Phinehas Psalm 106

Yesterday I shared what I believe is the missing link in our lives today. And just to give you a heads up, you are not going to like what I am about to share. But in Psalm 106, after I shared that God gave them their desire but sent leanness into their soul, the text continues to describe the decay of the people:

"They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things...then they despised the pleasant land...they provoked the LORD to anger."

Yesterday I shared how they brought the idols of the nations into their homes; the same today...why can't we see it?

But then something happened in Israel's history that changed the mind and heart of God...God's judgment was stayed...his blessing returned...what happened? It is recorded in Psalm 106:30, 31.

"Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever."

But what did Phinehas do? The answer is found in Numbers 25:7ff “Then Phinehas took a javelin in his hand and pierced both the man and the woman, and the woman through her belly.”

Why was God pleased with this? Because he did not want his people to mix with the nations around them…these ungodly nations were to be destroyed. This was God’s judgment to be carried out by His people. God’s judgment could have come upon these nations through a natural disaster but God wanted His people to be the executors so that they would see for themselves how utterly wicked and abominable these people had become. Some of the practices that the nations were involved in were the sacrifice of children on a hot brazen altar…the children would sizzle as they were placed on the hot surface. The only way to stop such a people with such hideous practices was to destroy them...evangelism was not going to be possible with such a depraved people. Since the time of Christ, Christianity has made the world more “humane,” which has opened the door for all men to come to the saving knowledge of Christ. God no longer has to condemn the world, but that the world through Christ can now be saved. And we all know the ending of the story…once the influence of Christianity is removed from

this earth, people will once again resort to their depraved state and God will have to destroy everyone except for a remnant.

So where was I? Yes, Phinehas…what is missing today is a spirit of zealous jealousy for God. To stand up for His glory (with humility…you don’t want act like a know-it-all…be attractive), to zealously teach our children to choose their mate in Christ only; to remove the gods and idols of the nations from our homes; to know his Word. The problem with what happened in Israel is that the people had gotten so far away from God’s Word, that they didn’t know they weren’t supposed to marry foreign wives. Phinehas knew the Word and then acted upon it…it was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever! The only other person in the Bible where it is said that it was counted to him as righteousness was Abraham…both men by faith and took action based on what they heard from God.