A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 27 & 36 (Part 1)

Numbers 26 is the second census that was taken of the people of Israel, so we will skip to Numbers 27, which we will study along with Numbers 36 which brings closure to the episode cataloged in this chapter. 

Numbers 27:1-4—1 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: 3 "Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the LORD, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers." So many people who don’t want to believe the Bible like to claim that it subjugates women. On the contrary, the things contained in the Bible are for the protection of women. “Well what about in Deuteronomy 22:28 where it says that if a man rapes a virgin he is to take her as his wife? How does that protect the woman?” Good question. Basically, this command (which is an echo of Exodus 22:16) is not talking about rape. It is to prevent a man from sleeping with a damsel, knowing that he will have to pay her father and marry her, never being able to divorce her. In other words, God is telling this man “If you want her, you will have to take her for life, her and her alone.” Just look at the verses previous to this, Deuteronomy 22:25-27—25 “But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. 26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter. 27 For he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.” If the woman was not married or betrothed, the man who sleeps with her must marry her. If the woman was betrothed or married, her rapist must die. So yes, there were protections for women. 

Our text today gives us another example. The daughters of a man who died without any sons to inherit his land asked what would happen to them in the Promised Land, if they would have any inheritance. After all, inheritances of land were passed down through the sons. Zelophehad was a descendant of the tribe of Manasseh, and a grandson of the man Gilead (from whom the land of Gilead gets its name). Understanding the family tree as we read it in 1st Chronicles 7:14-15 is a bit tricky. The majority of translations (including the KJV, given here) render 1st Chronicles 7:14-15 (KJV)—14 The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead: 15 And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.  In the NKJV we read 14 The descendants of Manasseh: his Syrian concubine bore him Machir the father of Gilead, the father of Asriel. 15 Machir took as his wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose name was Maachah. The name of Gilead's grandson was Zelophehad, but Zelophehad begot only daughters. And in the NET (New English Translation) we see 14 The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, who was born to Manasseh's Aramean concubine. She also gave birth to Makir the father of Gilead. 15 Now Makir married a wife from the Huppites and Shuppites. (His sister's name was Maacah.) Zelophehad was Manasseh's second son; he had only daughters. In verse 15, the word “second” in the KJV, the word “grandson” in the NKJV and the phrase “second son” in the NET are translated from the word הַשֵּׁנִי (sheni) which usually means “second (ordinal number)”, but can also mean “another; other (something as distinct from something else)”. Scholars are divided and perplexed by the phrase “the second” (or “grandson” or “second son”). Keil and Delitzsch only guess at it; the Pulpit Commentary also. The Biblical Illustrator and even John Calvin are silent on this. Even great Jewish writers like Abraham Ibn Ezra, Maimonides and Josephus are also silent. This being the case, we cannot be dogmatic about it, but should only join these brilliant minds in their perplexity and silence. 

Let us suffice it to say that the name of Gilead's grandson was Zelophehad. But Zelophehad did not have any sons, only daughters. Since daughters were not yet given the right of land inheritance, would they have anywhere to live? Would they wander around homeless? Or would they marry into another tribe, and their father’s name simply be blotted out? These daughters had questions, and they were not afraid to ask them. But they did not do so in a harsh manner, but were tender and inquisitive in their asking. These were indeed children of Israel, being of the tribe of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the son of Jacob, and as such they deserved to be cared for as children of Israel. And their concern for their father’s name is to be commended. So Moses had a quandary to figure out. And what does he do? He did what he always did: he took the matter to the One who could give him proper counsel. 

Numbers 27:5-11—5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 7 "The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father's brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.'" And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the LORD commanded Moses. God always has an answer, always has a solution that will work out for the good of His people—even if it does not appear to be immediately for their good. It did not seem good at the time when God caused the people of Jerusalem to be carried away captive to Babylon because they had progressed further and further into idolatry, and had broken the covenant that God made with them, and risked being cut off from Him eternally.

And He tells them through the prophet Jeremiah that this captivity will be for a short while, in order to bring them back to God. Jeremiah 27:17, 21-22—“17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste?...21 yes, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem: 22 'They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,' says the LORD. 'Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.'” This was for the good of Jerusalem, that the idolatry would be blotted out and the city renewed. We see later that this captivity would be but for a season, and God would raise up a king in Babylon who would set them free to return to their land and worship Him. He would later say in Jeremiah 29:10-12— 10 For thus says the LORD: “After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” And He did what He said He would. He raised up Cyrus, king of Babylon, who wrote a decree that all the people of Israel should return to their homeland. And here in Numbers, He gives a less severe command—He gives a command that yes, the daughters of Zelophehad should be given a portion of land among their uncles, and the inheritance that would have gone to any brothers (had they had any) would go to these daughters. 

