Whatever happened at the Tent of Meeting, it was wrong. Here is the way the New Revised Standard translates Numbers 25:6.
Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman into his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
Ronald Allen translates this verse as follows: “A certain Israelite man brought a Midianite woman to the tent of God, right in front of Moses and all the congregation of Israel. They were sporting at the tent of meeting.”
You need to watch today’s YouTube video to understand Rudy Ross’s take on the passage. He has a different view from Ronald Allen.
Honestly, I’m not sure what to think of Allen’s interpretation, but I’m curious enough to look into it briefly.
Allen thinks this might be the most outrageous act of apostasy ever mentioned in the Old Testament.
Rudy agrees with the NIV and NRSV translations that they were “weeping” at the entrance to the tent of meeting. This suggests that it was Moses and the Israelite congregation who were weeping at the entrance to the holy area.
This translation suggests that Moses and the righteous people of Israel were weeping and begging God for forgiveness because the people had betrayed Him and joined themselves to the false god Baal.
Ronald Allen thinks the couple engaged in a sexual act similar to Baal worship, but they did it at the entrance of God’s holy tent. Instead of doing it before an image of Baal, they did it in front of the holy place of Yahweh.
Syncretism
We find out the names of the couple causing trouble for God’s people.
The name of the slain Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, head of an ancestral house belonging to the Simeonites.
The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the head of a clan, an ancestral house in Midian (Numbers 25:14-15).
The woman was a Midianite. She might have been the high priestess of the Baal Peor religion. If that’s true, Phinehas’ actions make a lot of sense. Before we turn to Phinehas, let’s consider the issue of syncretism.
Whether you look at the translation and interpretation of the NRSV or Ronald Allen’s, syncretism was happening in Moab. God’s people, who were supposed to be fully loyal to Him, mixed their worship with that of the pagan deity Baal.
The issue of syncretism will be a common theme in our study of the Old Testament. Sadly, it’s still relevant today.
For instance, Christian nationalism tries to mix faith in Christ with loyalty to a nation. This happens in both the United States and Russia. Christian nationalism blends these two parts of life.
Christianity can mix with sports, too. A friend of mine, who worked at a church in New Orleans, shared that churches would adjust their schedules depending on when the New Orleans Saints had a game.
Christianity can mix with pop culture. Sometimes, when celebrities attend churches, they get special treatment. I read about a church in New York City that had a roped-off VIP section. I wonder what James would say about that (see James 2).
You might not agree with my list of how we mix worshiping the Lord with today’s culture. I just ask you to take a moment to think about how you might be tempted to blend your faith in the Lord with the world system that rules our culture.
Judgment and Deliverance
In Moab, the mixing of religions led to God’s judgment, which came as a plague.
When Phineas saw a couple near the tent of meeting engaged in inappropriate behavior, he acted swiftly. He pierced them both with a spear.
God recognized his faith and stopped the plague on the people.
When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up and left the congregation.
Taking a spear in his hand, 8 he went after the Israelite man into the tent and pierced the two of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. So the plague was stopped among the Israelites.
Nevertheless those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand (Numbers 25:7-9).
If this seems extreme, let’s remember what Jesus said about adultery and the problem of lust, with lust being the beginning of adultery.
“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell”
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell (Matthew 5:29-30).
Jesus spoke to his disciples about the attitude of those who were members of His kingdom. Just like you shouldn’t mix faith in God with pagan beliefs, your heart shouldn’t be both a home for God and full of lust.
It’s important to take these matters seriously.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 