Sermon on Number.. 25:1-18
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AND Israel was abiding there in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people into the sacrifices of their gods (Num 25:1-2):
You see they got the young guys and come on and go with me to the sacrifice of my god.
and the people did eat, and they bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor (Num 25:2-3):
Or the lord of Peor. Peor was the name of the mountain there.
and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all of 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 (Num 25:3-4).
In other words cut off the heads of these guys that are doing it, hang them up in the sun that my anger might be turned away.
And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Slay every one of his men that were joined to Baalpeor (Num 25:5).
Every man that joined in those rights.
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 (Num 25:6). Here these guys were weeping and repenting before God for what was done and here comes this guy in with a prostitute right there where they could all see him, into his tent all excited and all. And so Phinehas, the son of Eleazar (Num 25:7), He actually was the grandson of Aaron.
When he saw it, he jumped up, and grabbed his javelin; and went over to the tent, and thrust the guy through, and the woman through, both of them in their tent. And so the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. But those that died of the plague were twenty-four thousand (Num 25:7-9). So Balaam was successful in bringing a curse in a secondary way. And by his advice to the king he laid a stumbling block before God's people. So that when Moab was conquered and the Midianites were conquered and they were slain, Balaam was slain with them.
Now God said because of Phinehas' heroic deeds and righteous deeds in the killing of these people, this man and this woman he said,
I'm going to give to Phinehas the son peace: [and the priesthood will come through his family.] the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and he made the atonement for the children of Israel (Num 25:12-13).
And so it gives us the name of the man and the woman who was of the tribe of Simeon.
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