And in future cases, the same thing would happen. But if the man died childless, his land would pass to his brothers. If he had no brothers, the land would pass to his uncle(s) on his father’s side. If he had no uncles on his father’s side, it would go to a near kinsman. This, of course, brings us to the case of Ruth. A little background—Naomi and Elimelech were Ephrathites who lived in Bethlehem Ephrathah in the land of Judah. Elimelech dies, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion took for themselves wives, Moabitesses from the land of Moab—one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. “But I thought men of Israel were not supposed to marry Moabite women?” True indeed (Deuteronomy 23:3). But read on. Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving Naomi not only as a widow but also having no sons (like Zelophehad and like the Shunammite woman in 2nd Kings 4:1 and like the widow of Nain in Luke 7:12). Ruth was also made a widow by this. Does she remain in Moab as Orpah did? No. What does she tell Naomi when she said she would go with her? “For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16). She made a vow that she would worship YHVH, Naomi’s God. In the Mishnah (a collection of rabbinical commentaries on the Old Testament) we read in Mishna Yebamot 8:3(I) that “The male Ammonite and Moabite are prohibited from entering the congregation of the Lord, and the prohibition concerning them is forever. But their women are permitted forthwith”. So the prohibition was against the Moabite males from entering the assembly of Israel, not the Moabitesses. (Remember also that the people were to bring the young women of the Midianites into the camp after they had slain the men, women and boys in Numbers 31). She returned with Naomi to Bethlehem Judah, and gleaned the wheat fields to support Naomi and possibly find a husband. A husband from the people of Israel. So God used this marriage by Naomi’s Israelite son to this Moabite woman to bring the Moabitess into the land of Israel and, as you may know, she was one of the ancestors of our Lord (Matthew 1:5). 

Eventually, Ruth is smitten with a man named Boaz, a kinsman of Elimelech. And Boaz is smitten with her. And he takes Ruth to be his wife. But there is a matter of a piece of land that must be redeemed. Ruth 4:3-6—3 Then he [Boaz] said to the close relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 And I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it." 5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance." 6 And the close relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it." Naomi had sold a piece of land, and since her husband and her sons were dead, and since (ostensibly) Elimelech had no brothers, the right to redeem it then went to his nearest kinsman. Since this nearest kinsman declined to purchase it (since he would also have to raise up seed with Ruth, according to the rite of the Levirate marriage [Deuteronomy 25:5-10]), he then transferred the right to redeem to the next-in-line, which was Boaz, who then raised up seed with this Moabitess. Ruth 4:13—So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. This son he named Obed (Ruth 4:21). Obed had a son he named Jesse. And Jesse’s son? That would be David (Ruth 4:22), who would become the favorite king of Israel, and a man after God’s own heart. 

We see the inheritance given to the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 36:1-13—1 Now the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the chief fathers of the children of Israel. 2 And they said: "The LORD commanded my lord Moses to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 Now if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers." 5 Then Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying: "What the tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks is right. 6 This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father's tribe.' 7 So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of one of the family of her father's tribe, so that the children of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 Thus no inheritance shall change hands from one tribe to another, but every tribe of the children of Israel shall keep its own inheritance." 10 Just as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad; 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to the sons of their father's brothers. 12 They were married into the families of the children of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's family. 13 These are the commandments and the judgments which the LORD commanded the children of Israel by the hand of Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 

If a case like this arose in the future, and a daughter of one tribe married a son of another tribe, the land inheritance would go to any sons this couple might have, and would therefore then belong to the tribe of the man the woman married. This could lend itself to great confusion among the people, and land would be swapped among tribes until the land was nothing more than a hodge-podge of different tribes and they were all mixed up together. So to stop this from happening before it started, God gave Moses a command: The daughters of Zelophehad were to marry within the tribe of Manasseh so that the land they were given would stay in the tribe of Manasseh.

Part 2 next week 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 25 & 31 (Part 3)

Then the attack against the Midianites comes in Numbers 31:1-7—1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people." 3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian. 4 A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war." 5 So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand. 7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. The zeal that Phinehas had when thrusting his spear through Zimri and Cozbi stirred up the people to attack those who had tempted them into idolatry. Let’s think about how far these people had come. They were once slaves in Egypt, unskilled in war, only in trodding out bricks and erecting monuments to the Egyptian gods. They had been brought through the desert where they grumbled and complained incessantly. Now, some 40+ years later, they defeat the army of Midian. They had overcome their feebleness through the power of the Hand of God. Now, consider yourself. You too were once a slave. A slave to sin. Maybe it was a great sin, maybe not. But you were, nonetheless a slave to it. You were far off from the Kingdom of God. But now, you are a different person, a new creation, reborn in the image of Christ. Ephesians 2:13—But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Romans 6:17-18 (ESV)—17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (I like the ESV translation of this passage better, as it gives the true translation of the Greek word δοῦλοι (douloi), which means, literally, “slaves”). But now we are kings and priests to God, no longer slaves to sin. Were you a drunkard? You are now a prince. Were you a harlot? You are now a princess. Were you once living in the gutter, your life filled with nothing, only looking for the next day or the next bottle? Forget that, you are now a child of God. Attack the Midianites of your flesh, kill it, and remember who you are now! The Biblical Illustrator says this:

