Shouldn't we have the zeal that Phineas had? Isn't it time to fight for God?
Phinehas' story begins in Numbers 25 when Israel was living in Shittim, and they were "whoring" with the daughters of Moab. God's ire was raised because they made sacrifices, ate, and bowed down to the Moabite gods. Verse three sums it up, "So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor." God told Moses it was time to hang all the chiefs of the people who were the cause of this so his anger would turn away from Israel. These were God's chosen people; this is the foreshadowing of eternity with a Holy God! There can be no sin.
There can be no sin.
Phinehas was down with no sin in God's people. He was with the congregation of the people of Israel weeping in front of the tent of meeting. These people feared God and were weeping at His judgment and weeping that Israel had turned away from God. In front of all these weeping people, along comes a dude (read the story; he and the woman were prominent) bringing in another Midianite woman.
Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron Moses' brother, acted. He grabbed a spear and pierced both of them. Now there isn't much more description than that, but it sounds like he takes one swift action that impales them both. A violent and sudden end to blatant sin is being brought into Israel. This act turns God's wrath away from Israel, and God blesses Phinehas and his descendants for "making atonement for the people of Israel" (v.13).
Why don't we have justifiable violence for God? Doesn't this cover the sniper at an abortion clinic? Can't we go all Phinehas on people with potty mouths who are being selfish and rude? When I was a young man, "turn the other cheek" was the scripture that I didn't want to hear, I wanted to hear more of Phinehas.
As we strive for righteousness, we need to remember that Israel foreshadows what will come. There will be no evil after judgment day (the Day of Atonement). Those who accept the atoning blood of Christ will be saved, and the rest will be cast into a lake of fire. Those who are a part of God's people will be with a Holy God.
Let's take another look at Zeal for the people of Israel.
Moses grew up with the elite in Egypt. At some point, he had identified with his people. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, looked around for witnesses, and then went all Antifa on him and killed him, hiding his body in the sand. He wasn't rewarded for this by God. Unlike Phinehas, he was not defending God's honor among a people set apart.
He was in Egypt. This was a place where idolatry was normal. This was a wicked place; wicked things were a part of their culture and socially accepted.
God used Moses' actions to get him away from the elite. God ended up using Moses in an incredible way, but not because he killed a man in Egypt. Moses was rewarded for following God and helping God give instructions for how Israel was to be set apart. He fought for God's people and required the same righteousness from them we saw in Phinehas' story.
Today we are to be a set apart people, but we are not in the new kingdom. Our world is wicked like Egypt. We need to hold each other accountable because the Day of Atonement is coming. When that day is here, it will be like Phinehas' spear, wickedness will end, and only holiness will remain.
If we love God and have zeal, what are we to do then? Fear God and keep His commandments. Yeshua summed up these commands to help us live in a wicked land: love God and love your neighbor. All the commands hang on those two.
Pray for discernment as you read your Bibles and ask God to show you the principles He has written for His people. We should all be zealous and directed to loving God and our neighbors.
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