Friday, September 28, 2018

Zealous for the honor of God

Numbers 25:1-18
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.
The Lord said to Moses,  “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal.  Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”
It was at Balaam's instruction that the Midianite women brought Israel low at Peor. And he paid  for it with his life.
With the death of those who worshipped Baal, the last of the generation who had come out of Egypt  (all but Moses, Joshua and Caleb) perished.
The interchange of terms sounds confused, but from late patriarchal times there was a good deal of overlap in the use of the terms 'Midianite', 'Ishmaelite', 'Medanite', 'Moabite'.
Why?
Once again Israelite fall into the sin of indulge in sexual immorality with Moalite women.
There were not only sexual immorality but also yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, so the Lord's anger burned against them. There were 24000 people died.
Zealous for the honor of God is needed to Christian. Only zealous for the honor can focus on the Lord and hate the sins.
God make a covenant with descendant of Eleazar a lasting priesthood. So later Aaron descendant was replaced by descendant of Eleazar.
How?
Most time we are struggling among the matter of the world, be zealous for the honor of my God, God is the blessing of my life. When we really love the Lord we will understand the heart of the Lord and zealous for the honor of God


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