 

It is instructive to compare this warfare of the children of Israel with their earlier battles. There are many points of difference between them. In Egypt, when surrounded by their enemies, they were not called to fight. They were quite unprepared for war; but God fought for them, and they were still, and held their peace. Then again, subsequently they were attacked by the Amalekites. They did not begin the encounter, but only repelled the attacks; whereas on this occasion Moses said unto the people “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian.” Their earlier encounters were all in self-defence—their later ones were aggressive. Here, then, we cannot but discern a mark of progress in Israel’s history. At first, when they were weak, and without experience of God’s power and unchanging love, they were more passive. Now that they had been formed into a more compact body, and trained to arms, and still more, had experienced the power and faithfulness of God, they were called to be aggressive, to attack and destroy the enemies of God. Now, we think, that this progress in Israel’s history is typical in the Christian life. In the first beginnings of the spiritual life the young Christian’s mind is chiefly passive. God’s work is to show him his own needs and what are his enemies. The very spirit of the gospel is aggressive, not in a worldly sense, nor indeed in the sense in which it was true of Israel, but in a higher and holier sense; for it is a spirit of faith in God-a spirit of holy jealousy for God’s glory—a spirit of deep compassion for perishing souls.

Numbers 31:8—They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. The man who would not curse Israel, but who led them astray another way, dies at their hands. What a fitting end to the man who led the people of God away from Him and into the degrading sin of sexual immorality mixed with idolatry! The people of God executed the justice of God by running a sword through this wretch. He had seen the goodness of God; he had seen that God would only bless them; he saw how great their numbers were. But instead of joining with them and becoming part of the people of God, He chose the riches of the world instead of the riches of God. Like Haman, who devised ill against the people of Israel and wound up being hanged on his own gallows, so Balaam devised evil against the people of God and was pierced through with a sword, thus bringing an end to his miserable life. Like Sanballat and Tobiah devised evil against Nehemiah and those who were rebuilding Jerusalem, only to see their feeble deeds come to naught, so this man, who sought to bring an end to Israel, saw his plans come to naught. And like our Adversary, who walks about like a roaring lion, seeks to bring down those called by God, he will be brought down to the Bottomless Pit and, finally, to the Lake of Fire. There is no way to defeat God. He cannot be dealt a blow that will not be turned around a hundred times—nay, a thousand or million or more times—harder on the one who tried it. 

Numbers 31:9-18—9 And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. 11 And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast. 12 Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle. 15 And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? 16 Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. 18 But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.” After the slaughter, the people gathered up all the prisoners of war—an action which angered Moses, as these were of the same women who led Israel into idolatry. Why would they keep them alive? But don’t we sometimes do the same thing? We keep some reminder of our past in our possession, some reminder of the good times we had when we were slaves to sin and apart from God. “Oh, what’s it going to hurt?” 1st Corinthians 10:12—Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Do you think Satan needs more than a little sliver of room to worm his way back into our lives? Open the door, even a crack, and he will burst through and make one regret giving him even the slightest foothold. Ephesians 4:27—Nor give place to the devil. The word translated “place” is the Greek τόπος (topos), and means “opportunity, power, occasion for acting.” Paul is warning us to not give the Devil an opportunity, to not give him an occasion for acting in our lives. Jesus warned us in Matthew 12:43-45 (and in Luke 11:24-26)—43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." Do not think you are stronger or smarter than the Devil. He has been around for far too long, and remember he convinced one-third of the angels to follow him in rebelling against God. Knowing that, what do you think your chances are against him? Just ask Eve how trying to outsmart the serpent worked out for her, for Adam, for all mankind. 

