PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Numbers 25-26
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“He was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” (Numbers 25:13)
How do we read this story with Jesus, and what does it teach us about love.
Phinehas is honoured for his zeal for God in killing Zimri and Kozbi.
Jesus is also honoured for his zeal for God when cleansing the temple (John 2:17).
Both are passionate to honour God, but they do it very differently.
God accommodated the violent bloody culture of those ancient times.
But through Jesus we learn that loving self-sacrifice – not killing – honours God.
Jesus has not changed the need to honour God, but has improved HOW we do that.
Jesus was zealous for the honour of his God and made atonement for all people.
The way of Phinehas did not work; humanity was not restored by this violence.
We need to be very careful how we read the OT; it is inferior and obsolete (Hebrews 8:6,13).
We can learn from it with Jesus’s help, but Jesus (not Phinehas) is our guide.
The Jesus Way is not the sword or spear, but the way humble gracious love.
It is Jesus’s way, not Phinehas’s that has overcome Satan, sin, death, violence and immorality.
As Jesus followers, we want to honour God the Jesus Way – much better than Phinehas’s way.
PRAYER
Lord, I want to honour God like you, but Phinehas’s way comes more naturally. Forgive us for preferring the way of violence and judgment to your way of grace and mercy.
Rebellion – disobedience – that angers the Lord. Phinehas stopped the plague – the punishment – he took action and his anger led to the death of the guilty couple who were openly defiant in the face of Moses’ instruction. In that sense he was a hero – a kind of Messiah – God saw where his heart was, even though he did was evil in that he murdered two people – his ‘righteous anger’ led to God stopping the punishment from going any further – but evil still hung around. In the eye for eye, tooth for tooth OT era – that was what justified Phinehas’s actions. Jesus also stood in between but he did it by not killing someone else but instead offering himself as the scapegoat – bearing the punishment instead of meting it out. Phinehas was still a sinful man yet his righteous act made a difference – Jesus is sinless and His righteous sacrifice is all sufficient and meets the full forgiveness of sin. Through Jesus evil is finished! Thank you Jesus for sparing me the punishment that I deserve.
Once again the people had gone their own way, following the desires of their sinful hearts. The peoples’ sins brought death upon the people – to bring new life to the people to follow God’s way rather than their own way. But grace and truth shall mark the way where God leads His people. God needs to be my focus this day and it is by His blood that I am able to live for Jesus. All for Jesus. Lead me and guide me Lord this day and every day.
1 Lead on, O King eternal,
the day of march has come;
henceforth in fields of conquest
your tents will be our home.
Through days of preparation
your grace has made us strong;
and now, O King eternal,
we lift our battle song.
2 Lead on, O King eternal,
till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
and holiness shall whisper
the sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords’ loud clashing
or roll of stirring drums
with deeds of love and mercy
the heavenly kingdom comes.
3 Lead on, O King eternal;
we follow, not with fears,
for gladness breaks like morning
where’er your face appears.
Your cross is lifted o’er us,
we journey in its light;
the crown awaits the conquest;
lead on, O God of might.