A COVENANT OF PEACE FOR AN ACT OF VIOLENCE! Now, how do you explain that? A look at Numbers 25:1-10.
Our whole section of Torah/Bible study is between Numbers 25:1-30:1. But for the sake of time and at times, readers will get tired when the thread is too long, I would like to concentrate on the theme of a "Brit Shalom," a "Covenant of Peace" for an act of violence. The murder of a prince and a princess. This event takes place between Numbers 25:1-10.
To understand the details, we need to remember the time when King Balak contracted the Seer Balaam to curse Israel, since there were millions of tents encamped in the land of Moab. King Balak knew that Israel was successful in destroying their enemies, so his fear caused him to call upon Balaam to curse Israel; yet since YHVH did not allow him to do that, stating, "What God has blessed, no one can curse, Balaam could only speak blessings towards Israel and not curses. Yet we know that Balaam was perverse in the eyes of YHVH. The angel even told him, "Thy ways are perverse" ( Numbers 22:32 (KJV). "I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me."
Yet Balaam gave counsel to Balak, stating that Israel could invite a curse amongst themselves by committing idolatry and fornication with the women of Midian, who invited the men of Israel to worship Baal-Peor (Numbers 31:16). Moab and Madian were close neighbors, and they shared ancestry through Abraham, yet they were pagan nations. Madian worshiped Baal-Peor (a fertility god), and Moab also worshipped Baal and also Chemosh.
During this time, the wrath of God came against Israel, and 24,000 ended up dying in a plague that God sent as a curse. While Moses and the leaders were weeping and lamenting this terrible time, one cohen (priest) took action. Pinchas took a spear and went after a couple (Prince Zimri of the Tribe of Simeon and Princess Cozbi of Midian) as they went into a tent to have sex. He speared them both, thus ending their lives and also, causing the plague to cease. God spoke then, saying:
11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. 12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” (Numbers 25:11-15)
So, here is the "Covenant of Peace" (Brit Shalom) that was given to Pinchas (Phinehas) for this act of Zeal! A "blood-spilling time of Zeal! for the honor and glory of God.
In this day and age, even going back a few thousand years, we have seen, one could say, "Religious fanaticism " resulting in thousands of innocent victims being murdered by these fanatics. We need only to remember the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. Today we have Islamic terrorists murdering Christians and Jews for the honor of "Allah." These definitely did not and do not bring any HONOR to God! Not in any way, form, or fashion. Yet the zeal that Pinchas showed DID bring honor to God!. But can you think of any other event of "violence and death" that resulted in a "Brit Shalom" (a Covenant of Peace)? Are you thinking? Yes, you may have thought of the answer.
2000 years ago, God came to Earth in human form. In the form of the "Son of God" in the person of Yeshua (Jesus), who underwent curses, rejection, betrayal, and the whipping of the Roman "Flagellum " (Cat of nine tails), tearing apart his flesh, being spat upon, and carried up Calvary's hill, a heavy cross (or at least, the cross beam) and being laid down upon that cross, was nailed to it with thick nails through his wrists and feet, hoisted up and suffering many hours of pain, suffering, and agony. God, who received such violence in his human form, accepted it for the sake of "Peace" for all humankind. The Father poured out his wrath upon the Son so that the curse of sin might be deflected upon him rather than upon humankind. Through the death and suffering of Messiah Yeshua, we have received the "Covenant of Peace," a "Peace that goes beyond all human understanding, a spiritual peace that assures us that Heaven is our home after our physical death.
Even though the death of the Messiah was for the whole world, not all will accept this "offering of peace through death and suffering." Some will reject and end up separated from God for all eternity, yet those who will become "born again" will receive the "Brit Shalom." The spear of Pinchas penetrated the bodies of Zimri and Cozbi, and 1400 years later, a Roman spear penetrated the side of Yeshua, and out came blood and water.
The Lamb of God became the "Sacrifice lamb" and the "Living Water of Life. Have you accepted the "Brit Shalom of Messiah Yeshua?"