“But they killed women? And children? What kind of a God commands that?” The kind of God who wants us to put sin far away from us. When they brought the women and children back, it may have been out of mercy. But they did not think ahead to what might happen if these were allowed to remain with the people of God. The women, we know, would have led more men astray. The boys? They would have grown up bitter, resentful of the men who killed their fathers. You want a villain origin story? Isn’t that how they all begin? “But what about where Moses says in verse 18 ‘But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately’? Isn’t that permitting child marriage and pedophilia?” This is an argument we need to be prepared for, as the enemies of God will use this. So, different translations do render הַטַּף בַּנָּשִׁים (hatap bannashiym) as “young girls” or “women children”. And that is, indeed, the literal translation of this verse. But to claim this gives a green light to pedophilia is not warranted by the text. Nowhere does it say they are to take them as wives or concubines. And with there being a dearth of commentary on this verse, I’m going to give you my take on it, which may or may not be the best. But here goes: The young women—and yes, even young girls—who had not known a man intimately were to be taken in to the congregation, raised as an Israelite, and even used to perform tasks. When they became older they could be married, but nowhere—NOWHERE—does the text say ANYTHING about using these girls for sex. If anything, this was mercy. Their mothers were killed; their fathers were killed; if they had brothers they were put to death. They would have been left to fend for themselves in the desert. Instead, they were brought into the fold of the people of God, and raised in the Covenant of God. 

The rest of the chapter deals with dividing up the spoils of war and the distribution of those spoils and the tribute to God. The only passage we will touch on in Numbers 31 is Numbers 31:48-50—48 Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses; 49 and they said to Moses, "Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing. 50 Therefore we have brought an offering for the LORD, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD." Twelve thousand went to war against the Midianites, and twelve thousand returned. God knows how to save His people. The same can be said of those who trust in Christ. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and none of His sheep will be lost. Does a Good Shepherd let any of His sheep wander off? Or when He sees that sheep wandering, will He not go and bring it back? Yes, He will bring it back. Matthew 18:12-14 (echoed in Luke 15:4-6)—12 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." Is your will greater than God’s will? Can you stray far enough from Jesus that He will let you go merrily on your way to Hell? Some say “Well, you can walk away from God and lose your salvation that way”. No, my friend! He is The Good Shepherd, and when He sees you going astray, if you are truly His, then He will run to you to bring you back to Himself! He will leave the 99 sheep who are staying to go get the one who is straying (Matthew 18:12-13; Luke 15:4-7). The Father knows all that He has given to His Son, and will not allow any of them to be lost! 

Loving Shepherd of your sheep/all your lambs in safety keep;

Nothing can your power withstand/none can pluck them from your hand.

May they praise you ev'ry day/gladly all your will obey,

Like your blessed ones above/happy in your precious love.

Loving Shepherd, ever near/teach your lambs your voice to hear;

Suffer not their steps to stray/from the straight and narrow way.

Where you lead them may they go/walking in your steps below;

Then, before your Father's throne/Savior, claim them for your own.

(“Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep” by Jane Leeson) 

Father, help us to always remember Your goodness and Your faithfulness in all our battles, knowing that You will come for us when we stray. Help us to always put to death sin in our mortal bodies, to put to death the old man and to put on the new man. Help us to not cling to those things that would take us back to who we used to be, but help us to remember that we are a new creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works. But in our hatred for sin, let us always remember mercy in our dealings with those who do not know You. 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 25 & 31 (Part 2)

Numbers 25:6-9—6 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. 7 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, 8 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. 9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000. So this man of Israel, while all the people were still weeping for the men who were slain due to their idolatry, brings in a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel to further pollute the people with sexual idolatry. Why were the people of Israel told to not intermingle with the people of Midian? Well, for one, although Midian was indeed descended from Abraham he was from Abraham’s second wife Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). He was not the son of the promise God gave to Abraham, but from when Abraham went beyond what God had given him (it is another warning against polygamy). Second, the people of Midian (and Moab), while worshipping YHVH they also worshipped Ba'al-Peor. So any kind of mingling with them provoked YHVH to anger. Additionally, many of the Middle Eastern pagan religions were rife with sexual rituals as worship of the fertility gods such as Ba'al and Asherah. Bernhard Anderson in “Understanding the Old Testament” (p. 189) says

 

In Canaanite religion, sex was elevated to the realm of the divine. The divine powers, it was believed, were disclosed in the sphere of nature—that is, in the mystery of fertility. The gods were sexual in nature, and were worshipped in sexual rites. 

And even though this man had seen what was done to those who joined themselves to the idolatry of the people with the Moabite women (who themselves had joined with the Midianites against Israel) he still brought this woman in to lie with her. If we were to read on into the book of Joshua, we would see that even then the people had not cleansed themselves of this sin. Phinehas tells the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Joshua 22:17—“Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD?” Though the people were delivered from the punishment for their sexual idolatry, that sin obviously still lingered in the hearts of some of the people. 

But how many times do we see this happen? We are warned against sin, we even see the effects of sin on others, but we still plunge headlong into it. When we see this happen we must do what we have to in order to purge this sin from our numbers. Which is what Phinehas does here. 7 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, 8 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. This is not the last time we will see the people of God kill those who worship idols. Ehud straps a sword onto his thigh and slays Eglon, king of Moab in Judges 3:12-31. In 1^st Kings 18, we see the contest between Elijah against the prophets of Ba'al on Mount Carmel. We see Elijah’s sacrifice accepted by God and the sacrifice of the prophets of Ba'al rejected. Elijah even soaked his sacrifice in buckets of water to show that it was not the heat of the desert sun, but rather it was God who sent fire down to consume his sacrifice. And what does the prophet of YHVH command? 1st Kings 18:39-40—39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" [literally, “YHVH is God! YHVH is God!”] 40 And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. 

