Zeal

     This Sabbath reading portion, Pinchas, was a challenge, but what secrets it held! What is it saying to us, and how are we to apply the lesson to our walk of faith?

     Last week, we read about Balaam and King Balak. The king hired the soothsayer Balaam to curse the multitude of Israelites who had encamped next to his nation. Balaam refused to speak anything other than what the LORD told him to speak. However, scripture also tells us that Balaam advised King Balak on how to destroy the Israelites from within by sending Moabite/Midianite women to seduce and eventually separate the men of Israel from God. This plot is revealed to us when Moses angrily confronted the captains of the armies of Israelites after they returned from defeating the Midianites: "And Moses said to them: 'Have you kept all the women alive? Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor (see below), and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD." (Num. 31:15-16). This Sabbath reading portion is titled Pinchas, or "Phinehas", a grandson of Aaron the priest, whose name means "mouth of brass", but we will look further into the meaning of his name later. 

     The story of Pinchas/Phinehas begins in Numbers 25: "Now Israel remained in Shittim (also meaning Acacia Grove/Grove of scourging thorns), and the people began to commit harlotry (zana - whoredom, commit fornication, great whore [see Rev. 17:1-6], cult prostitute, commit adultery or idolatry, go whoring after) with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined (samad - to bind, join, fasten, attach oneself, to be bound to, to serve) to Ba'al Peor (Ba'al peor/pa'ar - "lord of the gap", Moabite deity worshipped with licentious rites, mountain peak and cleft in Moab/to open wide, to gape, to open the mouth like ravenous beasts, of Hades), and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel." (v. 1-3).

     One of the Hebrew meanings shown above associated with Ba'al of Peor is to gape open the mouth like a ravenous beast. Psalm 22, is a prophetic Psalm depicting the crucifixion of Messiah/Christ. It was written by Daivd approximately one thousand years before the birth of Christ. It contains the verses: "Many bulls (par/parar - bull, bullock, fierce, breaking forth with wild strength, ferocity/break, make utterly void, shatter, break asunder, dissolve, divide, make ineffectual, to violate, defeat, destroy, make of none effect, break covenant) have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan (area of fertility and fruitfulness) have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion." (v. 12-13). Also, the Canaanite false god Ba'al is often shown in the form of a bull.

     The prophet Isaiah also describes Hell/Sheol/the place of death as enlarging and opening its mouth in order to receive people: "Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself and opened its mouth beyond measure." (Isa. 5:14). 

     As we can see from the Hebrew meanings above, this would be a great abomination in the eyes of the LORD as the LORD watched His people attaching themselves to this ancient and evil spirit of destruction. It is an ancient evil that denies Messiah/Christ and attempts to rob people of covenant with God and salvation. It is of antichrist. We associate the term "antichrist" with a single person, and a future apocalypse. The apostle John also associates this term with a spirit: "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist (antichristos - the adversary/opponent of the Messiah/Christ, a most pestilent being) is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us...but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us." (1 Jn. 2:18-19). According to John, the antichrists were within the believers of Christ but were not really a part of the believers, just as those who were seduced to worship Ba'al in this Sabbath reading portion came out of God's covenant people but were never part of them, or chose to cease their covenant with God. Perhaps, like Ba'al, antichrists, seek fertile spiritual soil in which to reproduce. The church by its calling and purpose is to be very fruitful. God help us not to be a place used by evil to reproduce its fruit.

     As we read that this abomination took place while God's people were encamped in Shittim (see meaning above), it became like the "scourging thorns" that were used to crown Jesus in mockery before He was crucified. There is something going on here that is very serious as we continue to look at the Hebrew language and letters. The LORD said to Moses: "Take all the leaders of the people and hang (yaqa',yaqa' - hang, alienated, be out of joint [see Ps. 22:14-15], to be dislocated, to execute slowly, to impale, to abandon [see Ps. 22:1, Mt. 27:45-46]) the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.' So Moses said to the judges of Israel, 'Every one of you kill his men who were joined (see samad above) to Ba'al of Peor." (Num. 25:4-5).

     This may seem harsh and extreme to some and difficult to understand, but let's keep reading the account in Numbers 25 about Pinchas/Phinehas to see what truly is at stake here.

