In my reading today Israel is starting to make it's way to the promised land and having to fight with some of the people around them to do so. They've killed all the people of a few different groups and this is making the others nervous. Israel asks merely to travel through, but the kings refuse and this is when they fight. Balak, the king of Moab, knows that Balaam is a man who "those you bless are blessed, ad those you curse are cursed" and wants Israel to be cursed. The Lord prevents him from cursing Israel and so Moab decides a different plan. They try to entice Israel to worship their gods and seduce them with their women.
Numbers 25:3 So Israel joined in worshipping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord's anger burned against them.
As Moses gives the command to kill those involved in this practice, right before their eyes an Israelite man brings a Midianite woman into his tent. This so angers Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, that he follows them in with a spear and drove the spear through both of them at once. This vigor for defending the Lord stopped the plague (I'm catching on the "The Lord's anger burned" means he sent a plague on them) .
Numbers 25:11 (the Lord speaking) "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them."
This really got me thinking. Do I zealously defend the Lord's honor? I'm not going to spear anyone, of course, but I wonder if there's more that we can do? We don't bow down to other idols, but we do sometimes like sex and money more than we should.
Colossians 3:5-6 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Admonish, not in judgement, but in love.
Open my eyes Lord to things that dishonor you. Give me wisdom for what you would call me to do to defend your honor.
Honestly, this makes me very uncomfortable. The idea of admonishing another Christian makes me very nervous. Who do I think that I am? My interpretation of the Bible is better than theirs? Mostly I pray for wisdom to be sure that I am truly doing what God is calling me to do for his honor. The case of Phinehas it was so clear that what this man was doing was causing the Lord's anger. May the Lord give me the same clarity and the same zeal.
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