Soldiers Of Christ Arise

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.