     All of Israel was weeping at the door of the tabernacle because of this terrible thing that was happening when an Israelite man presented (qarab - enter into, draw near, bring near, join, approach, of conjugal intercourse) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-a-Midianite-woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel." (v. 6). Not only did the man bring the woman into the congregation but also did so before the door of the tabernacle! The Midianite woman is designated as being associated with the Messiah/Christ by the written aleph-tav preceding, but instead, she is one of the women that the enemy king Balak used to commit abomination and to corrupt the worship and relationship of the Israelites with God. We see this again in the Book of Revelation when the Lord Jesus rebukes His church for holding "the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block (skandalon - any person or thing by which one is entrapped into error and sin, the movable stick of trigger of a trap that has been set) before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality." (Rev. 2:14). 

     When Pinchas/Phinehas saw what the man had done by bringing the Midianite woman before the people and the tabernacle, he rose and took a javelin in his hand; "and he went after the man of Israel into the tent (quba/qabab - large vaulted tent, princely tent, bedchamber/to utter a curse against, curse, to malign, to pierce, to perforate, to stab with words) and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body/belly (qoba/qabab - stomach, belly, abdomen/to curse, utter a curse against, to malign, to pierce, to perforate, to stab with words). So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died were twenty-four thousand." (v. 7-9). The javelin likely passed through the woman's womb or reproductive area. 

     The tent that the man and woman ran into has the meaning of "a princely tent". These two people are later identified as the son and daughter of leaders of their people. The man, Zimri ("my music", celebrated in song/praise, sing forth, sing psalms), was the son of the head of the Israelite tribe of Simeon (meaning "to hear, accept and obey diligently"), and the woman, Cozbi ("my lie", false, lying/be a liar, deceive, disappointing as water that is quickly drying up), was the daughter of the head of a father's house among the Midianites/Moabites. (see v. 14-15). So "the song of praises to God" were being joined to "the liar, the deceiver". The tent mentioned here was also a "large vaulted tent" or "bedchamber" according to the Hebrew meaning. This is perhaps also a resemblance to the womb, which has a vaulted shape within a woman's body.

     God's covenant people Israel carried the Seed and were purposed to bring forth Messiah/Christ for the whole world. They were extremely fruitful and multiplied in number, even while slaves in Egypt. The church of believers in Messiah/Christ, both Jew and Gentile, have been given the purpose by Jesus of bearing abundant fruit as well (see Jn. 15:4-8), and being the good soil in which the Seed of the Word of God may prosper and multiply (see Lk. 8:11-15, Mt. 13:23).

     The bellies of God's people are to pour forth "rivers of living water". (see Jn. 7:37-39). The Midianite woman's belly, however, would pour forth curses against God and His people instead. Again, in Revelation, Jesus rebukes a church which has allowed a woman whom He calls Jezebel (meaning "Baal exalts", "Baal is husband", "unchaste") within it. This woman calls herself a prophetess, "to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and she did not repent...I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works." (Rev. 2:20-23). Again we see the idea of a spiritual evil (antichrist, Ba'al) using the princely, vaulted chamber (see quba/qabab above) of the fertility and fruitfulness of the church in order to reproduce itself, having "children". 

     The Lord destroys the adders' nests of eggs (see Isa. 59:3-5), and condemns vipers, as He called the religious leaders of His day, who kept the people from salvation, and made sons of Hell (Mt. 23:15). This is a Messiah/Christ who will fight against the demons of Hell and their nests of reproduction, in order to protect His sheep - just as David reached into the mouths of lions to rescue the lamb of his flock. David told King Saul: "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine (referring to Goliath) will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. (1 Sam. 17:34-36). 

     The LORD said of Pinchas/Phinehas: "Phinehas....has turned back (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-My-wrath from the children of Israel, because He was zealous (qana - jealous, provoked to jealous anger, burning with zeal) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-with/for- My-zeal/sake among them, so that I did not consume (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for His God, and made atonement (kapar - atonement, purge, reconciliation, pardon, forgive, merciful, cleansed) for the children of Israel." (Num. 25:10-13). 

