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Matthew Henry |
N U M B E R S
CHAP. XXV.
Israel, having escaped the curse of Balaam, here sustains a great deal
of damage and reproach by the counsel of Balaam, who, it seems, before
he left Balak, put him into a more effectual way than that which Balak
thought of to separate between the Israelites and their God. “The Lord
will not be prevailed with by Balaam’s charms to ruin them; try if they
will not be prevailed with by the charms of the daughters of Moab to
ruin themselves.” None are more fatally bewitched than those that are
bewitched by their own lusts. Here is,
I. The sin of Israel; they were enticed by the daughters of Moab both
to whoredom and to idolatry,
II. The punishment of this sin by the hand of the magistrate
and by the immediate hand of God,
III. The pious zeal of Phinehas in slaying Zimri and Cozbi, two
impudent sinners,
IV. God’s commendation of the zeal of Phinehas,
V. Enmity put between the Israelites and the Midianites, their
tempters, as at first between the woman and the serpent,
&c.
| The Sin of Israel. | B. C. 1452. |
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1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit
whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods:
and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the
LORD was kindled against Israel.
4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the
people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that
the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.
5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one
his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.
Here is,
I. The sin of Israel, to which they were enticed by the daughters of
Moab and Midian; they were guilty both of corporal and spiritual
whoredoms, for Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor,
v. 3.
Not all, nor the most, but very many, were taken in this snare. Now
concerning this observe,
1. That Balak, by the advice of Balaam, cast this stumbling-block
before the children of Israel,
Rev. ii. 14.
Note, Those are our worst enemies that draw us to sin, for that is the
greatest mischief any man can do us. If Balak had drawn out his armed
men against them to fight them, Israel had bravely resisted, and no
doubt had been more than conquerors; but now that he sends his
beautiful women among them, and invites them to his idolatrous feasts,
the Israelites basely yield, and are shamefully overcome: those are
smitten with this harlots that could not be smitten with his sword.
Note, We are more endangered by the charms of a smiling world than by
the terrors of a frowning world.
2. That the daughters of Moab were their tempters and conquerors. Ever
since Eve was first in the transgression the fairer sex, though the
weaker, has been a snare to many; yea strong men have been wounded and
slain by the lips of the strange woman
witness Solomon, whose wives were shares and nets to him
3. That whoredom and idolatry went together. They first defiled and
debauched their consciences, by committing lewdness with the women, and
then were easily drawn, in complaisance to them, and in contempt of the
God of Israel, to bow down to their idols. And they were more likely to
do so if, as it is commonly supposed, and seems probable by the joining
of them together, the uncleanness committed was a part of the worship
and service performed to Baal-peor. Those that have broken the fences
of modesty will never be held by the bonds of piety, and those that
have dishonoured themselves by fleshly lusts will not scruple to
dishonour God by idolatrous worships, and for this they are justly
given up yet further to vile affections.
4. That by eating of the idolatrous sacrifices they joined
themselves to Baal-peor to whom they were offered, which the
apostle urges as a reason why Christians should not eat things
offered to idols, because thereby they had fellowship with the
devils to whom they were offered,
It is called eating the sacrifices of the dead
(Ps. cvi. 28),
not only because the idol itself was a dead thing, but because the
person represented by it was some great hero, who since his death was
deified, as saints in the Roman church are canonized.
5. It was great aggravation of the sin that Israel abode in
Shittim, where they had the land of Canaan in view, and were just
ready to enter and take possession of it. It was the highest degree of
treachery and ingratitude to be false to their God, whom they had found
so faithful to them, and to eat of idol-sacrifices when they were ready
to be feasted so richly on God’s favours.
II. God’s just displeasure against them for this sin. Israel’s
whoredoms did that which all Balaam’s enchantments could not do, they
set God against them; now he was turned to be their enemy, and
fought against them. So many of the people, nay, so many of the
princes, were guilty, that the sin became national, and for it God was
wroth with the whole congregation.
1. A plague immediately broke out, for we read of the staying of it
(v. 8),
and of the number that died of it
(v. 9),
but no mention of the beginning of it, which therefore must be implied
in those words
(v. 3),
The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. It is said
expressly
(Ps. cvi. 29),
The plague broke in. Note, Epidemical diseases are the fruits of
God’s anger, and the just punishments of epidemical sins; one infection
follows the other. The plague, no doubt, fastened on those that were
most guilty, who were soon made to pay dearly for their forbidden
pleasures; and though now God does not always plague such sinners, as
he did here, yet that word of God will be fulfilled, If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy,
1 Cor. iii. 17.
2. The ringleaders are ordered to be put to death by the hand of public
justice, which will be the only way to stay the plague
(v. 4):
Take the heads of the people (that is, of that part of the
people that went out of the camp of Israel into the country of Moab, to
join in their idolatries)–take them and hang them up before the
sun, as sacrifices to God’s justice, and for a terror to the rest
of the people. The judges must first order them to be slain with the
sword
(v. 5),
and their dead bodies must be hanged up, that the stupid Israelites,
seeing their leaders and princes so severely punished for their
whoredom and idolatry, without any regard to their quality, might be
possessed with a sense of the evil of the sin and the terror of God’s
wrath against them. Ringleaders in sin ought to be made examples of
justice.
| The Zeal of Phinehas. | B. C. 1452. |
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6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought
unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and
in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel,
who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation.
7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and
took a javelin in his hand;
8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust
both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through
her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four
thousand.
10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest,
hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he
was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the
children of Israel in my jealousy.
12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the
covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for
his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that
was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of
Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.
15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was
Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of
a chief house in Midian.
Here is a remarkable contest between wickedness and righteousness,
which shall be most bold and resolute; and righteousness carries the
day, as no doubt it will at last.