In 2^nd Kings 10 King Jehu (not to be confused with the prophet Jehu in 1^st Kings) has all the house of Ahab slain, and says in 2nd Kings 10:16-17—16 Then he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So they had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah. He calls all the prophets of Ba'al into the temple of Ba'al and has them put on their priestly garments in order to finally rid Israel of all the last vestiges of Ba'al worship. Then in 2nd Kings 10:23-28 (NASB)—23 Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but only the worshipers of Baal." 24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, "The one who permits any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape shall give up his life in exchange." 25 Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the royal officers, "Go in, kill them; let none come out." And they killed them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the inner room of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the sacred pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. 27 They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. 28 Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel. So yes, he wiped out all vestiges of Ba'al worship, but did so under false pretenses. Was he right to do it like this? Probably not. Was it right for Rebecca to trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing under false pretenses? Probably not. But if God has an end in mind, He can use the cunning and trickery of men to make it happen. Doesn’t mean we can go about doing likewise, but it does explain what our Lord meant when He said “Be wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16). And what did God promise to Jehu for his zeal in removing Ba'al worship from Israel? 2nd Kings 10:30—"Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." 

Unfortunately, Jehu did not go far enough. While he did indeed wipe out all the priests and prophets of Ba'al, there was one step he didn’t take. It was the step that even some of the better kings in Israel and Judah did not take. 2nd Kings 10:31—But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin. What were the sins of Jeroboam? He divided the kingdom (1st Kings 12:25), set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan (1st Kings 12:28-30), let anyone into the priesthood who wanted to be a priest regardless of whether or not they were of the tribe of Levi (1st Kings 12:31), and he prescribed a feast similar to Passover, except instead of the 14^th day of the seventh month, this was on the 15^th day of the eighth month (1st Kings 12:32). In other words, he directed the people away from the true worship of the true God. And what was the cause of the sins of Jeroboam? That Solomon did the same thing by marrying foreign wives and setting up houses and shrines for them. Instead of thrusting a spear through the heart of sin as Phinehas did, he made a bed and laid down a pillow for it. And this sin carried grievous consequences for the kingdom for years to come. 

Those who died by the plague were 24,000. We don’t see a plague mentioned, but this text tells us that God sent a plague throughout the people and killed 24,000. Paul reckons the number at 23,000 (1st Corinthians 10:8). “Ha! See! There’s a contradiction!” No, it is not a contradiction. Paul was a devout Jew before he met Christ, and would no doubt have known what was written. You must remember that Paul was taught by none other than Christ Himself (Galatians 1:12, 17). He was no doubt given the number of people that died by the plague—the exact number—and reckoned it differently than did Moses. John Wesley supposes that Moses gave the maximum number while Paul gave the minimum. So the number of people who died of the plague was somewhere between 23,000 and 24,000. But let us not lose sight of the warning Paul gives us. Let’s put 1st Corinthians 10:8 in its proper context. 1st Corinthians 10:5-8—5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.  Here the apostle is linking sexual immorality with idolatry, a practice common in the city of Corinth at that time (as it was in the days of Numbers with Ba'al). He was telling these Gentile believers to not be caught up in the sexual immorality of the pagan temple worship, but to keep themselves pure and worship God alone. These Corinthian believers were, as were the people of Israel, surrounded by those who worshipped other gods and were being tempted to join with them in their idolatry. And the apostle closes this particular section by warning the people in 1st Corinthians 10:11-14—11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. Flee from idolatry. Don’t become fascinated by it, don’t dance close to it, and don’t even consider it even for a moment. FLEE from it. Don’t bring it into the worship of God with you, and if it is brought in by others, get away from it. Gouge out your eye, cut off your hand if you have to. What did God do to the people in Numbers? Why does Paul bring it up? All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition. They happened to them to serve as examples of what would happen to us! 

Numbers 25:10-13—10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. 12 Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace;  13 and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.'" God commends Phinehas for his zeal in dealing with gross idolatry and wickedness. But in reality, it was not any zeal that Phinehas himself had, but it was God’s zeal which He put upon him. “He was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.” Just as God put upon the seventy elders of Israel the same spirit that He put on Moses (Numbers 11:24-25). Ger de Koning in his King Comments has this to say:

 

There is a man, an Israelite, who defies the judgment that has been carried out. He ignores God’s judgment and, with incredible hubris, brings a Midianite woman to his brothers. This is not just any sin. It is a frontal attack on the true, high and pure service to God. With his deed he slaps God’s face and he is not interested in anything that he does to his brothers with his deed. His brothers mourn about the situation and he indicates with his deed that they are behaving overly dramatic. So he defies God and despises the crying people. 