     The zeal that Phinehas had for the LORD became an atonement for Israel. It took zeal in the heart of only one man to spare all of the children of Israel. The Hebrew letters that make up the name Pinchas (Phinehas) are pe, nun, cheth, samek. The meanings of the individual letters when joined together can mean: "The mouth of strength that protects (and supports) with a dividing arrow the sprouting seed of the Heir to the Throne." We are also told to have zeal for our faith. Jesus commanded His church: "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I chasten. Therefore be zealous (zeloo/zelos - zealously affect, desire, covet earnestly, be zealous in pursuit of good, to strive after, to have warmth of feeling/fervent mind, fervent of spirit, having an ardor for) and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3:18-20).

     The apostles also wrote to the church of having zealousness for the Lord Jesus, and for their saving faith in Him. (see Gal. 4:18-19, Titus 2:11-15, Jude 1:3). Apostle Paul wrote: "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good...not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit (see zeloo/zelos above) serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." (Rom. 12:9-14, excerpt).

     We have not been given a javelin to hurl at people, as was the case with Pinchas/Phinehas, who was a shadow and type, because the weapons of our warfare are not natural/carnal, but spiritual and our warfare is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places. However, we have been given the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. The Word of God became flesh as Messiah/Christ Jesus (see Jn. 1:14). Jesus has already won the victory for us (see Col. 2:13-15, 1 Cor. 15:54-57) and is in us. He has been given to us for us to desire and to covet earnestly, fervently, and with great ardor (see zeloo/zelos above). The fruitfulness of the church of believers is not carnal or fleshly either (see Gal. 5:19-21), but of the Spirit of God, sent to us by Jesus. Those fruits of the Spirit of God are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering/patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Gal. 5:22-25, see also Rom. 12:9-14 quoted above). 

     If you would like to learn more about having zealousness in this present age, you can pray with me: "Blessed Father, You have given me Your Son, Jesus, to dwell in me and I in Him. He is the sprouting Seed of salvation, the Heir to the Throne to the Kingdom of God. You, Father, have made me a joint-heir with Messiah/Christ, to abide in the vine of Christ in order to bear abundant fruit for Your Kingdom. Father, help me to zealously protect, support that Seed of Christ, as Phinehas did, and to reproduce it, bearing the fruits of Your Spirit, and not the fruit of flesh and corruption. Forgive me, Lord, when I have given way to spirits of corruption and cursing, and have given them entrance into Your holy courts. Let Your rivers of living water flow out of me instead. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

I would also like to recommend for additional reading and entry from the Mending The Breach blog, written by The Berean, titled The Blood Moon Bride. 

