In the Wilderness: The Zeal of Phinehas
In the Wilderness • Sermon • Submitted
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· 780 viewsGod takes sin, particularly the sin of idolatry, seriously. So should we.
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Text: Numbers 25:1-18
Theme: God takes sin, particularly the sin of idolatry, seriously. So should we.
Date: 04/26/2020 Title: InTheWilderness-11.wpd No:
The 25th chapter of the Book of Number records one more sad incident in the life of Israel. A whole new generation, who should have learned lessons from their parent’s moral and spiritual failures, have not. The opening lines of the 25th chapter give us the lamentable account: “While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Ball of Peor.”
From our vantage point as confessing Christians it is difficult to understand why Israel, again and again, backslide into idolatry. Only after the Babylonian Captivity (700 years later) did they learn their lesson and remain loyal to the worship of Yahweh.
But before we pass too harsh a judgment on Israel we need to evaluate our own hearts. John Calvin, Protestant Reformer, theologian, and pastor famously said, “The human heart is a perpetual idol factory.” He went on to write that “ ... idols replace the true invisible divine reality with a corrupt false physical reality.” For Calvin, then, idolatry occurs every time the truth about God is exchanged for a lie, because idolatry is the worship of a created reality, rather than worship of the Creator as He is revealed in the Scriptures. We are all tempted to worship the God we have inwardly conceived of. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:25, NIV84). Sadly, many Christians, too many Christians are just like Israel. It’s not that they’ve denied the faith, and abandoned their worship of the One True God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They’ve just added other gods—lesser gods—to their pantheon. Idols, simply put, are the other things or people we put our trust in, or find our primary pleasure in. That covers a lot of ground in America today.
Materialism, in all its forms, is an idol in America today
Radical autonomy, the “no one has a right to control me, but me” mentality, is an idol in America today. Many worship at the altar of self-aggrandizement.
Science and technology are idols in America today. We have a firm belief in our nation that science and technology will “fix” all the ills that plague our culture.
Sexual licence is quickly becoming the central idol of western culture. Sexual expression in all its perversions must now be celebrated, and many in the Church are more than happy to do so. Our culture has made an idol of sex and warped it into something God never intended it to be.
The list can go on, and on, and on, and on.
Idolatry, then, is the thing loved or the person loved more than God, wanted more than God, desired more than God, treasured more than God, enjoyed more than God. My point is that there is nothing new under the sun which may be why the very last words of the Apostle John to his congregation at Ephesus is, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21, NIV84). Idolatry was a temptation for Israel and it’s a temptation for us.
I. ISRAEL’S SIN IN THE FLESH AND IN THE SPIRIT
I. ISRAEL’S SIN IN THE FLESH AND IN THE SPIRIT
1. even though they are not yet aware of it, Israel has been spared from the supernatural endeavors of a pagan prophet who sought to have Israel’s very own God curse them
a. the Moabite king has sought to hire the famous prophet, Balaam, to pronounce curses upon Israel
b. but God keeps Balaam from doing so much to the consternation of King Balak
“How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? 9 From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.” (Numbers 23:8–9, NIV84)
2. Balaam, however, is partially successful in bringing Israel down
a. Balaam has suggested to King Balak, “If they can’t be destroyed by my sorcery; if they can’t be destroyed by a supernatural curse, perhaps they will destroy themselves through apostasy.”
1) apostasy is the renunciation or abandonment of one’s faith or religious belief for something else or even nothing else
2) Numbers 31:16 tells us that, upon Balaam’s advise, Balak instructs the young women of Moab to become friendly with the young men of Israel, seduce them sexually, and then win them over to their pagan faith
b. Balaam’s strategy almost works
A. ISRAEL FORGOT THEY BELONGED TO THE LORD
A. ISRAEL FORGOT THEY BELONGED TO THE LORD
1. Israel’s God is a jealous God
a. Israel’s God is our God and He’s still a jealous God
b. while camped at Mount Sinai God had warned Israel ...
“Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 15 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. 16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.” (Exodus 34:12–16, NIV84)
b. this is exactly what begins to happen in chapter 25
2. Moabite and Midianite women are sexually enticing, then seducing Israelite men, all to encourage them to bow down before false gods
“So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. ... .” (Numbers 25:3, NIV84)
3. the false god worshiped by most peoples of the near east at that time was Baal and his consort Ashteroth
a. this is the very first mention of Baal in the Old Testament
b. Baal and Ashteroth together, would become the chief rivals for the hearts and minds of God’s people
1) Baal was the god of rain and fertility
2) Ashteroth was the goddess of love, beauty and sexuality
3) their worship included sex as an offering to Baal followed by grain or animal sacrifices
a) but in times of drought, or when natural disaster struck, or plague came, human victims —usually a first-born child—was sacrificed by burning them alive in order to placate Baal’s wrath
4. it was a horribly wicked religion
II. GOD’S SENTENCE ON ISRAEL’S SIN
II. GOD’S SENTENCE ON ISRAEL’S SIN
“ ... And the LORD’s anger burned against them.” (Numbers 25:3, NIV84)
1. in vs. 8-9 we read that, as a result of their sin, a plague has broken out among the Israelites that ultimately claims 24,000 lives
2. but you need to understand that a worse plague is sweeping through Israel’s camp
a. it is a plague of idolatry and sexual immorality that is leading to apostasy
b. if it is not dealt with, dealt with soon, and dealt with seriously, all of Israel might become infected and fall away from the One True God
3. God’s sentence is harsh but necessary
a. the leaders who are promoting Israel’s apostasy are to be executed, and their lifeless bodies impaled so that the whole camp might see
“The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.”” (Numbers 25:4–5, NIV84)
4. if God’s will is not carried out, then all Israel will be consumed because of this sin
III. ZIMRI’S SHOCKING DEFIANCE
III. ZIMRI’S SHOCKING DEFIANCE
1. sin makes rebels of all men, and we should never be too surprised at the depth of depravity of the human heart
a. of the human heart the Prophet Jeremiah wrote ...
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, KJV)
2. and yet, Zimri’s behavior goes beyond shocking
“Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” (Numbers 25:6, NIV84)
a. as Moses and most of Israel are before the Tabernacle weeping over the sin of their fellow Israelites, weeping over the sentence that must be carried out, weeping in repentance and begging God’s forgiveness, “an Israelite man” brings “a Midianite woman” into camp—as we say ‘in front of God and everybody’—and enters his family’s tent to indulge in sexual immorality
1) Zimri isn’t just any man, but a man in line to lead one of Israel’s great families
2) and the Midianite woman isn’t just any woman, but the daughter of a Midianite tribal chief
“The name of the Israelite ... with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.” (Numbers 25:14–15, NIV84)
3) perhaps Zimri thought he was above God’s law—he found out otherwise
4) his action in nothing less than spiritual treason against the Lord God who has so wondrously manifested His presence and providential care of Israel these forty years
3. Zimri’s behavior is shocking, it’s brazen, it is a very public in your face defiance of God’s law
a. Zimri’s attitude is one of absolute self-autonomy ... “I don’t answer to Moses, I don’t answer to my father, I don’t answer to our religious laws. I answer only to myself. It’s my life, and I’ll live it the way I want to. I don’t care about future consequences.”
b. those consequences are coming sooner than Zimri can imagine
IV. PHINEHAS’S STUNNING RESPONSE
IV. PHINEHAS’S STUNNING RESPONSE
1. Phinehas is the grandson of Aaron, and son of Israel’s current High Priest, Eleazar
a. as you read about his life he will serve the Lord and Israel faithfully throughout his lifetime
b. Phinehas has been part of the assembly before the Tabernacle weeping over Israel’s sin
c. he sees what Zimri is doing, is filled with righteous indignation, and fulfills God’s command by killing Zimri and his Midianite lover
“When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman’s body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;” (Numbers 25:7–8, NIV84)
d. if you read between the lines of the text, the implication is that he executes them while they are actually engaged in having sex
2. God commends Phinehas for being zealous for my honor
a. God essentially says, Phinehas did exactly as I commanded, and in doing so he has defended my honor and assuaged my wrath
b. indeed, at the moment of Zimri’s death the plague that was ravaging the Israelites ended
1) Numbers 25:11 tells us that the Lord said to Moses ... Phinehas ... has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, because Phinehas was jealous with my jealousy
c. the episode concludes with the end of the plague, God’s command to wage war against the Midianites, and the Lord commissioning a new census of the nation of Israel
3. so what do we do with this story? ... we learn from it
“Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:6–11, NIV84)
V. LESSONS FOR BELIEVERS FROM NUMBERS 25
V. LESSONS FOR BELIEVERS FROM NUMBERS 25
A. NEVER FORGET THAT WE BELONG TO THE LORD
A. NEVER FORGET THAT WE BELONG TO THE LORD
1. the great sin in America today is “radical self-autonomy” ... that makes one’s self lord over their own life, is antagonistic to authority, and self-determinative
a. the result is a radical antagonism toward God and all things biblical
ILLUS. We see this radical autonomy, and radical antagonism toward God most clearly in the sexual revolution of our day. Too often, the principle of autonomy exerts a corrosive effect on our rational nature. In service to autonomy, feelings replace (rather than complement) intellect. We have people in our culture telling us, “Even though I was born in a boy’s body, I feel like a girl. I have the right to make my body conform to my feelings.” And the prevailing culture says that the rest of us must not only accept that declaration, but celebrate it.
