The Sin of Israel (Num. 25:1-5)

2/6/2009 9:47 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  The sin of Israel

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Numbers 25:1-5

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶ While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.  2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.  3 So Israel joined them to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel.  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."  5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.’”

            In verse twenty-five of chapter twenty-four of Numbers it reads that Balaam left and returned to his “place” (NASB) but this does not mean that he went back to where he had lived before because Balaam was killed when Israel slaughtered the Midianites, “They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.”  Balaam was not allowed to curse Israel by using demons, but he did begin to use the appeal of the flesh in order to cause Israel to sin against God and therefore have judgment come upon them. 

            This was the first time that Israel would begin to worship the god Baal, but it would not be the last time, for they would go in and out of worship of Baal the entire time that they lived in the Promised Land, and one of the reasons was that they were farmers and Baal was the god of rain and fertility and so Israel would worship this god whenever they needed rain for their crops, but they would not seek God when they needed this rain.  The festive times they had, like explained in this section was filled with orgies and forbidden sexual experiences, but they were appealing to the flesh and that is what lured Israel into these festivals, and that is what made God unhappy with them and caused judgment to fall upon them.  The Lord would send a terrible plague on them and how it was stopped will be discussed in the next SD.  But God told Moses to kill all those in daylight who had participated in the worshiping of Baal.

           

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I would think that the lure of the flesh is the biggest threat for me in order to walk with the Lord faithfully each and every day.  The lure of the flesh is a very huge temptation for it is has strong urgings.  As I have tried to put the sixth chapter of Romans to memory, it is a good weapon to use against this urgings from the flesh for in it I read that I am dead to sin and therefore as I claim this passage by faith it will become reality in my life.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.    I want to know the Lord better and better so that I can serve Him better and better.

2.    I want to continue to learn contentment.

3.    I want to trust the Lord to direct my path today.

2/6/2009 10:52 AM