Fathers

Jesus made this shocking statement to a group of people who believed in Him: "You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of it." (Jn. 8:44). Jesus discerned that these "believers" had been deeply angered to the point that they wanted to kill Him (v. 37) because of what He had told them earlier when He said: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (eleutheroo/eleutheros - make free (from dominion of sin), to liberate, deliver/cease to be a slave, exempt from liability)." (v. 31-32). These believers in Christ took great pride and assurance in the fact that their forefather was Abraham, and, because of that, they were already "free". The words of Jesus had offended what they considered to be their spiritual identity and inheritance. However, Jesus pointed out to them that Abraham, whom they claimed as a father, prophetically saw the Day of Christ, and rejoiced in it (v. 56-58). Therefore, they were not of their father, Abraham. As Jesus had correctly discerned their hearts, these "believers", when they heard His words, took up stones to stone Him to death, but He passed through them unharmed (v. 59). In another portion of scripture, Jesus had to rebuke His disciples, and say to them: "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of..." (Lk. 9:51-56). To Peter, Jesus had to issue this rebuke: "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." (Mk. 8:31-33). The father of pride is not Abraham, nor is it God (Prov. 11:2, Prov. 16:5, 18-19), and it's a problem to all people, including believers. Pride is the self-exaltation of the (deceitful) heart (Jer. 17:9-10). In last week's Sabbath study, the father of the evil spirit of devastation and annihilation was revealed. The "father" of this evil was named after a little twittering sparrow, small when compared to the awesome power that God exercised to protect His people's salvation. God continues to reveal the "father" behind an enemy in an account from this week's Sabbath reading portion titled "Pinchas" (also known as Phinehas, and means "mouth of brass, serpent, mouth of the image of a serpent") from Numbers chapters 25 through 27. The Israelites in the wilderness (B'midbar) were about to learn another devastating, but necessary lesson about a powerful spiritual father, who was not God. Balaam, the soothsayer, had been hired by King Balak of Moab, to curse the people of God in order to make them vulnerable for defeat. However, Balaam could not speak the words of cursing, because God prevented him, and placed the Word of blessing in his mouth instead. However, Balaam advised the enemy king that the people of God could be ruined by the seduction of Moabite women, who would lead them away from God, and into the worship of the Canaanite demon god, Ba'al. Our reading portion begins with the success of this strategy: "Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove/Shittim (ebony bark with black thorns that exude gum Arabic/pierce, scourge, to flog, whip), and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined (samad - bind, join, fasten, attach oneself to, combine) to Ba'al Pe'or ("lord of the gap"/open wide, gaping), and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel." (Num. 25:1-3). In the worship of this Moabite god, the women worshippers would prostitute themselves. This results in that perverse "joining" that is created to the false god referred to in the above verses. Many of these Canaanite gods demanded worship in the form of both male or female prostitutes, and sexual perversion. In contrast, God honorably, lovingly, faithfully and sacredly married Israel to Himself, and in the same manner, Christ honorably, lovingly, faithfully, and sacredly married Himself to His Bride, the believers. The spirits of darkness try to twist and profane the holiest things of God, including the concept of joining by holy marriage. The fact that the Israelites were encamped in the Acacia Grove, with its Hebrew meaning, is significant. We are reminded of the prophecy of the scourging of Jesus the Messiah from Isaiah 53: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities,; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are (were) healed." (see also 1 Peter 2:24). We can see the connection between the piercing, scourging stripes of Jesus and our healing. The "scourge" meaning is associated with the Acacia Tree of thorns, as well as the production of gum Arabia, a water-soluble fiber that is found to prevent and treat dietary tract cancers, as well as other cancers. This black thorny tree produces a healing substance. Gum Arabic also has preservative properties, so the ancient Egyptians used it in the embalming of mummies. While in this healing place of thorns, as the people engaged in this terrible "joining" with the women of Moab in the worship of Ba'al, the only way to break that joining was death. Moses ordered the deaths of all of those who were joined in this manner to Ba'al Peor (v. 5). The congregation of Israel were weeping at the door of the tabernacle in sorrow, when one of the Israelite men presented, in the middle of the congregation, a Midianite woman to whom he was joined: "Now when Phinehas (Pinchas) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin (lance, spear) in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both (sana - meaning includes change, alter, pervert, disguise) of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body/belly (qoba/qabab - abdomen, private parts/curse, execrate [meaning revile, condemn, loathe, regard with disgust, revulsion], pierce, perforate). So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died in the plague (magepa/nagap - plague, slaughter/beaten, stumble, stricken, smitten) were twenty-four thousand." (v. 6-9). The LORD said of Phinehas that he showed the zealousness of God for His people. The LORD then bestowed upon Phinehas His promise of a covenant of peace, and an everlasting priesthood for the descendants of Phinehas, because, through the zealousness of God, Phinehas made atonement for the children of Israel and prevented their total destruction. (v. 10-13). We can see the atonement work of Christ here also in the Hebrew meaning