ILLUS. Back in 1986, mega-star Whitney Houston climbed to the top of the charts with a song entitled “Greatest Love of All”. In that song she sings “I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow. If I fail, if I succeed at least I’ll live as I believe.”
b. in other words, Do whatever you think is right ... Don’t walk in anyone’s shadow ... You don’t have to answer to anyone ... You belong to yourself ... You are in charge
1) this is the quintessential American belief
2. the problem is, we’re not in charge (never have been in charge, never will be in charge)
a. those who name the name of Christ, of all the people in the world, ought to realize this
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NIV84)
3. this cultural shift to radical self-autonomy is as seductive to our culture as were the Moabite women in Israel’s culture
a. if we are not careful, this radical self-autonomy can become an idol in the believer’s life
b. for the Christian our irreducible obstacle to radical autonomy is biblical authority
B. NEVER FORGET THAT SIN BRINGS CONSEQUENCES
B. NEVER FORGET THAT SIN BRINGS CONSEQUENCES
1. we cannot live in flagrant defiance of God and still call ourselves “Christian”
a. the Apostle John deals with this very issue in his 1st letter
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5–7, NIV84)
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:3–6, NIV84)
ILLUS. After 40 years of ministry, I find myself haunted by the faces of people who insisted that they were a Christian, but who didn’t live like it. These are people who have not darkened to the doors of their church in five or ten years or even longer. Some of these faces I see belong to people I’ve supposedly won to faith in Christ and baptized. It grieves me to think that some of these folks will one day hear those fateful words, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.’
ILLUS. German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it best: “Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.”
2. in American today, there is—what I believe to be a heresy—some refer to as Non-Lordship Salvation
a. it's the popular the view that one can “have faith” in Christ and yet live a radically self-autonomous life that denies Christ’s Lordship
1) it’s the idea, that I can call myself a Christian, and yet remain Lord over my own life
C. NEVER FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF HOLINESS
C. NEVER FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF HOLINESS
1. there are four reasons why God has called us to be holy
a. We Are Called to Be Holy Because God Is Holy
1) we are called to imitate God in his holiness, and purity, and character
2) we are called to live differently from the culture around us
b. We Are Called to Be Holy Because God Has Saved Us
1) before we were saved we were slaves to sin and self
2) but after we come to Christ we are slaves to righteousness
3) we shouldn’t obey God with a grimace and a furled brow
4) we obey him out of a heart of love because he has saved us
“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,” (1 John 5:2–3, NIV)
c. We Are Called to Be Holy Because We Will Be Blessed
“Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 18:5, NIV)
1) the word live in that verse means to enjoy life under God’s blessing
2) if you follow God’s rules of holiness and righteousness you will be blessed
3) God gave moral boundaries so that his creation would thrive
ILLUS. Let me relate God’s moral boundaries to you in a way I think you can understand. Many of you are familiar with the various thrill rides at Six Flags over St. Louis. How many of you would get on the Batman roller coaster if it did not have a lap and shoulder bar? I guarantee you that without one your experience on that ride would be very different. The safety bar is, first and foremost, for your protection. It gives you a sense of security throughout the ride. And, because the safety bar is there, it allows you to have a momentous thrill during the ride. You can have joy on that roller coaster because you know the lap bar is down.
4) similarly, God does not create boundaries to restrict us, he gives us boundaries to bless us
d. We are called to be holy because it will enhance our witness
1) the world needs to see that God can change us, and that his ways are best
As I close, let me be honest with you; in our nation today, the path of zeal for God and His honor is not easy. It is a lonely path, and will become increasingly so as our culture continues to secularize. Our God and his Gospel once had a place of honor in this country. And God’s people were respected. That is no longer the case in broad swaths of this nation. The temptation to become a Zimri is ever before you. Be a Phinehas instead. To quote the Apostle John, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”