to kill his men who have yoked themselves to Baal-Peor.
- And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the very sight of Moses and of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, who were weeping in front of the door of the Tent of Meeting. 7. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he arose and left the congregation, and took a spear in his hand. 8. and went after the man of Israel, into the chamber, and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through her belly. And the plague was stopped from the children of Israel. 9. But those who had died from the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.
COMMENTARY
The harsh life Israel has led for nearly forty years is now drawing to its close. They are stationed in the final encampment before launching on the last leg of their long tripinto the Promised Land itself. This camp is at Shittim (the acacia trees), which lies directly opposite Jericho, approximately equidistant on the east side of the river. Throughout their time in the wilderness, God had proved His faithfulness in every respect. We would expect the people to be living in a thrilling anticipation of the new life before them. The incidents related in the opening verses of chapter 25 must have occurred as the people relaxed their guard prior to their push. Living near the Moabites, they observe the immoral religious rituals of these people at first hand, and yield to the seductions of the Moabite women. They join in the sacrificial festival of Baal-peor, who is believed to be the same as Chemosh, the Moabites-’ national god. Along with the lustful conduct, gluttony was practiced by the defectors, who have been living on manna for forty years. God’s anger rose high over the conduct of His people. Their complaints, criticisms, faithlessness and gross misconduct lead us to marvel at His patience. A time must certainly come, however, when divine mercy is inappropriate. The Lord summoned Moses and instructed him to kill the guilty sinners, especially their chiefs, who should have led the resistance to such a misadventure rather than becoming a part of it. The penalty was severe in proportion to the seriousness of their dereliction of duty. Divine justice has always held a special responsibility for those in special positions, and to impress the people with the gravity of the situation, the bodies of the chiefs are impaled in the open camp after having been first put to death. The properly appointed leaders of the people, their judges, are then commanded to put to death every man who had defected to the worship of Baal-peor. At this point the account takes a turn which has been variously understood. Some (as IB and ICC) believe the incidents of Num 25:1-9 are totally unrelated and incomplete, as the products of various writers which have been illogically combined. IB says the accounts are from JE and P respectively,.. the first, featuring Moabite women, lacks an ending; the second, introducing Midianite women, has no beginning, (p. 263). The judgment is unfair and inaccurate. Both stories are complete in themselves. The first ends quite appropriately with the sentence pronounced upon the adulterous miscreants. It is by no means a strain upon the text to have introduced at this point the appearance of yet another influencethat of the Midianite womancontributing to the evidence of deteriorating and blatant immorality among the Israelites. Even at the moment, the camp is under the pall of the sentence of the judges, and an aggressive Simeonite named Zimri introduces the daughter of a Midianite chief into the very central presence of Moses and the congregation, obviously for immoral purposes. The effrontery is revolting to good taste and common decency, but seems to be typical of the attitude of the camp’s more gross people.
By contrast with the licentious members of the nation, many Israelites are participating in a period of mourning because of the provocation against the Lord. The plague, which soon would claim 24,000 lives (Numbers 25:9), visited those insensitive and disobedient ones who had flaunted the laws of God. The sin of Zimri is no more grave than those of the other Israelitesit is, however, more blatant and defiant and depicts a highly degenerative spiritual attitude. The quick action of Phinehas in slaying Zimri without waiting for a called assembly to stone the man is clearly defensible. The account makes it logical to infer that the sinning couple were slain in the very act of adultery, within the tent of their deed. Obviously the attitude of Zimri was known to the people generally, and word had been carried to the young priest; his response was essential to the best welfare of the entire camp. The punishment enacted upon the two, as well as the fulfillment of the instructions previously given to the chiefs, stayed the plague after it had exacted a bitter toll. Rabbinical tradition must be the source of Paul’s statement (1 Corinthians 10:8) that the deaths occurred on one day, since this book and no other in the Old Testament states the fact: and the Apostle also gives a figure of 23,000 which, according to the same rabbinical source, is the number of those who were victims of the plague itself, whereas the additional 1,000 were hanged (see KD, p. 206).
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
Where is Shittim?
Using a reliable Bible dictionary or reference book, read up on the ritualistic orgies which accompanied the worship of Baal-peor. Show how the Israelites who participated in such practices were in violation of various units of the Ten Commandments.
Did the first overture in the incidents of this portion of Scripture originate with the Israelite men or with the Moabite women? Can you give any reason for your answer?
What part did gluttony play in the series of events?
Why was the punishment of the sinning people left in the hands of the chiefs?
For what purpose were their bodies put on public display?
