Zeal For God

 

Numbers 25:10

"Then the Lord said to Moses, Phinehas son of Eleazer and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was." (Numbers 25 vs 10, NLT). I use the NLT because other versions of the Bible such the King James Version and The Message Bible uses one particular word, 'Zeal or 'Zealous'. Other versions would use the words 'Envy' or 'Jealousy'. And I will explain why I use the word in a short while. 

Within the context of these verses, the Israelites were encamped near Moab. King Balak asked Balaam to curse the Israelites and he could not according to God's word over them. He could only end up blessing them even more. Therefore, the famous statement arises 'You annot curse what God has blessed', based on Numbers 22 vs 11 and 23 vs 8, ESV (Or any other version that you would prefer). Eventually the people are seduced into sinning against God. At the beginning of chapter 25, the Bible says that some of the Israelites men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with the local Moabite women, thus enticing the anger of God against them. Twenty-four thousand people died by a plague that was the consequence of their sinful act against God.

Only one man dared rise up to turn God's wrath away from them and end the plague. His name was Phinehas - the priest, son of a leader and grandson to Aaron the high priest, part of the Levitical tribe. Phinehas was that kind of A man. He rose to the occasion and he ended the plague. It takes A lot of courage to rise up. But that's what happens when you're  'zealous' as God is. Being 'zealous as God was', has something to do with a bit of measurement. His zeal was just like God's. It wasn't less neither was it more. It can go to the extreme on either side too quickly becoming very dangerous. Too little can mean complacency and too much we become like fanatics. Simply because 'Zeal without knowledge', is dangerous. Phinehas had the right amount of Zeal, "For he was as zealous as God was." Being as zealous as God was allows us to do the right things at the right time.

"Zealous" here means 'To have a strong attraction to something and to act on it.' Are you zealous for God and zealous enough to get the right things done? Not zealous for ourselves but for God. Because we can go to the extreme and say we're zealous for God and His holy name, but yet dishonor Him by fulfilling our own desires.  We can do all these things in the extreme and destroy both ourselves and others. 

Phinehas teaches that we need to be as zealous as God is. And the only way we can do that is through prayer. Today, can we be zealous for God and for the right things? Because if we're truly honest with ourselves - we have the potential to do what's right. But the question remains, are we zealous enough to get it done? And it simply does not matter what other people think or say about the matter. The matter of importance is that we do it for His Glory and not our own or opinions of others’. Be like Phinehas and drive the javelin through the things that cause people to sin and end the plague. 

May their eyes be opened so they can see the God of glory in all his majestic fullness because you were willing to be used by Him. And that is zeal, that we should desire to be used by God to do the right thing.

Are you zealous as God was?

Much Blessings,

Shane.

We sincerely hope you are being blessed.

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