N
U M B E R S
CHAP. XXV.
Israel,
having escaped the curse of Balaam, here sustains a great deal of damage and
reproach by the counsel of Balaam, who, it seems, before he left Balak, put
him into a more effectual way than that which Balak thought of to separate
between the Israelites and their God. "The Lord will not be prevailed
with by Balaam's charms to ruin them; try if they will not be prevailed with
by the charms of the daughters of Moab to ruin themselves." None are more
fatally bewitched than those that are bewitched by their own lusts. Here is,
I. The sin of Israel; they were enticed by the daughters of Moab both to
whoredom and to idolatry, ver. 1-3. II. The punishment of this sin by the hand
of the magistrate (ver. 4, 5) and by the immediate hand of God, ver. 9. III.
The pious zeal of Phinehas in slaying Zimri and Cozbi, two impudent sinners,
ver. 6, 8, 14, 15. IV. God's commendation of the zeal of Phinehas, ver. 10-13.
V. Enmity put between the Israelites and the Midianites, their tempters, as at
first between the woman and the serpent, ver. 16, &c.
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The
Sin of Israel.
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B.
C. 1452.
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1 And Israel abode in
Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of
Moab. 2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their
gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3 And
Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD
was kindled against Israel. 4 And the LORD
said unto Moses, Take all 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. 5 And Moses said unto the judges
of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.
Here is, I. The sin of Israel, to which they were enticed by the daughters of
Moab and Midian; they were guilty both of corporal and spiritual whoredoms,
for Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor, v. 3. Not all, nor the
most, but very many, were taken in this snare. Now concerning this observe, 1.
That Balak, by the advice of Balaam, cast this stumbling-block before the
children of Israel, Rev. ii. 14. Note, Those are our worst enemies that
draw us to sin, for that is the greatest mischief any man can do us. If Balak
had drawn out his armed men against them to fight them, Israel had bravely
resisted, and no doubt had been more than conquerors; but now that he sends
his beautiful women among them, and invites them to his idolatrous feasts, the
Israelites basely yield, and are shamefully overcome: those are smitten with
this harlots that could not be smitten with his sword. Note, We are more
endangered by the charms of a smiling world than by the terrors of a frowning
world. 2. That the daughters of Moab were their tempters and conquerors. Ever
since Eve was first in the transgression the fairer sex, though the weaker,
has been a snare to many; yea strong men have been wounded and slain by the
lips of the strange woman (Prov. vii. 26), witness Solomon, whose wives were
shares and nets to him Eccl. vii. 26. 3. That whoredom and idolatry went
together. They first defiled and debauched their consciences, by committing
lewdness with the women, and then were easily drawn, in complaisance to them,
and in contempt of the God of Israel, to bow down to their idols. And they
were more likely to do so if, as it is commonly supposed, and seems probable
by the joining of them together, the uncleanness committed was a part of the
worship and service performed to Baal-peor. Those that have broken the fences
of modesty will never be held by the bonds of piety, and those that have
dishonoured themselves by fleshly lusts will not scruple to dishonour God by
idolatrous worships, and for this they are justly given up yet further to vile
affections. 4. That by eating of the idolatrous sacrifices they joined
themselves to Baal-peor to whom they were offered, which the apostle urges
as a reason why Christians should not eat things offered to idols,
because thereby they had fellowship with the devils to whom they were offered,
1 Cor. x. 20. It is called eating the sacrifices of the dead (Ps. cvi.
28), not only because the idol itself was a dead thing, but because the person
represented by it was some great hero, who since his death was deified, as
saints in the Roman church are canonized. 5. It was great aggravation of the
sin that Israel abode in Shittim, where they had the land of Canaan in
view, and were just ready to enter and take possession of it. It was the
highest degree of treachery and ingratitude to be false to their God, whom
they had found so faithful to them, and to eat of idol-sacrifices when they
were ready to be feasted so richly on God's favours.
