"SOLDIERS OF CHRIST ARISE! (LOVE GOD! HATE SIN!)"
TEXT: NUMBERS CHAPTER 25
INTRODUCTION
As we study from the book of Numbers today we will be introduced to one of the GREAT HEROES of the Bible. He may be a someone that you have never heard of before, but after today you will never forget him. The first thing we want to do today is to do a brief background for our text.
In our study last week we discussed how the Israelites had lost their faith in God. How they no longer trusted God’s power, God’s provision or God’s promise.
And because they no longer trusted God, when they saw the great task they lay ahead of them (the taking of the promise land) they felt that victory depended on just their own abilities. And as they analyzed their weak and feeble abilities, they determined that they were no match for the people of the promise land and they therefore rebelled against God, refused to take the land and were forced to wander in the wildernesses for 40 years.
Our text today is in Numbers chapter 25, and here we find the Israelites nearing the end of their journey. They are completing the last year of their wilderness wandering and they are now camped right next to the Jordan river. From this spot Joshua would (as we read in the early chapters of the book of Joshua) lead the Israelites across the Jordan and into the promise land, to battle with Jericho and to conquer the land.
Their journey was nearly over and the land of promise was just across the river. The time of their punishment was a about to end, they were on the home stretch.
The years of wandering were not easy years. Over 1 million adults that had left Egypt under the power of God were now dead. Moses brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam were now dead. The wilderness years were years of hardships and grumbling, there were plagues and there were battles. But through it all God was with them, and God provided for them (food and water for 2 million people for 40 years). And now victory was just across the river.
If we were to enter the Israelite camp at this time we would expect to find a great amount of excitement and enthusiasm and we would expect to find a people who were rejoicing (dancing and singing) a people who were full of thanksgiving to God, because it was God who had brought them to this point.
That’s what we would expect to find, but as we study Numbers chapter 25, we will discover that this great scene of thankfulness is not at all what we find going on in the camp.
[25:1-15]
Today, as we study the account in Numbers chapter 25 of God’s faithful soldier Phinehas we will see that Phinehas was a man who LOVED GOD! AND HATED SIN!
And as we study this heroic moment in the life of Phinehas we should be challenged to follow his example.
I. WE LIKE PHINEHAS MUST WITHSTAND THE PULL OF SIN
A. Ever since the nation of Israel was delivered from the bonds of Egyptian slavery, her enemy was in fast pursuit to destroy them. We saw in Exodus how the mighty Pharaoh pursued them immediately in his war chariots after their deliverance.
And as we read through the book of Numbers we will see that the direct attacks upon the Israelite nation by the enemies of God continued. We find the Canaanite king Arad, the Amorite king Sihon and Og the king of Bashan all mustering their large and powerful armies in battle against God’s people.
And we find Balak the king of Moab employing a prophet to curse the people of God.
God’s people encountered many direct assaults, but through the grace and power of God, the enemies’s mighty armies were defeated and the curses for the nation of Israel were turned into blessings.
B. However, the enemies of God’s people do not give up that easily. And in chapter 25 we find them changing there strategy to a more indirect and subtle approach.
After God had forced Balak king of Moab’s hired prophet Balaam to bless Israel, on his way out of the palace he whispered into the ears of the king a backup plan, a new strategy and it is this new approach to get God’s people to turn their backs on their God that we see unfold in chapter 25 of Numbers.
This new strategy was very cunning and shrewd. It was not a plan to destroy God’s people by mustering a powerful army to attack them nor was it a plan to curse God’s people. No this plan was much more devious and sly than that.
The plan was to be nice to God’s people. To invite them to their parties. To seduce them with their woman and then to have them worship their gods.
And despite the fact that God had forbidden them to do this (worship other Gods and have relations with the Canaanites). We find them in chapter 25 indulging in sexual immorality and worshiping false gods.
What the mighty armies and a hired prophet were unable to do, God’s people did to themselves as they gave into their own lusts.
C. From the moment we accepted Christ as our savior, right from the time we believed, repented and were immersed into Christ and were thereby cleansed from our sins and delivered from the bonds of sin’s slavery. Our enemy (Satan) has been in hot pursuit, he after our conversion immediately mounted his chariot assembled his army and has sought our destruction. His goal, is to turn us back to Egypt, to turn us back to the chains and shackles of sin.