God gives us a zeal for the things of God and causes us to finally bow our knee and confess that He is Lord over all. On the other hand, we cannot be zealous for the things of God unless we are given the Spirit of God. 1st Corinthians 2:14—But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God…nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Up to this chapter in Numbers God had destroyed countless people by His own hand, and now He is giving that power over to His people. He had commanded Moses to hang the men who had committed sexual idolatry and now He had given Phinehas the desire to fulfill God’s wrath in slaying these two who were having sex in the man’s tent. They wanted to be joined together—and Phinehas made sure they would stay that way. This is a warning to us, that we should be careful when we join ourselves with another. 1st Corinthians 6:15-16—15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." When we lie with another we become one flesh with that person. When we take our marriage vows, often the officiant will say “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Phinehas has given us a clear picture of this principle, and has joined this man and this woman together—in death. 

And because of this zeal, God made a covenant with Phinehas that his descendants would be priests to God perpetually. “It shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood.” The priesthood that was initiated with Aaron would continue on through his grandson Phinehas. We see that Phinehas was the chief of the Korahite Levites in 1st Chronicles 9:19-20. (Yes, although God brought Korah himself down to Sheol, yet Korah had sons who survived to the time of the temple, and even served it.) He was also an ancestor of the scribe Ezra (Ezra 7:5). And before we go any further, allow me to clear up a passage that could cause some confusion. Judges 19-21 we read the disastrous account of the Levite and his concubine and the aftermath thereof. We come across a curiosity in Judges 20:27-28—27 So the children of Israel inquired of the LORD (the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days)… The Book of Judges chronicles about 450 years in the history of Israel. So either Phineas lived to be about 500 years old or there is something that needs to be studied more. The events in this section of Judges occurred much earlier than it is written—and this is just a guess—probably sometime around Judges chapter 2 or chapter 3. But it had to have happened sometime within about 20 years after the death of Joshua. 

Numbers 25:14-18—14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader 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; he was head of the people of a father's house in Midian. 16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 17 "Harass the Midianites, and attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor." Because of the heinousness of the indiscretions of the people, brought on by the temptations from the Midianites, God commands Moses to attack the Midianites and wipe them out. Today we do not kill someone because they cause us to sin. Rather, we should be killing the flesh in us that is causing us to sin. In his book “On the Mortification of Sin”, John Owens writes

 

Indwelling sin is compared to a person, a living person, called “the old man.” He has his way of thinking, his tendencies, his wisdom, craft, subtlety, and strength. This old man, says the apostle, must be killed, put to death, mortified. That is, the old man’s power, life, vigor, and strength, his ability to produce effects, must be taken away by the Spirit. In fact, it is to be “crucified with Christ” as a good thing. We, as the “old man,” are said to be “dead” with Christ.  When we are resurrected in Christ and regenerated, a principle contrary to the old man, one designed to destroy him, is planted in our hearts. But the whole process towards perfection (Christ-like behavior) is carried on by degrees all of our life.

We do not look to kill those things or people outside of ourselves that lead us to sin. What we really need to kill is—well, us. As the main verse for the theme of his book, Owens uses Romans 8:13—If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. You could say that the Midianites represented our flesh, the Israelites the spirit. If our spirit is going to live eternally with God, we must put to death our flesh. Is that difficult? Yes. Find anyone in the Bible who did not have a difficult time overcoming the flesh. You won’t find anyone. Even the ones we don’t read much about were fighting battles we couldn’t begin to imagine. Consider the case of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. He was a tax collector, a practice highly criticized among Israelites when Jesus walked the earth. He could not go back and undo all the wrongs he had perpetrated on the people. But he put to death the deeds of his flesh, and recompensed for what he had done. Luke 19:8—"Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." He went forth in the newness of his new life in Christ. As Zacchaeus did, so we too must thrust our spear through that old man, put him to death, lest he raise his head and lead us back to our old ways.

Part 3 next week

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen. 

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 25, 31 (Part 1)

We will group Numbers 25 with Numbers 31, as they both tell of the sins of the people with the Midianites and the battle that followed. 

