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MARCH 14
we’d all probably be better off. Third, why not recognize God’s sense of humor in this account?
Fourth, God’s display of patience and persistence in these events ought to provoke in us a sense of
humble worship.And,fifth,the incident,as unusual as it may be,should be accepted at face value.

Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath
MARCH 14 from the children of Israel, because he was
zealous with My zeal among them, so that I
did not consume the children of Israel in My
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zeal. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My
Numbers 25:1–26:65
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covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and
Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, his descendants after him a covenant of an
25 and the people began to commit har- everlasting priesthood, because he was zeal-
2
lotry with the women of Moab. They invited ous for his God, and made atonement for the
the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and children of Israel.’ ”
the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the
anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.
25:10–13 Because of Phinehas’s zeal for God’s
holiness, the Lord made “a covenant of an
everlasting priesthood” with him so that
25:3 joined to Baal of Peor. Israel engaged in through his family line would come all future
acts of sexual immorality with the women of legitimate high priests (see Ps. 106:30,31).This
Moab. Since this was part of the pagan cult promise will extend even into the millennial
that was worshiped by the Moabites, the kingdom (see Ezek. 40:46; 44:10,15; 48:11).
Israelites joined in these idolatrous practices.
The Israelites yoked themselves to the false
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god of the Moabites and the Midianites, Now the name of the Israelite who was
referred to as Baal of Peor.This was a violation killed, who was killed with the Midianite
of the first commandment. woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of
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a father’s house among the Simeonites. And
the name of the Midianite woman who was
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was
leaders of the people and hang the offenders head of the people of a father’s house in
before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce Midian.
anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” 16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, 17 “Harass the Midianites, and attack them; for
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“Every one of you kill his men who were they harassed you with their schemes by
joined to Baal of Peor.” which they seduced you in the matter of Peor
6 And indeed, one of the children of Israel and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a
came and presented to his brethren a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in
Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the day of the plague because of Peor.”
the sight of all the congregation of the chil- And it came to pass, after the plague,
dren of Israel, who were weeping at the door of 26 that the LORD spoke to Moses and
the tabernacle of meeting. Now when Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying:
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Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the
the priest, saw it, he rose from among the con- children of Israel from twenty years old and
gregation and took a javelin in his hand; and above, by their fathers’ houses, all who are
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he went after the man of Israel into the tent able to go to war in Israel.” So Moses and
3
and thrust both of them through, the man of Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the
Israel, and the woman through her body. So plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jer-
the plague was stopped among the children of icho, saying: “Take a census of the people from
4
Israel. And those who died in the plague were twenty years old and above, just as the LORD
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twenty-four thousand. commanded Moses and the children of Israel
10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: who came out of the land of Egypt.”
11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of 5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The
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