Numbers 24:1–25:18; Luke 2:1-35; Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 11:14
Because He was Zealous for His God
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. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. – Numbers 25:6-13
A plague was on the people because the Israelites had begun having relations with other people, which God had forbidden. Twenty-four thousand had died. One of the men brought a Midianite woman and flaunted her before the Children of Israel as they wept before the Lord. Aaron’s son saw this and immediately killed the Israelite man along with this woman. The plague ceased. God hates mixture!
Phinehas, Aaron’s son, was the man who brought this plague to a halt, and the Lord was very pleased with him for taking these two out because it shows that Phinehas was zealous for God’s sake!
Can that be said of me? Am I zealous to invest myself in those things that please the Father? Am I just as zealous to quickly destroy the things (in my world) that God hates? Am I zealous for these things simply because He is God, and I serve Him and Him alone? Am I zealous for God’s sake?
Zealous – fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence.
As was Written in the Law of the Lord
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. – Luke 2:22-24
This morning I asked the Lord to show me something new in the Bible passages leading up to the birth of Jesus. Isn’t He faithful? This passage struck me because we have recently read about all of the laws God set forth through Moses. Here we have Mary, the young mother of Jesus, obeying those very same laws concerning the birth of God’s Son. It says every male that openeth the womb (every firstborn son shall be called Holy to the Lord) and presented to the Lord along with a sacrifice. How much that must have meant to Mary and Joseph to present the Son to His Father! How blessed that they were obedient in every way. How blessed that God let me see this afresh today, because I asked.
God is My Defense and My Refuge
But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. – Psalm 59:16-17
Defense – resistance against attack; protection; the defending of a cause or the like by speech, argument, etc.
Refuge – Shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.; anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape
The Holy Ghost is My Counselor
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. – Proverbs 11:14
I believe in seeking Godly counsel from those the Lord has placed over me. That being said, no earthly counselor can ever take the place of the Holy Ghost that lives inside of me and guides and directs me daily. Where would I be had I not learned to seek His direction before and after others have spoken their piece?
a lamp and a light 