II. God's just displeasure against them for this sin. Israel's whoredoms did
that which all Balaam's enchantments could not do, they set God against them;
now he was turned to be their enemy, and fought against them. So many
of the people, nay, so many of the princes, were guilty, that the sin became
national, and for it God was wroth with the whole congregation. 1. A plague
immediately broke out, for we read of the staying of it (v. 8), and of
the number that died of it (v. 9), but no mention of the beginning of
it, which therefore must be implied in those words (v. 3), The anger
of the Lord was kindled against Israel. It is said expressly (Ps. cvi.
29), The plague broke in. Note, Epidemical diseases are the fruits of
God's anger, and the just punishments of epidemical sins; one infection
follows the other. The plague, no doubt, fastened on those that were most
guilty, who were soon made to pay dearly for their forbidden pleasures; and
though now God does not always plague such sinners, as he did here, yet that
word of God will be fulfilled, If any man defile the temple of God, him
shall God destroy, 1 Cor. iii. 17. 2. The ringleaders are ordered to be
put to death by the hand of public justice, which will be the only way to stay
the plague (v. 4): Take the heads of the people (that is, of
that part of the people that went out of the camp of Israel into the country
of Moab, to join in their idolatries)--take them and hang them up before
the sun, as sacrifices to God's justice, and for a terror to the rest of
the people. The judges must first order them to be slain with the sword
(v. 5), and their dead bodies must be hanged up, that the stupid
Israelites, seeing their leaders and princes so severely punished for their
whoredom and idolatry, without any regard to their quality, might be possessed
with a sense of the evil of the sin and the terror of God's wrath against
them. Ringleaders in sin ought to be made examples of justice.
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The
Zeal of Phinehas.
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B.
C. 1452.
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6 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. 7 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; 8 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. 9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four
thousand. 10 And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 11 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. 12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto
him my covenant of peace: 13 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. 14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even
that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu,
a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of
the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he
was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.
Here is a remarkable contest between wickedness and righteousness, which shall
be most bold and resolute; and righteousness carries the day, as no doubt it
will at last.
I. Never was vice more daring than it was in Zimri, a prince of a chief
house in the tribe of Simeon. Such a degree of impudence in wickedness had
he arrived at that he publicly appeared leading a Midianitish harlot (and a
harlot of quality too like himself, a daughter of a chief house in Midian)
in the sight of Moses, and all the good people of Israel. He did not think it
enough to go out with his harlot to worship the gods of Moab, but, when he had
done that, he brought her with him to dishonour the God of Israel. He not only
owned her publicly as his friend, and higher in his favour then any of the
daughters of Israel, but openly went with her into the tent, v.
8. The word signifies such a booth or place of retirement as was designed and
fitted up for lewdness. Thus he declared his sin as Sodom, as was so
far from blushing for it that he rather prided himself in it, and gloried in
his shame. All the circumstances concurred to make it exceedingly sinful,
exceedingly shameful. 1. It was an affront to the justice of the nation, and
bade defiance to that. The judges were ordered to put the criminals to death,
but he thought himself too great for them to meddle with, and, in effect, bade
them touch him if they durst. He had certainly cast off all fear of God who
stood in no awe of the powers which he had ordained to be a terror to
evil-doers. 2. It was an affront to the religion of the nation, and put a
contempt upon that. Moses, and the main body of the congregation, who kept
their integrity, were weeping at the door of the tabernacle, lamenting
the sin committed and deprecating the plague begun; they were sanctifying a
fast in a solemn assembly, weeping between the porch and the altar,
to turn away the wrath of God from the congregation. Then comes Zimri among
them, with his harlot in his hand, to banter them, and, in effect, to tell
them that he was resolved to fill the measure of sin as fast as they emptied
it.
