the ruminations of aaron eberline

How many times will the Israelites disobey and challenge God? How many times will I disobey and challenge God? In Numbers 25 Israel again disobeys God. They played the harlot with the daughters of Moab. God called on the people to be set apart and not give into the pagan and sinful ways of the surrounding people. It is all too easy for out lustful desires to turn into outright idol worship. God’s anger was again kindled against the people and all the men who joined themselves in worshiping Baal would be put to death. I love the contrast that we see in how Phinehas the son of Eleazar saw a man an woman openly sinning in front of the Tabernacle. He took a spear and killed them both and in doing so he turned God’s wrath away. When I am faced with sinful desires in my own life do I eagerly attack it or instead do I sit and attempt to reason with sin? It is more difficult to stand apart from the sinful ways of society but God will notice when you make a stand for Him just as He noticed Phinehas and gave him a covenant of peace for him and his descendants.

The time of wandering has come to an end for the people of Israel. Numbers 26 has another census taken and the number of men able to go to war was 601,730. Prior to wandering in the wilderness for forty years there were 603,500 men able to go to war. There is only 1770 less men after wandering for forty years. That is amazing. God was faithful to preserve the people in the wilderness. The census was taken because the promised land will be divided in the coming chapters in Numbers.

I am more amazed about how faithful God was to the people of Israel even though they were many times obstinate, headstrong, and turning away. I am so often a man who is prone to stray from what god would have me do. Lord help me to see how faithful you have been. Let me never forget where I have come from and all that Jesus Christ has done.