Num 25.1-18 will tell us about the idolatry and sin of Baal-peor according to the advice of Balaam in Num 31.16; their punishment; the zeal of Pinchas and his reward.
v 1…While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab (according to the counsel of Balaam-Num 31.16)
v 2…For they had invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
v 3…So Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor (Peor being the name of a mountain-23.28) and the Lord was angry against Israel (and he sent a plague).
v 4…And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders (princes) of the people (to judge the people) and hang them up against the sun (in the daytime; those that were guilty of idolatry) before the Lord, so that the fiery anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”
v 5…So Moses said to the judges of Israel (v 4), “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal-peor.”
v 6…Then behold, one of the sons of Israel (Zimri-v 14) came (from an idolatrous feast) and brought to his relatives (brethren) a MIdianite woman (into the tent) in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting he (passing right by them openly to discredit Moses and be “free from the law of Moses”).
v 7…When Pinchas (“Peh Nachash” or mouth of brass) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest saw it (saw the man pass by so brazenly), he arose from the midst of the congregation (that was at the doorway of the tent of meeting), and took a spear in his hand;
v 8…and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through (, the man of Israel and the woman, through her belly (by which it seems they were killed in the act of intercourse). So the plague on th sons of Israel was checked (which had broken out among them, showing Yehovah’s approval of his action).
v 9…And those who died by the plague was 24,000 (Moses includes those hung-v 4; Paul’s number of 23,000 in 1 Cor 10.8 included only those who died in the plague; Balaam was unable to curse Israel, so he suggested that Moab send their daughters to seduce the men. Midian decides to join in and Balaam’s plan was implemented and carried out If Ballam couldn’t curse them, he would get Israel to sin and God will judge them).
v 10…Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
v 11..”.Pinchas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest (the high priest anointed for war and a picture of Yeshua), has turned away my wrath from the sons of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy (for my sake) among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in my jealousy.
v 12…Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give my covenant of peace (the letter “vav” in “shalom” here is broken because peace will not be whole until Messiah comes; it will be a broken peace-Ezek 37.26; fighting evil on God’s behalf is in itself peaceful, but everyone should be on the same page’ the meaning of “shalom” is not tranquility an never having any fights. Shalom comes from “shalem” meaning perfect. It is the ultimate perfection between God and his people. If there is no friction between the people, but there is friction between God and the people, that is not shalom. In order to restore shalom, Zimri and Cozbi ahd to be killed. This is what God calls a “peacemaker” but sinners perceive peacemakers as doing harm),
v 13…and it shall be for him a perpetual priesthood (the high priesthood would be from his descendants, except for a brief interruption in Eli’s days, a son of Ithamar, but restored in the days of Solomon, it would continue until the fall of Israel) because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement (restored a limited covering) for the sons of Israel.
v 14…Now the name of the slain man of Israel who was slain with the MIdianite woman was zimri (my music) the son of Salu, a leader (prince) of a father’s household among the Simeonites (a prince among one of five families-26.12).
v 15…And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi (my lie) the daughter of Zur, who was head (rosh) of the people of a father’s household in Midian (daughter of a Midianite king-31.8).
v 16…Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
v 17…”Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them;
v 18…for they have been hostile to you with their tricks (not with war but with lies and beguiling methods), with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor, and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.”
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