Números 25

Números 25

Meyer - Numbers 25:3 Israel joined himself unto Baal-Peor. The margin of the Revised Version gives the alternative, yoked. The people were attracted by the charms of the women of Moab; but what they entered for pleasure, became clasped on them as a yoke. “Every one that committeth (present tense - habitually) sin is (present tense - continually) the bondservant of sin” (John 8:34, R.V.). Sin is slavery. — The drunkard loathes his chains, vows not to yield again; but sinks deeper into the mire with every ineffectual struggle. The libertine is bound with passions, his heart is a dungeon, his conscience a scourge. We are promised pleasure and gratification; but when once the syrens have prevailed and got us in their power, they cast off their disguise, and work their horrid will. The only deliverance is through the anointed priest. — Phinehas interposed, and he was Aaron’s grandson, on whom the anointing oil rested. And this illustrates a remarkable expression in Isaiah 10:27, “The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” Is not that the anointing of the Holy Ghost? It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can be made free with the freedom of the Son of God. Where He is there is liberty. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” (Gal 5:16-17+). We must die to the sin that enchained us. — There could be no half-measures. Phinehas took a spear. Whatever the cursed thing is which has crept in to enslave, it must be slain before the Lord. Is there some secret evil in your soul, eating out its strength? Ask the Faithful High Priest to deal with it, that your soul may cast off its bondage, and rise into the liberty of the sons of God. A number of parallels exist between what happened at Mount Sinai and what happened here on the plains of Moab. COMPARISON OF EXODUS 32 AND NUMBERS 25 Parallels between Mount Sinai and the Plains of Moab SIMILARITY MOUNT SINAI PLAINS OF MOAB Revelation followed by rebellion Ex 20-31/Ex 32 Numbers 23-24/Numbers 25 Worship of false god Golden calf, Baal of Peor, God's anger stopped by an immediate execution of those guilty Response resulting in priesthood Tribe of Levi, Phinehas, Census Laws regarding sacrifice Laws regarding festivals Inheritance Joshua Sabbath Source: Moody Bible Commentary CANAANITE ABOMINATIONS Recent years have seen an increase in occult practices and Satanic rituals. But these things are nothing new. Somewhat similar rites were taking place in Canaan at the time when Israel left Egypt. God referred to the Canaanite practices as “abominations” for which “the land vomits out its inhabitants” (Lev 18:25,26). The historical context of Lev 18 shows that God’s concern had to do with religious as well as sexual purity. The chapter opens and closes with warnings to avoid the ways of the Canaanites (Lev 18:3, 30). The practices mentioned—incest, adultery, fornication, intercourse during a woman’s menstrual flow, child sacrifice, sodomy, bestiality—were all acts committed as part of the Canaanite religion. That religion was essentially a fertility cult. Worshipers appealed to their gods to help their women reproduce and to make their lands fertile. Thus sexual intercourse played a major role in the worship. There were other “abominations” involved, such as idolatry and the use of mediums and witchcraft. For all of these things, the Lord promised to VOMIT the Canaanites out of the land. In their place He planned to install His people living according to His ways and worshiping according to His holy practices. The Canaanites worshiped more than seventy deities. Related Resource: See list of the principal demonic gods PAGAN DEITIES Numbers 25:4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." BGT Numbers 25:4 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος τῷ Μωυσῇ λαβὲ πάντας τοὺς ἀρχηγοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ παραδειγμάτισον αὐτοὺς κυρίῳ ἀπέναντι τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ ἀποστραφήσεται ὀργὴ θυμοῦ κυρίου ἀπὸ Ισραηλ Greek (Septuagint) kai eipen kurios to Mouse labe (2SAAM) pantas tous archegous tou laou kai paradeigmatison (2SAAM: make an example of one: Heb6:6) autous kurio apenanti (opposite, against) tou heliou (sun) kai apostraphesetai (3SFPI: apostrepho: ) orge thumou kuriou apo Israel NET Numbers 25:4 The LORD said to Moses, "Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the LORD in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel." NLT Numbers 25:4 The LORD issued the following command to Moses: "Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel." ESV Numbers 25:4 And the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." NIV Numbers 25:4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD's fierce anger may turn away from Israel." KJV Numbers 25:4 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. YLT Numbers 25:4 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them before Jehovah -- over-against the sun; and the fierceness of the anger of Jehovah doth turn back from Israel.' LXE Numbers 25:4 And the Lord said to Moses, Take all the princes of the people, and make them examples of judgment for the Lord in the face of the sun, and the anger of the Lord shall be turned away from Israel. ASV Numbers 25:4 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel. CSB Numbers 25:4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD so that His burning anger may turn away from Israel." NKJ Numbers 25:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." NRS