Numbers 25:1-3—1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel. The name Acacia Grove is rendered in many other translations as Shittim. And the words Shittim and Acacia are synonymous for a tree that grows in the Middle East. What Balaam was unable to do, the people did themselves. Balak wanted Balaam to curse the people, but they indeed cursed themselves by committing harlotry with the women of Moab and by playing part in the idolatry of Ba'al. And it is a great example of how we should not mingle with the ungodliness of the ungodly lest we get caught up in their ungodliness and turn from God to worshipping idols. Josephus writes of this incident in his “Antiquities of the Jews” (Book 4, chapter 6, paragraph 9):

 

Now the young men were induced by the fondness they had for these women to think they spake very well; so they gave themselves up to what they persuaded them, and transgressed their own laws, and supposing there were many gods, and resolving that they would sacrifice to them according to the laws of that country which ordained them, they both were delighted with their strange food, and went on to do every thing that the women would have them do, though in contradiction to their own laws; so far indeed that this transgression was already gone through the whole army of the young men, and they fell into a sedition that was much worse than the former, and into danger of the entire abolition of their own institutions; for when once the youth had tasted of these strange customs, they went with insatiable inclinations into them; and even where some of the principal men were illustrious on account of the virtues of their fathers, they also were corrupted together with the rest. 

This would become a common theme under the kings of Israel and Judah—that a king would arise who “did evil in the sight of the LORD”. Kings who were supposed to lead the people in righteousness and reserve worship for God and God alone, would turn from Him and worship Ba'al and Asherah, knowing full well that these types of idol worship would lead to ruin for their people. Solomon, the wisest man ever, was drawn away like this. 1st Kings 11:1-4—1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—2 from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." [Deuteronomy 7:3-4] Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. “If Solomon was so wise, why did he turn away from the command of God and marry these women that God said not to marry?” That is the power of the flesh. Just as Delilah turned Samson away from God to be strong in his pride, so these women turned Solomon away from God. It is what the Apostle John refers to as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1st John 2:16). Ironically, Solomon would write, in Ecclesiastes 10:1—Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. For all of Solomon’s wisdom, his folly brought about the ruin of his kingdom. 

 A modern-day example of this would be a man I greatly admired, a wise expositor of Scripture, and a man who was even a Dean at John MacArthur’s seminary and a fellow at RC Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries. Steve Lawson confessed to having a five-year affair. In his words it was non-sexual (he referred to it as a “relationship” rather than an “affair”), and until proved otherwise we should believe him. That still does not excuse his behavior, as our Lord told us in Matthew 5:27-28—27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Even if he did not have sex with the woman, he had already committed adultery with her in his heart. Instead of getting away from the tent of Korah (Numbers 16:24) or plucking out his eye that was causing him to sin (Matthew 5:29), he allowed himself to be caught up in a sin that cost him dearly. He had written several books, had been preaching for several years, and had been teaching the word of God rather well. But he allowed himself to get too close with a woman, and for that weakness he has disqualified himself from being an elder. 

“Getting back to Solomon. He had all these wives and concubines. And he was used greatly by God. Doesn’t that mean that polygamy is okay?” No, it does not mean polygamy is okay. If you read on, you will see that God was definitely not pleased with him marrying all these foreign wives. For had they not turned his heart away from God, and turned him to worshipping idols? How does one think God is pleased with that? And we read of God’s displeasure with him the in verses following. 1st Kings 11:9-11—9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. 11 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.” The kingdom was indeed given to his servant Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin a grave sin, a sin so grievous that God would attach it to the name of Jeroboam thereafter. The “sin of Jeroboam” is mentioned in 22 verses in the Bible. It was the penalty God placed on the people because of Solomon’s sin. Now, do you see that God did not approve of his polygamy? It is as Job when he said it best. “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). In giving the kingdom to Solomon, God was glorified. In taking the kingdom away from Solomon, God was glorified. Blessed be the name of the LORD! Much of Solomon’s writing is ironic considering this. As he wrote in the verse from Ecclesiastes earlier, so he writes in Proverbs 6:23-29—23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. 25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.                                                             

Do not think we are immune from falling into the same snare that caught Solomon and that caught Steve Lawson. It is the reason that Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 6:14-16—14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." We are human. We are fallen creatures. We can fall into sin just as easily as anybody. And it happens more frequently the closer we are to that sin. It is no trifling thing, even though there are many “pastors” these days who not only will not speak about sin (I’m talking to you, Joel Osteen), but will make excuses for sin and discount its harm. But sin IS harmful. Not only does it harm the person, it harms the name of God and the name of Christ. Look what it did to Solomon. Look what it did to Ahab. Look what it did to Steve Lawson. Do not think for a moment that sin is a harmless thing. And do not see how close you can get to it. Without going over the line because, trust me (no, rather, trust God) you will cross that line. And apart from God’s Holy Spirit, there is no going back. Sin is a terrible cliff to plunge over. John Bunyan wrote “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners” as an autobiography of his spiritual journey through his life. And in on place early on in the book he wrote:

 

Again, when as sometimes I have been about to preach upon some smart and scorching portion of the Word, I have found the tempter suggest, ‘What, will you preach this? this condemns yourself; of this your own soul is guilty; wherefore preach not of it at all; or if you do, yet so mince it as to make way for your own escape; lest instead of awakening others, you lay that guilt upon your own soul, as you will never get from under.’ But, I thank the Lord, I have been kept from consenting to these so horrid suggestions, and have rather, as Samson, bowed myself with all my might, to condemn sin and transgression wherever I found it, yea, though therein also I did bring guilt upon my own conscience!…It is far better that thou do judge thyself, even by preaching plainly to others, than that thou, to save thyself, imprison the truth in unrighteousness; blessed be God for his help also in this. 