D. At first his strategy will be direct assaults with great force.
I remember when I became a christian at the age of 19, I was in the Navy and one of my roommates went to Judy and said to her don’t worry we’ll get him back.
If your a christian you have no doubt experienced the direct attack of your enemy, and many times these more obvious attacks that attack us straight on, are much more easy to guard against.
E. However, our enemy like the Israelites enemy will not give up that easily. Satan will change his strategy to a more cunning and crafty approach. James the half brother of Jesus describes in great detail that approach.
[James 1:13-15]
Satan knows our weak points, he knows where the kinks in our armor are. Maybe we have a kink in our armor when it comes to such things as: pride, lust, envy, compromise of the truth, jealousy, greed, hate, selfishness, bitterness, slander, or deceit.
He will entice us with our weakness and attempt to get us to fall into the deadly trap of sin. He wants us to turn away from God and turn back to sin.
F. Phinehas (Aaron’s grandson) was in the camp he faced the same temptation from the Moabite woman but Phinehas withstood and did not allow himself to become defeated by them.
We must be like Phinehas and withstand the pull of sin.
II. WE LIKE PHINEHAS MUST WEIGH THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE
A. One has to wonder where were the leaders when these gross acts of sin and immorality were committed against God.
Some were probably involved in the sin that was taking place. We know that Zimri whose father was the tribal leader of the Simeonites was involved in this rebellion against God.
But what about the leaders who were not involved. Where were they? Why don’t we read of them at least making an attempt to stop them from bowing down and worshipping false gods and from engaging in acts of sexual immorality? Where were they when Zimri brought a Moabite woman into his tent.
Where were the rest of God’s people? They too knew that what was going on was nothing other than an out right rebellion against the God who had delivered them from the grasp of Egypt.
Why did the leaders and the people just watch what was going on?
It appears that by their failure to take action that the Nation of Israel was in fact indifferent to what was going on. It is as if they didn’t care enough to act, because if they really did care they would have acted. But it was not important enough for them to take a stand, to take a risk.
B. The majority of God’s people were indifferent to the sin that was all around them. And we have already read in this chapter that this sin did not go unnoticed that there was a high price that had to be paid for this indifference.
When the Lord God saw this rebellion the text says that he burned with anger against them! The Lord commanded Moses to round up kill all the leaders of these rebelling people and then impale them (Hang them on a stake that runs up through their body) in the open for all to see.
Yes there was a great price to pay for their indifference as a plague swept through the camp, killing 24,000 people. Paul in I Corinthians chapter 10 tells us that 23,000 were killed in one day. Can you even imagine the tragic sight and the sorrow that must have engulfed the entire camp.
The leaders were killed and hung out in plain view for all to see ( a testimony the high price of sin and indifference).
And through the camp people were dying by the thousands. And the people and Moses lay helplessly weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
C. Now let’s talk about the indifference of God’s people today. Suppose Peter and Paul were to come to 20th century America. And suppose they were to watch the television shows, listen to the music, watch the movies, read the magazines, read the newspapers, and what if they were to go to an abortion clinic and hear the silent cries of the unborn, and can you envision there reaction as they sit in on massive church meetings (like the one just held in the Church of England) where mere man vote to change the word of God, and suppose they were to see the massive physical and spiritual poverty of the world and of our country.
What thought do you think would be raging in their mind?
I believe it would be, Where were the preachers? Where were the Elders? Where are the Christians? How did this happen? Didn’t they even care what’s going on all around as the world and many so called churches paid homage to false gods.
D. For years the Lord’s church has for the most part been indifferent to what was and is going on in the world. Many have become weak mild mannered wimps, who bellow "who am I to tell someone that what they’re doing is wrong".
Today as we look at our country and as we look at the churches in this country we can easily see the great price that was paid for this prolonged and prevalent indifference.
A baby is killed in the womb every 20 seconds.
Prayer has been removed from school.
God and Jesus have been removed from school.
And have been replaced by condoms and safe sex and humanism.
We see false doctrines being preached in churches.
We see scripturally immoral lifestyles being sanctioned by the modern church.
WE see a Godless world without hope, without direction, that is being sucked into the worldly scum of sex, drugs, violence, greed and hate.