II. Never was virtue more daring than it was in Phinehas. Being aware of the
insolence of Zimri, which it is probable, all the congregation took notice of,
in a holy indignation at the offenders he rises up from his prayers, takes his
sword or half-pike, follows those impudent sinners into their tent, and stabs
them both, v. 7, 8. It is not at all difficult to justify Phinehas in
what he did; for, being now heir-apparent to the high-priesthood, no doubt he
was one of those judges of Israel whom Moses had ordered, by the divine
appointment, to slay all those whom they knew to have joined themselves to
Baal-peor, so that this gives no countenance at all to private persons, under
pretence of zeal against sin, to put offenders to death, who ought to be
prosecuted by due course of law. The civil magistrate is the avenger, to execute
wrath upon him that doeth evil, and no private person may take his work
out of his hand. Two ways God testified his acceptance of the pious zeal of
Phinehas:-- 1. He immediately put a stop to the plague, v. 8. Their
weeping and praying prevailed not till this piece of necessary justice was
done. If magistrates do not take care to punish sin, God will; but their
justice will be the best prevention of his judgment, as in the case of Achan,
Josh. vii. 13. 2. He put an honour upon Phinehas. Though he did no more than
it was his duty to do as a judge, yet because he did it with extraordinary
zeal against sin, and for the honour of God and Israel, and did it when the
other judges, out of respect to Zimri's character as a prince, were afraid,
and declined doing it, therefore God showed himself particularly well pleased
with him, and it was counted to him for righteousness, Ps. cvi. 31.
There is nothing lost by venturing for God. If Zimri's relations bore him a
grudge for it, and his friends might censure him as indiscreet in this violent
and hasty execution, what needed he care, while God accepted him? In a good
thing we should be zealously affected. (1.) Phinehas, upon this occasion,
though a young man, is pronounced his country's patriot and best friend, v.
11. He has turned away my wrath from the children of Israel. So much
does God delight in showing mercy that he is well pleased with those that are
instrumental in turning away his wrath. This is the best service we can do to
our people; and we may contribute something towards it by our prayers, and by
our endeavours in our places to bring the wickedness of the wicked to an
end. (2.) The priesthood is entailed by covenant upon his family. It was
designed him before, but now it was confirmed to him, and, which added much to
the comfort and honour of it, it was made the recompence of his pious zeal, v.
12, 13. It is here called an everlasting priesthood, because it should
continue to the period of the Old-Testament dispensation, and should then have
its perfection and perpetuity in the unchangeable priesthood of Christ, who is
consecrated for evermore. By the covenant of peace given him,
some understand in general a promise of long life and prosperity, and all
good; it seems rather to be meant particularly of the covenant of priesthood,
for that is called the covenant of life and peace (Mal. ii. 5), and was
made for the preservation of peace between God and his people. Observe how the
reward answered the service. By executing justice he had made an atonement
for the children of Israel (v. 13), and therefore he and his shall
henceforward be employed in making atonement by sacrifice. He was zealous
for his God, and therefore he shall have the covenant of an everlasting
priesthood. Note, It is requisite that ministers should be not only for
God, but zealous for God. It is required of them that they do more than others
for the support and advancement of the interests of God's kingdom among men.
16 And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 17 Vex the Midianites, and smite
them: 18 For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have
beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter
of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague
for Peor's sake.
God had punished the Israelites for their sin with a plague; as a Father he
corrected his own children with a rod. But we read not that any of the
Midianites died of the plague; God took another course with them, and punished
them with the sword of an enemy, not with the rod of a father. 1. Moses,
though the meekest man, and far from a spirit of revenge, is ordered to vex
the Midianites and smite them, v. 17. Note, We must set ourselves
against that, whatever it is, which is an occasion of sin to us, though it be
a right eye or a right hand that thus offends us, Matt. v. 29, 30. This is
that holy indignation and revenge which godly sorrow worketh, 2 Cor. vii. 11.
2. The reason given for the meditating of this revenge is because they vex
you with their wiles, v. 18. Note, Whatever draws us to sin should
be a vexation to us, as a thorn in the flesh. The mischief which the
Midianites did to Israel by enticing them to whoredom must be remembered and
punished with as much severity as that which the Amalekites did in fighting
with them when they came out of Egypt, Exod. xvii. 14. God will certainly
reckon with those that do the devil's work in tempting men to sin. See further
orders given in this matter, ch. xxxi. 2.
Contents
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