Daily EncouragementSample

These words were written about Phinehas the priest and refer to his zeal in slaying an Israelite man and a Midianite woman whom the man had brought into his tent. The incident occurred when “Israel joined in worshipping the Baal of Peor” and the Israelite men “began to indulge in immorality with the Moabite women” (Num. 25:1-3, 31:16).

Phinehas is commended for his zeal - which drove him to deal with sin boldly, publicly and convincingly. Others were grieved about the situation, but this man took action.

There are situations in the church today which call for men of Phinehas’ kind. As then, so now, standards of sexual morality are often in jeopardy. It was the same in Corinth, where nothing was being done about a particular grave offence (1 Cor. 5:1 ff). How subtly the world’s standards invade the house of God. Phinehas need not fear to take his stand today, if the motive for his zeal is “the honour of his God,” because he will be in fellowship with the One who made a whip out of cords and cleansed the temple courts. It was written of him, “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:15-17).