Bad Advice

O. T. #352  "Bad Advice"
August 28, 2014
Numbers 25
And he shall have it (covenant of peace), 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 25:13


LET IT GLOW

Phinehas was the son of Eleazar, who was serving as high priest at this time, and the grandson of Aaron, the first high priest.
God blessed Phinehas, according to verse 13: his descendants would have a covenant of lasting priesthood in Israel because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.

What an honor and reward for Phinehas to receive from God.
Are you praying for God to call your children and grandchildren into His ministry? I certainly am. What an honor it would be. I pray their faithfulness, worship, and service to God will continue throughout their lives. Also, my great-grandchildren.


LET IT GROW

Balaam gave some bad advice, as far as Israel was concerned. He was focused on the money he missed out on by blessing Israel and not cursing them. The bad advice meant the downfall and death of some of Israel. Greedy, wouldn't you say?

Do we give bad advice so we can profit? Do we have discernment so we do not take bad advice? Are we in God's Word so we know what pleases Him? Or are we focused on pleasing our flesh instead?

Want to know what led up to this?

• Balaam wanted the money and honor that Balak had promised him before he blessed Israel.
• So Balaam told Balak how to defeat Israel-involve them in pagan feasts and idol worship.
• The Israelite men became sexually immoral with the women of Moab, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods.
• People ate and bowed down before these gods.
• Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor.
• The Lord's anger burned against them.
• Moses instructed Israel's judges to put to death those men who joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.
• An Israelite man had the gall to bring a Midianite woman right before Moses.
• This happened when Moses and the whole assembly were weeping at the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle).
• Obviously, the reason for this weeping was a plague of God's judgment was upon Israel. (24,000 Israelites ended up dying.)

Worshipping a false god and idol was in violation of the first commandment, which God gave the Israelites.

What did Phineas do to receive such a reward from God?

• He saw what was happening.
• He left the assembly.
• He took a spear in his hand.
• He followed the Israelite (with the Moabitess) into his tent.
• He drove the spear through both the man, named Zimri, and woman, named Cozbi, who was a tribal chief of the Midianites' daughter.
• The plague against Israel stopped, but not before 24,000 died.
• After this, the LORD told Moses to treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them because they treated Israel as enemies when they deceived Israel in this matter.

Let me explain about the worship of Baal-peor.
Baal was a local heathen god worshiped at Peor. It was a god of the Moabite mountains. As the sun-god, Baal was worshiped because they believed he gave light and warmth, as well as destroyed the summer vegetation with the fierce heat. So the Moabites sacrificed to Baal in order to appease his anger in time of plague or other trouble. The victim of sacrifice was usually the first-born of the sacrifice and being burnt alive.
(Falwell resource was International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

Talk about sick minded people. I am sure you will agree. Then it came to me-Americans are no better. We kill unborn babies with chemicals to burn them to death, while sacrificing them to our immoral pleasures. God forgive us! Will you join me in begging for forgiveness and mercy?
Let us stand up against abortion and proclaim the sins involved in it. Help us turn our youth to God.
Do we not deserve plagues that accompany such promiscuous living?
Will we promote abstinence?
Are we being the example of faithfulness to our spouse and God?


Now we see why Phinehas was rewarded by God. Not only Phinehas, but his descendants were honored by God with the high priesthood.

Because of Phinehas's zeal for God's holiness, the Lord made "a covenant of an everlasting priesthood" with him so that through his family line would come all future, legitimate high priests (Ps. 106:30-31). this promise will extend even into the millennial kingdom (Ezek. 40:46; 44:10,15; 48:11) This promise comprised the basis for the priestly covenant (Gen. 9:16).  (MacArthur)

A history lesson: Aaron had two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. For some unknown reason, the High Priesthood was switched from Eleazar to Eli (1 Sam. 1), a descendant of Ithamar. However, in the days of David it returned to the line promised here through Zado, a descendant of Eleazar (1 Kings 1). (Falwell)

Don't be vexed with the wiles of people, as verse 18 warns.
Christians need to be careful as individuals and churches to mingle with the heathen and other religions. Revelation 2:14 speaks of the doctrine of Balaam.

LET IT GO

Discern advice.

Seek the Lord's Word and will in matters.

Strive to live by God's ways.

Teach others the narrow way.

Stand against abortion and sinful lifestyles.

Pray, pray, pray.