E. When the pull of sin tried to wrap it’s bony fingers of death around Phinehas, He Withstood! He overcame.
And When Phinehas with fire in his heart and tears in his eyes saw the great consequence of the peoples sin as people around him were dying , and as he saw God’s honor being trampled on, being mocked, Phinehas weighed the price and he saw that it was to great.
And he as a faithful soldier of God rose to the occasion picked up a spear and took action as He:
III. WALKED THE PATH OF ZEAL
A. When Phinehas saw the gross and flagrant acts of sexual immorality going on around him, when he saw God’s people bowing down to false Gods, he was angered. And when he saw the son of one of Israelite’s leaders arrogantly and defiantly bring a Midianite women right through the middle of the camp, right before the eyes of Moses and all of Israel, and as he saw him take her into his tent Phinehas’s anger and zeal for God’s honor reached it’s point of eruption. Phinehas bent down and firmly grasped his spear and followed them to their tent. And he went inside and caught them in the act of sexual sin and he drove the spear through both of them and into the ground.
And right at that very moment the plague from God that had killed 24,000 people stopped.
And God spoke to Moses these tremendous words of praise for Phi1nehas. Phinehas.
[25:10-13]
What a incredible statement God made about Phinehas;
"for he was as zealous as I am for my honor!"
Phinehas was as zealous for God’s honor as God himself was.
We too must be like Phinehas and walk the path of zeal.
B. And as we do we will find that the path of Zeal is not always an easy path, and sometimes it is a lonely path.
What Phinehas did no one else had the courage to do. No one cared enough or had enough zeal for God’s Honor to do anything about what was going on.. They just lay there weeping and as Phinehas stood, he stood alone.
Some of the Israelites may have thought who does this little upstart think he is. What right does he have to pass judgment on others. As they lay there cowering too afraid to take a stand.
Phinehas did not do this for himself but for God. He knew, that it was not might that makes right. But rather, it is right that makes might.
C. Let me tell that Today in our country and in the world, the path of zeal for God’s Honor is not easy, and it many times is still a lonely path.
When our forefathers sailed the sea, when they founded this new country and when the framed our constitution, Our God and his Gospel, were in the forefront of their minds. God and his word had a place of honor and his people were respected.
Not so today! God and Jesus Christ no longer have a place of honor in this country. And God’s people are no longer respected.
A saw a perfect example of this on election night right after Governor Clinton had one. A preeminent TV news personality interviewed a well know Christian evangelist about the defeat of President Bush. They were polite to him when he was on the monitor but when the interview was over, they more or less ridiculed his beliefs and the fact that he believes the Christian faith and it’s teachings are still relevant in todays culture.
They said the reason the Republicans lost the election is because it adopted the platform of the "fundamentalists Christian right". Which is no longer relative to mainstream America.
I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but what God thinks and what the Bible says doesn’t mean a thing to most people today. All you have to do is watch Phil Donahue or some other talk show, when they have someone on there show that has a perverted lifestyle (which is about everyday) and listen to the reaction that a person in the audience gets if he or she dares to suggest that God’s word says that this act is wrong.
Friends when you stand up for Christ and his teachings don’t expect the world to applaud. Because they won’t. They will laugh and snare. And they will say who are you to judge others.
No the world want applaud you, you won’t get a your own TV show, you won’t make the cover of people magazine.
But God will applaud you, and God will reward you for defending His honor. He rewarded Phinehas. Wouldn’t it be great to hear God say to us "You are as zealous as I am for my honor".
CONCLUSION
God is waiting for Soldiers to arise today, He is waiting for his people to have the courage to Love God and hate sin.
He is waiting for a modern day Phinehas TO ARISE who will burn with zeal for GOD’s honor, as he sees the sin all around him. Who will bend down and firmly grasp his spear and march to the fight.
He is waiting for someone’s zeal to burn as they see:
an unborn child dies every 20 seconds (He is waiting for someone with the courage and zeal to thrust their spear in the sin and immorality in our world)
as God is mocked, ignored and ridiculed in our country
as false doctrine spreads and as the church caves in to compromise watering down the word.
As the sinful march to justify their sin
As God and prayer in our schools are replaced with condoms.
As NEA uses our tax dollars to fund art that depicts Jesus suspended upside down in a jar of urine.
As pornography destroys our country.
God is waiting, and it is time that SOLDIERS OF CHRIST ARISE.
