"Impalement by Phinehas", 1695, woodcut, by Johann Christoph Weigel.
Continuing my journey through my ESV Study Bible, we find that "While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab."
The Israelites are camped at the back door of the promised land. Currently this land is inhabited by the Canaanites, who worshiped a false god named Baal, who was regarded as a fertility god.
Obviously, with the language presented in this text, this "worship" had to do with sex, and many of God's people were seduced into "whoring" with these people.
The retelling climaxes as Phinehas, evidently catches a prominent Jewish man in the act of fornication, with a Midianite whore, and kills them both with his spear.
It is easy for the natural mind to continually wonder at the violence presented in the Hebrew Canon, but as we meditate on these things, I think it serves us well to attempt to see things from God's perspective.
This god, named Baal, was likely a demon. Furthermore, it was not likely that this demon was alone, right? So here we see God's chosen, the Israelites, having sex all over the place, with a nation apart from God, involved in sexual demon worship.
Naturally God is going to be upset, and we see Phinehas acting with God's "jealousy".
As I read through the desert wanderings of Israel, it is easy to shake my head in contempt. However, I must catch myself, and remember that I too daily wander from the God I love. It may not be in worship to a demon sex god, but wandering still I go.
Although I don't clearly understand, I am certain that I should draw great comfort in the understanding that God is jealous for my affections. He loves me perfectly, and yet daily I wander from him.
I am thankful to possess the Holy Spirit, who leads me daily to be more like Christ. Furthermore, I am most grateful that when God looks down upon my daily transgressions, he sees not me, but sees righteousness, as I am cloaked with Christ's righteousness.