Numbers 25:4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people, and impale them in the sun before the LORD, in order that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." NAB Numbers 25:4 and he said to Moses, "Gather all the leaders of the people, and hold a public execution of the guilty ones before the LORD, that his blazing wrath may be turned away from Israel." NJB Numbers 25:4 Yahweh said to Moses, 'Take all the leaders of the people. Impale them facing the sun, for Yahweh, to deflect his burning anger from Israel.' GWN Numbers 25:4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people, and execute them in broad daylight in the LORD's presence. This will turn the LORD's anger away from Israel." all the heads: Nu 25:14,15,18 Ex 18:25 De 4:3 Jos 22:17 23:2 and hang: Deut 13:6-9,13,15 21:23 2Sa 21:6,9 Es 7:9,10 that the fierce: Nu 25:11 De 13:17 Jos 7:25,26 Ps 85:3,4 Jon 3:9 Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries OPEN SIN DEALT WITH OPENLY! The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD - In broad daylight is literally "before the sun." (cp 2 Sa 12:12) This speaks of public execution in the sight of all Israel so as to be a warning to all the people not to do the same! So serious was this breach of covenant, especially when Israel was on the threshold of the land of promise, that the Lord commanded Moses to take serious action—all the guilty individuals involved must die. Furthermore their death was to be public so that all would see and fear God. Beloved, there is a place for public censure of church leaders if the crime is so heinous (see 1 Cor 5:1-6 after which Paul commanded "Clean out [command - Don't delay!] the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened."). If the leadership chooses instead to discipline a public figure (leader) in private, they lose the fear producing effect. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? -- 1 Corinthians 5:6 So that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." - "The execution of the leaders was designed to divert his anger from the populace as a whole. The expression harôn ʾap̱ (“fierce anger”) is used elsewhere of the anger of the Lord (32:14; Exod 32:19, 22; Deut 13:17; Josh 7:26; 1 Sam 28:18; 2 Kings 23:26; 2 Chronicles 28:11; Zeph 2:2; 3:8 et al.); but this anger may be averted, be turned back, once it flashes against its target....Chapter 25 is the nadir of the Book of Numbers. It is worse even than the sins of chapters 12–14. Here is the great sin at the end of the road. This may be one of the most indelicate texts of Scripture, where Israel’s judges are commanded to kill their own people who are engaged in the worship of Baal (v.5). We have trouble at times coming to grips with the commands of Scripture for Israel to kill her enemies. This chapter is harder for us to face; it is the command to kill some of their own people. But these rebellious persons are like a cancer in the body. If they are not excised, they will soon ruin the whole. So the call is to kill, to execute, and to do it quickly. In chapter 15 was the story of the public execution of one person, a blasphemer. Now the whole populace is in danger. (Allen - EBC) Numbers 25:5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor." BGT Numbers 25:5 καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς ταῖς φυλαῖς Ισραηλ ἀποκτείνατε ἕκαστος τὸν οἰκεῖον αὐτοῦ τὸν τετελεσμένον τῷ Βεελφεγωρ NET Numbers 25:5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you must execute those of his men10 who were joined to Baal-peor." NLT Numbers 25:5 So Moses ordered Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor." ESV Numbers 25:5 And Moses said to athe judges of Israel, b"Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor." NIV Numbers 25:5 So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to deatha those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor."b KJV Numbers 25:5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. YLT Numbers 25:5 And Moses saith unto the judges of Israel, 'Slay ye each his men who are joined to Baal-Peor.' LXE Numbers 25:5 And Moses said to the tribes of Israel, Slay ye every one his friend that is consecrated to Beel-phegor. ASV Numbers 25:5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor. CSB Numbers 25:5 So Moses told Israel's judges, "Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor." NKJ Numbers 25:5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor." NRS Numbers 25:5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you shall kill any of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor." NAB Numbers 25:5 So Moses told the Israelite judges, "Each of you shall kill those of his men who have submitted to the rites of Baal of Peor." NJB Numbers 25:5 Moses said to the judges of Israel, 'Each of you will put to death those of his people who have committed themselves to the Baal of Peor.' GWN Numbers 25:5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you must kill the men who have joined in worshiping the god Baal of Peor." judges: Ex 18:21,25,26 Slay ye: Ex 22:20 32:27,28 De 13:6,9,13,15 17:3-5 1Ki 18:40 Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE CONSEQUENCES OF COMPROMISE So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor." - Now Moses is not interceding to withhold judgement, but is seeking to enforce it. The danger of this sin was so great that this "cancer" had to be removed by radical surgery before it "metastasized" to the entire congregation.