This was a man greatly used by God, a man who eschewed sin, who thought of himself as “The Chief of Sinners”! May we all think of ourselves in like manner! 

“So what do I do if I do sin? Am I then cast off from Christ forever?” No, absolutely not! We have an advocate between God and us, and His name is Jesus Christ (1st Timothy 2:5; 1st John 2:1). How many times will God forgive us of our sins? It would not be wise to test His patience, but He will forgive us more times than there are sands in the sea. Are you in Christ? Then for the rest of your earthly life and for all eternity you shall be in Christ. Is Christ less than a perfect Savior? God forbid! Hebrews 10:14—For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Being perfected, can you make yourself unperfected? Can you undo what Christ has done? Can you uncomplete Christ’s complete sacrifice? He did not cry out “TETELESTAI!” for nothing.

 

Lifted up was He to die

“It is finished!” was His cry

Now in Heav’n exalted high

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

(“Man of Sorrows” by Philip P. Bliss) 

Do not think you are worse than the worst sinner. Do not think you are further away from the grace and mercy of God than the man who sought letters to go through Damascus delivering up the saints to their deaths! This same Savior who called that man to be His Apostle is also calling you to follow Him and be saved from your sins! Who can forgive the one who joined the worship of Ba'al in Peor, who bowed down to idols and who previously aroused the anger of God. 

But this mercy was not here shown, as God demanded He be worshipped exclusively. Numbers 25:4-5—4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor." The killing of those who joined themselves to Ba'al is reminiscent of the command to kill those who did not return to God after the episode with the Golden Calf in Exodus 32:27. God considered this episode so grievous and so heinous that He wanted the people to fully embrace the punishment thereof. Previously He had burned the outskirts of the camp, slain the people Himself while they were eating quail, opened up the earth to swallow Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and sent plagues among them. Now, He wants the people to understand His red hot hatred of sin by executing the punishment themselves. This was no mere complaining about the hot and dry desert and lack of water the people were guilty of. This was full on idolatry with pagans they were guilty of. And the people needed to understand the consequences. The leaders of this rebellion—not a rebellion against Moses as the mouthpiece of God, but against God Himself and His rule—were to be hung up “out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” This is a kind of an illustration of Hell. In the full face of the desert sun, they were to be hanged from a tree to show forth the fiery wrath of God for all to see. 

God expressed a similar sentiment when He told Josiah what He would do to the idolaters in Judah in 2nd Kings 22:17—"Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched."' The wrath of God is always described in terms which imply fire. God said of those who afflict the widows and orphans in Exodus 22:24—“My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” Hell is the ultimate expression of God’s wrath, a fire which will burn continually and shall destroy all who work iniquity. Many claim that Hell is not real, and if it is that it is not the eternal burning that it is. Progressive “pastor” Rob Bell says

 

“At the heart of this perspective is the belief that, given enough time, everybody will turn to God and find themselves in the joy and peace of God’s presence. The love of God will melt every hard heart, and even the most ‘depraved sinners’ will eventually give up their resistance and turn to God.” (Love Wins, p. 107) 

This thinking goes against the Scriptures that speak of everlasting torment. It also makes Jesus a liar. Matthew 25:41, 46—41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…46 These will go away into eternal punishment." Mark 9:43-48—43 "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 45 "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, 46 [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 47 “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, 48  where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” 

Some say that Hell is a metaphor and that Gehenna (“hell” in verse 47) was simply taking about a place where garbage and waste were burned. Gehenna (Valley of Hinnom) was indeed a place where the fires were constantly burning because of all the waste dumped there. But how does a burning pile of garbage have power over men’s tongues? James 3:6—And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell [Greek, Gehenna]. James is here not talking of the physical organ, the thing that makes speech possible. He is talking of the desire of the tongue to say things that are not good. And that desire is inflamed by the fires of Gehenna, by Satan and his angels to defile us. And yes, the tongue defiles the entire body. Otherwise Jesus would not have said that it is what comes out of a man that defiles him (Matthew 15:11; Mark 7:20). We need to be careful for every word we speak, lest we defile ourselves and bring shame to Christ.

Part 2 next week

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.