How are the two incidents in this section substantially related? Why do some commentators attempt to separate them? Do you consider them complete units or only fragments? Why?
Since the Moabites are the neighboring people at this time, how does a Midianite woman become involved?
What factors make the sin of Zimn especially obnoxious?
Why were the people weeping at the time?
Can you justify the quick and decisive actions of Phinehas?
What relationship is there between the actions of Phinehas and the arrested plague?
How can the figure given in Numbers 25:9 be reconciled to the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:8?
Numbers 25:10-15
B. COMMENDATION OF PHINEHAS vv. 10-15 TEXT
Numbers 25:10. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 11. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13. And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. 14. Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. 15. And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 25:10. Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, 11. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my anger from the people of Israel in that he was zealous for my sake, so that I have not consumed the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12. Therefore say, -Behold, I give to him my promise of peace: 13. and it shall be to him, and to his descendants after him, the promise of a perpetual priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the people of Israel.-’ 14. Now the name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a father’s house among the Simeonites. 15, And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, who was the head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.
COMMENTARY
Whatever the present-day reaction of self-appointed critics may be to the immediate and decisive actions of Phinehas, the Scriptures leave no doubt about the mind of God in the affair. His full endorsement and reassuring words of commendation mean far more than the piddling comments of those who would set their own criteria for Divine conduct. He not only approves of Phinehas-’ deed; He uses it as the basis for asserting the selection of the Aaronic lineage for the high priesthood through the grandson of the initial high priest. His zeal was spontaneous, and in rigid defense of the order God wished among His people. The Lord credits him with having turned away His wrath from the peopleno small accomplishment.
The pledge made to Phinehas established an eternal priesthood for himself and his descendants irrevocably. The lineage remained in this position until the time of the Herodians, with the brief exception of a temporary interruption during the days of Eli (see 1Samuel 1; 1 Samuel 2; 1 Samuel 3; 1 Samuel 14:3).
Both Zimri and Cozbi were individuals of prominent families and high stations in life. They may have felt, therefore, that they were above condemnation or criticism. This fact would have made many of the people reluctant to report their odious conduct, for fear of reprisal from the other members of the families. When such an attitude permeates those of noble position, and their conduct is either tolerated or unrebuked, we may well expect such results as are found in this incident. But God is no respecter of persons, and it was unthinkable that He should let the guilty pair escape unpunished. The arm of His vindication reached out through Phinehas.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
How does God’s evaluation of the act of Phinehas differ from that of the self-appointed critics-'?
How could the act of a single man turn away the wrath of God from an entire nation?
Explain the use of the word jealousy in reference to the attitude of God toward Israel (see also Exodus 20:5).
Precisely what did God promise to Phinehas in recognition of his act?
How long did this promise actually last?
Does God expect more of those who hold important stations in life than from the common people? Defend your answer.
Numbers 25:16-18
C. JEHOVAH DENOUNCES THE MIDIANITES vv. 16-18 TEXT
Numbers 25:16. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 17. Vex the Midianites, and smite them: 18. For they vex with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.
PARAPHRASE
Numbers 25:16. And the Lord said unto Moses, 17. Vex the Midianites and strike them. 18. They have harassed you with their wiles, with which they have enticed you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian and their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.
COMMENTARY
Quite properly, PC reminds the reader that, while the account of defection begins with the Moabites, it concludes with the Midianites because the sin of the women of the latter nation were studied and deliberate. The women of Moab, on the other hand, were but indulging in their personal passions. It is further suggested that the Moabites were not acting upon advice of Balaam, as were the Midianites, in a plot to entangle the Israelites in heathen rites and heathen sins which would alienate them from the favour of God, (p. 344).
The text quite certainly suggests that the Midianite women had acted deliberately and craftily. Later Scripture (Numbers 31:16) names this motive and incriminates Balaam. When God instructs Moses to Vex the Midianites, the command is made very emphatic by repetition. The account will proceed quickly to the military census, taken as an initial step in preparation for moving against the Midianites in battle (see Numbers 31:5). It is a logical inference that the actions of Zimri and Cozbi were not isolated, but may have been common among the Israelites as they were lured by the women of Midian. We see the culmination, then, of the invidious plot of these enemies of God’s people.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
Explain why God sentences Midian to a sad end, but says nothing comparable to Moab.
How severe is the punishment expressed for Midian? How is the severity emphasized?
Explain what part Balaam played in the actions of the Midianite women.
What immediate steps are taken to prepare for the actions of vengeance against the Midianites?