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Phinehas Attained God's Justice

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[Numbers 25:12~13]

Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him.He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites. 

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The Israelites camped in the wilderness of Moab.

Balak, king of Moab, fearing Israel who has entered their land, plans a plot to curse Israel.

He tried to curse Israel four times through Balaam, a false prophet.

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Whenever Balaam tried to curse Israel, God stopped him from doing it.

Instead of a curse, God made him bless Israel.

In the end, God made a prediction that Israel would destroy Moab through Balaam.

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Balaam, whose curse against Israel was blocked by God, did not give up.

He tried to destroy Israel by devising an evil trick.

It was what brought the Israelites into the sin of idolatry.

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Following Balaam's trick, the Moabite women seduced the Israelite men.

Enticed by the women of Moab, Israeli men followed them to a place called Beor.

There, they fell into the sin of idolatry to join the Baal sacrifice.

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They broke the two commandments that God hated most.

The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before* me”,

The second commandment, “You shall not bow down to idols or worship them,” is violated.

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The sin of worshiping idols is a great crime that leads to death.

God was very angry with the Israelites.

God caused a terrible plague to spread to all Israel because of this sin. So many people died.

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This plague was God's judgment against idolatry.

God spoke to Moses, the leader of all Israel.

“Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” [Numbers 25:4]

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Moses did not do what God said.

Instead, he gathered in front of the tent of meeting with the people and prayed to stop the terrible illness. But God did not answer their prayers. The terrible disease has not gone away.

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There was a man who ignored God's word in a situation where the Israelites asked God for forgiveness of their sins. The man took a foreign woman to where he was staying.

He still committed the sin of continuing to do what God hates.

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Aaron's grandson Phinehas, who saw this sight, couldn't stand it.

He took a spear in his hand and followed him into the house he had entered.

Phinehas speared and killed those who were sinning before God.

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When Phinehas killed the people, a terrible disease from God disappeared from Israel.

When Phinehas saw the judgment of the Israelites for their sins, God forgiven all the Israelites.

Phinehas judged evil sins on behalf of God.

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The man who was killed by Phinehas committed sinlessly when the whole congregation was repenting before God because of the great sin of idolatry.

As a priest of God, Phinehas couldn't keep seeing such evils silently.

Phinehas, as God's priest, steadfastly disposed of iniquity for all Israel.

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Jehovah God said to Phinehas who did this. “I am making my covenant of peace with him.

He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.“ [Numbers 25:12~13]

Phinehas, who showed proper zeal for God, received God's blessed promise.

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Balaam, who was a false prophet, went on a path that rebelled against God's will despite hearing

the word of God. But Phinehas did God's will as a priest in charge of God's word.

Balaam soon died under God's judgment, but Phinehas lived in the eternal and

blessed promise God gave him.

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God is rich in love.

As an expression of that love, He saved us by sending our only son, Jesus, to this earth.

But God is a just judge for sin. He is the one who punishes everyone fairly for sin.

Today, we too, like Phinehas, should become people of faith who do what God considers right.

Remember that it is a blessed life like God's people, and I hope you will be all your friends who

live by faith.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)