I. Never was vice more daring than it was in Zimri, a prince of a
chief house in the tribe of Simeon. Such a degree of impudence in
wickedness had he arrived at that he publicly appeared leading a
Midianitish harlot (and a harlot of quality too like himself, a
daughter of a chief house in Midian) in the sight of Moses, and
all the good people of Israel. He did not think it enough to go out
with his harlot to worship the gods of Moab, but, when he had done
that, he brought her with him to dishonour the God of Israel. He not
only owned her publicly as his friend, and higher in his favour then
any of the daughters of Israel, but openly went with her into the
tent,
v. 8.
The word signifies such a booth or place of retirement as was designed
and fitted up for lewdness. Thus he declared his sin as Sodom,
as was so far from blushing for it that he rather prided himself in it,
and gloried in his shame. All the circumstances concurred to make it
exceedingly sinful, exceedingly shameful.
1. It was an affront to the justice of the nation, and bade defiance to
that. The judges were ordered to put the criminals to death, but he
thought himself too great for them to meddle with, and, in effect, bade
them touch him if they durst. He had certainly cast off all fear of God
who stood in no awe of the powers which he had ordained to be a
terror to evil-doers.
2. It was an affront to the religion of the nation, and put a contempt
upon that. Moses, and the main body of the congregation, who kept their
integrity, were weeping at the door of the tabernacle, lamenting
the sin committed and deprecating the plague begun; they were
sanctifying a fast in a solemn assembly, weeping between the
porch and the altar, to turn away the wrath of God from the
congregation. Then comes Zimri among them, with his harlot in his hand,
to banter them, and, in effect, to tell them that he was resolved to
fill the measure of sin as fast as they emptied it.
II. Never was virtue more daring than it was in Phinehas. Being aware
of the insolence of Zimri, which it is probable, all the congregation
took notice of, in a holy indignation at the offenders he rises up from
his prayers, takes his sword or half-pike, follows those impudent
sinners into their tent, and stabs them both,
It is not at all difficult to justify Phinehas in what he did; for,
being now heir-apparent to the high-priesthood, no doubt he was one of
those judges of Israel whom Moses had ordered, by the divine
appointment, to slay all those whom they knew to have joined themselves
to Baal-peor, so that this gives no countenance at all to private
persons, under pretence of zeal against sin, to put offenders to death,
who ought to be prosecuted by due course of law. The civil magistrate
is the avenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil, and
no private person may take his work out of his hand. Two ways God
testified his acceptance of the pious zeal of Phinehas:–
1. He immediately put a stop to the plague,
v. 8.
Their weeping and praying prevailed not till this piece of necessary
justice was done. If magistrates do not take care to punish sin, God
will; but their justice will be the best prevention of his judgment, as
in the case of Achan,
2. He put an honour upon Phinehas. Though he did no more than it was
his duty to do as a judge, yet because he did it with extraordinary
zeal against sin, and for the honour of God and Israel, and did it when
the other judges, out of respect to Zimri’s character as a prince, were
afraid, and declined doing it, therefore God showed himself
particularly well pleased with him, and it was counted to him for
righteousness,
Ps. cvi. 31.
There is nothing lost by venturing for God. If Zimri’s relations bore
him a grudge for it, and his friends might censure him as indiscreet in
this violent and hasty execution, what needed he care, while God
accepted him? In a good thing we should be zealously affected.
(1.) Phinehas, upon this occasion, though a young man, is pronounced
his country’s patriot and best friend,
He has turned away my wrath from the children of Israel. So much
does God delight in showing mercy that he is well pleased with those
that are instrumental in turning away his wrath. This is the best
service we can do to our people; and we may contribute something
towards it by our prayers, and by our endeavours in our places to
bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end.
(2.) The priesthood is entailed by covenant upon his family. It was
designed him before, but now it was confirmed to him, and, which added
much to the comfort and honour of it, it was made the recompence of his
pious zeal,
It is here called an everlasting priesthood, because it should
continue to the period of the Old-Testament dispensation, and should
then have its perfection and perpetuity in the unchangeable priesthood
of Christ, who is consecrated for evermore. By the covenant
of peace given him, some understand in general a promise of long
life and prosperity, and all good; it seems rather to be meant
particularly of the covenant of priesthood, for that is called the
covenant of life and peace
(Mal. ii. 5),
and was made for the preservation of peace between God and his people.
Observe how the reward answered the service. By executing justice he
had made an atonement for the children of Israel
(v. 13),
and therefore he and his shall henceforward be employed in making
atonement by sacrifice. He was zealous for his God, and
therefore he shall have the covenant of an everlasting
priesthood. Note, It is requisite that ministers should be not only
for God, but zealous for God. It is required of them that they do more
than others for the support and advancement of the interests of God’s
kingdom among men.
16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them:
18 For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have
beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi,
the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain
in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.
God had punished the Israelites for their sin with a plague; as a
Father he corrected his own children with a rod. But we read not that
any of the Midianites died of the plague; God took another course with
them, and punished them with the sword of an enemy, not with the rod of
a father.
1. Moses, though the meekest man, and far from a spirit of revenge, is
ordered to vex the Midianites and smite them,
v. 17.
Note, We must set ourselves against that, whatever it is, which is an
occasion of sin to us, though it be a right eye or a right hand that
thus offends us,
This is that holy indignation and revenge which godly sorrow worketh,
2. The reason given for the meditating of this revenge is because they
vex you with their wiles,
v. 18.
Note, Whatever draws us to sin should be a vexation to us, as a thorn
in the flesh. The mischief which the Midianites did to Israel by
enticing them to whoredom must be remembered and punished with as much
severity as that which the Amalekites did in fighting with them when
they came out of Egypt,
God will certainly reckon with those that do the devil’s work in
tempting men to sin. See further orders given in this matter,
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