Nu 26

       24,000 people have just died. Phinehas’ zeal stopped the plague. What next? Take a census.

       Numbers 26 is the resulting census of all who can go to war. Before you fear you’ll be bored to tears with bean counting, give it a read. You’ll find some narrative tidbits and refreshers.

       Remember Dathan, Abiram and Korah? Remember that they rebelled and were swallowed by an earthquake? Look at verse 11. Korah’s children weren’t wiped out. That might be an important clue some time.

       How about Er and Onan? There’s a story in itself. That’s in Genesis 38. It’s not rated G.

       What was the name of the man who had no sons? Zelophehad’s daughters were granted the inheritance and a new rule was established. (Feminists and readers of Jane Austen should take notice. The old English concept of “entailment” is antibiblical, hence the anger we feel at the injustice the Misses Bennett may suffer.) This concept is so important that the story of Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah is repeated in Numbers 27 and 36 and Joshua 17 and I Chronicles 7.

       Next, Nadab and Abihu are referenced. Even though they died for their sin, they are still remembered generations later.

       Verses 64-65 tell us that there are none of the first generation of wilderness walkers except for Caleb and Joshua. Their faith and confidence in God brought them out of the wilderness into the promised land. That’s a great way to end a chapter.

Nu 25: Phinehas saves the day

        Nu 25:1 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 [dmu tsamad] himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

       Tsamad means to bind/fasten/frame. It's not a casual attachment. They spiritually duct taped themselves to Baal Peor.

       To quote Douglas Adams’ bowl of petunias, “Oh no, not again.”

       The LORD tells Moses what to do: hang the leaders in broad daylight. This will turn away the LORD’s anger.

         Nu 25:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads [var ro'sh] 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.

       It doesn’t seem that Moses follows the LORD’s direction. If he did, the Bible doesn’t say so. Also, if he obeyed, why didn’t the plague stop?

       Verse 5 says Moses tells Israel’s judges [jpv shaphat] to slay [grh harag] those who have joined Baal Peor. Do they? Again, the Bible doesn’t say.

       Please don’t get mad at me over questioning whether Moses obeyed the LORD. Clearly he has disobeyed before. It’s not really the point of the chapter. The point is that there’s widespread sin going on: sex and idolatry. As a result, there’s a plague. 24,000 are going to die by the end.

       Enter Zimri, a prominent leader from the tribe of Simeon. He’s showing off Cozbi, the daughter of a prominent Midianite leader. Right in front of everyone.

         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.

       Enter Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson. He grabs a javelin and goes after them.

       There’s no way to be delicate about what happens next. Well, maybe there is. I’ll just quote it and leave the circumstance to your imagination.

       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.

       Yeah. That’s what he did.

       But it stopped the plague.

       And the LORD noticed.

       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.

Nu 20 part 4: we bid Aaron goodbye

       Numbers 20:14-22 is self-explanatory. The ancestor of Edom was Esau, Jacob’s brother. Therefore, when Israel (the descendents of Jacob) call Edom brothers, they are appealing to common ancestry. This passage doesn’t say why Edom refuses passage to the Israelites, even though Israel says they will only go on the highways and will pay for any incidentals. Edom comes out in a show of military strength, forcing Israel to take the long way around Edom.

       I note that there is no mention of the pillar of cloud during this interval. Was the pillar tarrying with the Israelite camp while the messengers spoke with Edom? I assume so, but I don’t know.

       In verses 23-26, the LORD commands Moses and Aaron to bring Aaron’s son Eleazar to Mount Hor, to pass the priesthood to Eleazar, for Aaron will die. He is to die because of their sin at the waters of Meribah.

       In the sight of the congregation, Moses, Aaron and Eleazar go. On the mountain, Moses strips Aaron of the priestly garments and puts them on Eleazar. Then Aaron dies.

       I don’t know what happened to Aaron’s body. Because Moses and Eleazar are Levites and Eleazar is now high priest, he can’t touch his father’s body. Verse 28 says that Moses and Eleazar come down from the mount. Already these men have experienced the loss of family members; already they have had to follow Levitical law through and in spite of grieving.

       When the congregation sees Aaron is dead, they mourn him for 30 days. Aaron: father, brother, spokesperson, high priest. He served and walked with the living God.

       Looking at Aaron's life, I note one certain lasting quality in Aaron: he raised his son Eleazar in the things of God. Eleazar performs his duties well. Eleazar then raises a son, Phinehas, who is a man of quality himself. (Don’t confuse this Phinehas with the priest Eli’s son Phinehas, who was not of this quality.) The good Phinehas will show up in crucial times for Israel. Watch for him to show up in Numbers 25.