Numbers 25:7,8
Our whole section of Torah/Bible study is between Numbers 25:1-30:1. But for the sake of time and at times, readers will get tired when the thread is too long, I would like to concentrate on the theme of a "Brit Shalom," a "Covenant of Peace" for an act of violence. The murder of a prince and a princess. This event takes place between Numbers 25:1-10.
To understand the details, we need to remember the time when King Balak contracted the Seer Balaam to curse Israel, since there were millions of tents encamped in the land of Moab. King Balak knew that Israel was successful in destroying their enemies, so his fear caused him to call upon Balaam to curse Israel; yet since YHVH did not allow him to do that, stating, "What God has blessed, no one can curse, Balaam could only speak blessings towards Israel and not curses. Yet we know that Balaam was perverse in the eyes of YHVH. The angel even told him, "Thy ways are perverse" ( Numbers 22:32 (KJV). "I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me."
Yet Balaam gave counsel to Balak, stating that Israel could invite a curse amongst themselves by committing idolatry and fornication with the women of Midian, who invited the men of Israel to worship Baal-Peor (Numbers 31:16). Moab and Madian were close neighbors, and they shared ancestry through Abraham, yet they were pagan nations. Madian worshiped Baal-Peor (a fertility god), and Moab also worshipped Baal and also Chemosh.
During this time, the wrath of God came against Israel, and 24,000 ended up dying in a plague that God sent as a curse. While Moses and the leaders were weeping and lamenting this terrible time, one cohen (priest) took action. Pinchas took a spear and went after a couple (Prince Zimri of the Tribe of Simeon and Princess Cozbi of Midian) as they went into a tent to have sex. He speared them both, thus ending their lives and also, causing the plague to cease. God spoke then, saying:
11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. 12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” (Numbers 25:11-15)
So, here is the "Covenant of Peace" (Brit Shalom) that was given to Pinchas (Phinehas) for this act of Zeal! A "blood-spilling time of Zeal! for the honor and glory of God.
In this day and age, even going back a few thousand years, we have seen, one could say, "Religious fanaticism " resulting in thousands of innocent victims being murdered by these fanatics. We need only to remember the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. Today we have Islamic terrorists murdering Christians and Jews for the honor of "Allah." These definitely did not and do not bring any HONOR to God! Not in any way, form, or fashion. Yet the zeal that Pinchas showed DID bring honor to God!. But can you think of any other event of "violence and death" that resulted in a "Brit Shalom" (a Covenant of Peace)? Are you thinking? Yes, you may have thought of the answer.
2000 years ago, God came to Earth in human form. In the form of the "Son of God" in the person of Yeshua (Jesus), who underwent curses, rejection, betrayal, and the whipping of the Roman "Flagellum " (Cat of nine tails), tearing apart his flesh, being spat upon, and carried up Calvary's hill, a heavy cross (or at least, the cross beam) and being laid down upon that cross, was nailed to it with thick nails through his wrists and feet, hoisted up and suffering many hours of pain, suffering, and agony. God, who received such violence in his human form, accepted it for the sake of "Peace" for all humankind. The Father poured out his wrath upon the Son so that the curse of sin might be deflected upon him rather than upon humankind. Through the death and suffering of Messiah Yeshua, we have received the "Covenant of Peace," a "Peace that goes beyond all human understanding, a spiritual peace that assures us that Heaven is our home after our physical death.
Even though the death of the Messiah was for the whole world, not all will accept this "offering of peace through death and suffering." Some will reject and end up separated from God for all eternity, yet those who will become "born again" will receive the "Brit Shalom." The spear of Pinchas penetrated the bodies of Zimri and Cozbi, and 1400 years later, a Roman spear penetrated the side of Yeshua, and out came blood and water.
The Lamb of God became the "Sacrifice lamb" and the "Living Water of Life. Have you accepted the "Brit Shalom of Messiah Yeshua?"
Numbers 25:7,8
