# Numbers 25 📖: Sin at Peor [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Numbers Overview]] | [[Numbers 24]] | [[Numbers 26]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### Israel’s Sin with the Moabite Women [[#Verse 01.]] When Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab.  [[#Verse 02.]] These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods.  [[#Verse 03.]] When Israel joined themselves to Baal Peor, the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel. ### God’s Punishment [[#Verse 04.]] The Lord said to Moses, “Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the Lord in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.”  [[#Verse 05.]] So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you must execute those of his men who were joined to Baal Peor.” [[#Verse 06.]] Just then one of the Israelites came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the plain view of Moses and of the whole community of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  [[#Verse 07.]] When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up from among the assembly, took a javelin in his hand,  [[#Verse 08.]] and went after the Israelite man into the tent and thrust through the Israelite man and into the woman’s abdomen. So the plague was stopped from the Israelites.  [[#Verse 09.]] Those that died in the plague were 24,000. ### The Aftermath [[#Verse 10.]] The Lord spoke to Moses:  [[#Verse 11.]] “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites, when he manifested such zeal for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in my zeal.  [[#Verse 12.]] Therefore, announce: ‘I am going to give to him my covenant of peace.  [[#Verse 13.]] So it will be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of a permanent priesthood, because he has been zealous for his God, and has made atonement for the Israelites.’” [[#Verse 14.]] Now the name of the Israelite who was stabbed—the one who was stabbed with the Midianite woman—was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of a clan of the Simeonites.  [[#Verse 15.]] The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur. He was a leader over the people of a clan of Midian. [[#Verse 16.]] Then the Lord spoke to Moses:  [[#Verse 17.]] “Bring trouble to the Midianites, and destroy them,  [[#Verse 18.]] because they bring trouble to you by their treachery with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that happened as a result of Peor.” ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Israel was camped at Shittim, across the Jordan from Jericho (25:1). 2. Baal of Peor was a local god worshiped in Moab (25:3). 3. Numbers 31:16 says this sin came from Balaam's advice. 4. Revelation 2:14 refers to Balaam teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before Israel. 5. Zimri was a leader from the tribe of Simeon (25:14). 6. Cozbi was the daughter of Zur, a Midianite leader (25:15). 7. 24,000 died in the plague (25:9). Paul mentions 23,000 falling in one day (1 Corinthians 10:8), likely counting differently. 8. Psalm 106:30-31 says Phinehas' action was credited to him as righteousness. 9. Phinehas later led the delegation to the eastern tribes in Joshua 22:13. 10. Hosea 9:10 still remembers Baal Peor centuries later. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is our covenant of peace. Phinehas turned away God's wrath and received a covenant of peace (25:11-12), but Jesus turned away wrath by bearing it Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Balaam could not curse Israel, but Israel brought judgment on itself through sin (25:1-3; 31:16). What does that teach about where our real danger lies? 2. Sexual sin and idolatry went together at Peor (25:1-2). Why do you think those two so often go hand in hand? 3. Phinehas was zealous for God's honor (25:11). What does healthy zeal for God look like in a believer's life today? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verses 1-3: Israel joins in immorality and the worship of Baal of Peor. - 📖 verse 11: Phinehas turned away God's wrath because he was zealous for His honor. - 📖 verses 12-13: God gives Phinehas a covenant of peace and a lasting priesthood. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Psalm 106#Verse 28.|Psalm 106:28-31]] - Israel joined Baal of Peor and Phinehas intervened. - 🔗 [[1 Corinthians 10#Verse 08.|1 Corinthians 10:8]] - Do not be sexually immoral as some of them were. - 🔗 [[Revelation 02#Verse 14.|Revelation 2:14]] - The teaching of Balaam. - 🔗 [[Malachi 02#Verse 04.|Malachi 2:4-5]] - God's covenant of life and peace with Levi. - 🔗 [[Colossians 01#Verse 20.|Colossians 1:20]] - Peace through the blood of His cross. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 📂 Internal Notes