This week we read how the Moabites began to seduce Israel. The women of Moabite came to the men of Israel and they invited them to a celebration in which they were tricked into worshipping Baal of Peor. Because of this God became angry. 39 years earlier Israel was on the verge of going into the land. They just heard the audible voice of God and 40 days later they begin to worship the Golden Calf Aaron created. Here the Levites sided with God and killed 3,000 Israelites. Now 39 years later Israel is about to enter the Promised Land. The next generation is tested the same way. They have an opportunity to worship a false god before they enter the Promised Land. Notice how this time it is not the entire community.

Notice how the word gives the location and who defiles themselves.

Numbers 25:1-3
“While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women.”
“These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.”

God then tells Moses to gather the leaders and have them kill the men under their authority. Why Moses is gathering the leaders a man named Zimri brought a Midianite woman named Cozbi into his tent in front of everyone while they were crying out to God. Phinehas who was next in line to be the High Priest took a spear and ran it through both Zimri and Cozbi.

Zimri was the son of Salu a leader from the tribe of Simeon. Zimri means music, to pluck the strings of the instrument it also mean to trim or prune. Salu means weighted or tread down under foot. Simeon means to hear. When we put the names together we see Zimri heard the word of God, he became tread down in the wilderness. He did not prune out what needed to be removed in the wilderness. He heard music and was seduced.

Cozbi was the daughter of Zur a leader of a Midianite Clan. Cozbi means false, fail, be found or made out as a liar. To be in vain. Zur means rock, a cliff. Midianite means brawling contention, contest or quarrel discord, strife. Midian was a son of Abraham. We have a brother who is ready to fight with his brother. He is jealous and full of strife. He has access to the rock yet he falls off the cliff. He trains his daughter to be a liar, a deceiver. She is vain and seduces a son of Jacob.

Phinehas had such a zeal for God that his anger just like Moses’s anger saved the nation. After Moses came down the Mountain he smashed the tablet of the 10 Commandments. The same situation happened 39 years later the people were seduced by other gods and sexual sin. At the moment of breakthrough the enemy showed up to seduce the people away from God. Satan doesn’t do anything new. He uses his same playbook with the same old plays. We are on the verge of getting our Nation back now is the time the Enemy will try to lead you astray. Don’t fall for the enemies tricks. Don’t get angry and say or do something that will cost you. Don’t get manipulated into following the crowd. Stay close to God and follow His Commands. You are so close to breakthrough and the enemy sees it. Keep pushing forward with everything you have. As long as you keep your eyes focused on Jesus and not man you are going to succeed.