of the word "plague". Christ was beaten, stricken, and smitten for our sakes to atone for the plague we deserved (Isa. 53:4,6, Jn. 19:3, Lk. 22:63-64). This sounds like a merciless, violent action, but the breakout of the zeal of God, through Phinehas, was for His people, not against them. Twenty-four thousand, at least, had joined themselves to Ba'al, a hideous, perverse god, a spirit who still exists today, luxuriating in human perversion, idolatry, and the blood of human sacrifices, especially the blood of children, born and unborn. These Israelites were the people of God from whom the Messiah would come, Whose seed and presence they already carried, the Savior Who would provide salvation to the world, breaking the curse of death, atoning for sins, and giving the eternal life of His Father, God, to all who would receive it. The plans of the enemy to pervert and destroy Israel could not be allowed to succeed. God had made a covenant promise to their forefathers, and He would not break it. So who were these two individuals, the Israelite and the Moabite-Midianite woman, who defied God and Moses in front of the whole congregation, and continued in their perverse worship of a demon god? The man's name was Zimri (Zimri/zamar - "my music", celebrated in song/make music, praise, psalms/to trim a vine). His father was Salu (elevation, lifted up, weighed in the balance scale) who was a prince (nasi/nasa - lifted up, vapors which ascend/carry, bear, exalt, rise up, forgive, lift up) of a father's house of the tribe of Simeon (Simeon/sama - hearing with acceptance/hear, obey, understand, perceive, obedient, declare, cause to be heard). This Israelite, Zimri, who was gifted in sacred music including psalms, was born a prince's son. His father was a prince of exaltation, forgiveness and rising. Zimri's father's house was the chief house of the tribe of Simeon, who carried an appointed purpose of hearing (God), obeying and preaching or declaring. No wonder the spiritual enemy was determined to destroy the son of this father's house. The Midianite (meaning "strife. contention"/rule, subjugate, contend, brawling discord/lord, master, ruler, controller) woman was named Cozbi/kazab (meaning "my lie", liar/proven to be a liar). Her father represented a very powerful spiritual enemy. Her father's name was Zur/sauar/sur (meaning "rock"/strength, beauty, mighty one, strong rock of heathen gods/besiege, distress, adversary, assault, shut in, foe). He was "head (ab - father, founder) of the people (em - like father) of a father's house in Midian." (Num. 25:14). This father was not like the "little tweeting, hopping sparrow father" that we saw in the previous Sabbath reading. This father, Zur, the adversary, represented a rock of strength and assault. As the father of Cozbi, the Midianite woman here, and considering the Hebrew meaning of her name, Zur was "the father of proven lies". Jesus told us who this "father of lies" was, above. This father represented Satan, himself (see 1 Peter 5:8-11). As we saw in the account with Jesus above, this father had the ability to lie to even believers in Christ through their weaknesses, in that case murderous pride, of their sinful nature. Peter wrote that we were to take this threat of the devil seriously, be vigilant, and resist the devil, and the God of all grace, glory and dominion would perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us (build us up on His foundation). In the wilderness, the Israelites learned a hard lesson about this father of lies, but as we saw with the little twittering and hopping sparrow father of last week, the plans and purpose of our heavenly Father for His people will not be defeated. After this Ba'al debacle was resolved, the Israelites were numbered again in Numbers Ch. 26. The (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega - see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, 22:13)) sum of the males old enough to go to war, was to be done "by their father's houses". (Num. 26:2). By this second numbering, the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land would be divided and "...they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers." (v. 55). Here are some of the meanings of the names of those in this second census who were heads of households within their tribes: Nemuel: "Day of God", Jachin: "the right hand", Shaul: "Dawning and rising of light", Areli: "the lion of God, the son of a hero", Jashub: "He will return", Jahleel: "hoping, expectant of God", Asriel: "Vow/Prince of God". These were just some of the heads of households among the tribes of the fathers of Israel. These heads of households reflected the heavenly Father and His Son in their names. This is the prophetic purpose of the godly names that travelled through the wilderness and inherited the Promised Land. Some time later, the father of Cozbi/lies, Zur, the prince of those like him, would lose his life, along with the soothsayer Balaam and four other princes of Midian. The Israelites, by the command of Moses, and with the presence of Phinehas, "with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand", killed them with the sword (Num. 31:6-8). Sadly, but perhaps not too unexpectedly, the Israelites took the Midianite women alive as captives from this victory. Moses, however, dealt with that situation very quickly! That is a study for another day. If you would like to learn more about our Father, Who is God, you can pray with me: "Our dear heavenly Father of all creation, Your Word does not return to You void, but accomplishes all that You have set it out to do, without exception, especially regarding Your people. There is none other like You. I love You as my good Father, and I love Your Son, Jesus. Keep me, and Your people, in Your Father's heart by the Holy Spirit, and by Your Word of truth that You are teaching me. Let my ears hear, and my heart obey, what You, my Father, are instructing me so that I never stray from my Father's house. You have made me a "son/daughter of God" through Your blessed Son, Jesus, so that I can dwell forever with my heavenly Father. I praise and thank You in Jesus' name for all of these marvelous things. AMEN."