Daily Devotion | Book Chapter: 25:1–20 | 2026 June 05

Title: Daily Devotion | Book Chapter: 25:1–20 | Date

Scripture: Numbers 25:1–20 (ESV, reference only)

Date: 2026 June 05

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

Greetings, dear brothers and sisters. Peace be with you. We thank God for His grace that brings us to a new day and allows us to study our Daily Devotion. Today, our passage comes from Numbers chapter 25. Let us pray. We thank You for placing such events before us as a warning. Lord, You truly know the weakness of our hearts. We ask Your mercy and compassion, that we may not walk in the path of sin. In the name of Christ, Amen.

Now, we continue examining Numbers chapter 25. In chapters 23 and 24, we observed that God, through the false prophet Balaam, spoke true prophecies, foretelling a glorious future for Israel. They would be courageous, take possession of the land, and have the strength of wild oxen; no power could withstand their rise. Among them, a king would arise who would unify the world. Although somewhat obscure, the prophecy’s meaning is relatively clear. However, in chapter 25, we encounter trouble — a story of failure. In Israel’s history, it is common to see both moments of glory and moments of falling. This pattern recurs throughout Scripture. For example, in Exodus 31, Moses ascends the mountain to receive God’s instructions on the tabernacle. By chapter 32, Israel falls into sin, worshipping the golden calf. Again, the pattern emerges: moments of glory followed by failure. Similarly, when the tabernacle is first established and filled with the cloud of God’s glory, Nadab and Abihu are struck down. Or when Israel is about to enter Canaan, the spies bring a negative report, and Korah’s rebellion occurs. Such events regularly happen in Israel — on one hand, God’s promises and power; on the other, human corruption. This pattern resembles our own condition. In Christ, we have a glorious future, yet we remain weak, loving the world, and prone to fall. We pray for God’s mercy, that He may confront us with the reality of the world and prevent our weakness and downfall.

Concerning the events of chapter 25, as discussed yesterday, they arose due to Balaam’s counsel. Balaam understood clearly that if Israel remained holy, they would be invincible; no one could resist them. But if Israel were enticed into sin, led into idolatry, God’s anger would fall upon them, and God Himself would strike them down. This was Balaam’s cunning plan. He advised Balak, and at Shittim — their last stop before entering the plains east of the Jordan, opposite Jericho on the west side — Israel sinned. They engaged in sexual immorality with Moabite women, offered sacrifices to their gods, and ate of their offerings, bowing down to their gods.

What kind of scheme was this? In Baal worship, as brothers and sisters, you must remember, there were these revelries — events we must be cautious of and avoid in Christ. Such revelries typically involve idolatry. Israel did not go to worship false gods out of curiosity; rather, the Moabite women exercised seduction. Israel, though bound by the law — observing monogamy during the forty years in the wilderness — faced great temptation. Consequently, a large number of Israelites were drawn into idolatry, bowing down to these gods. In response, God spoke to Moses, instructing that all the leaders of the people be hung before the sun, so that His anger toward Israel could be appeased.

In verse 5, Moses instructed the judges of Israel to execute those joined to Baal-peor. Note the difference between God’s command and Moses’ execution of it. Some commentaries overlook this issue. God instructed that all the leaders be hung — that is, put to death — but Moses modified the command, executing only those who sinned with Baal-peor. This modification, in fact, contributed to the continuation of the plague. Here, I believe Moses displayed spiritual weakness. He was unable to fully carry out God’s command because it seemed unreasonable: the leaders, representing the people, might not have sinned, yet God’s command called for their death. Moses felt uneasy and decided to execute only the guilty, which led to the plague continuing.

So, at this point, Moses’ weakness becomes evident. He did not fully obey God’s direct command, which required executing the leaders. Instead, he applied human judgment, deciding to kill only those who had actually sinned. This reveals two different approaches to responsibility: one holds the leaders accountable for failing to watch over their people; the other holds the individual accountable for their own sin. In Moses’ adjustment, the guilty were punished, but the representative principle intended by God — that the leaders bear responsibility for the people's sin — was not fully applied. God’s original intent pointed toward a representative principle, ultimately fulfilled in Christ, the true High Priest.

Verse 6 tells us that people were weeping; many had already died from the plague. Yet at this point, a man named Zimri brought a Midianite woman openly into the Israelite camp. This was a direct violation of the law, as foreigners were not to enter the camp, which was to remain pure. Zimri, full of lust, publicly engaged in immorality. Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the priest, followed after him, and according to the Hebrew text, he entered the tent during the act. The result: Phinehas killed both of them, and the plague was stopped. Here, we see who found favor: it was not Moses, but Phinehas. God told Moses in verse 10 that Phinehas’ action turned away His wrath from Israel. Phinehas acted zealously for God, executing judgment against the two sinners, and thus the plague ceased.

Phinehas’ heart was zealous for God, and he acted to redeem Israel from sin. God promised him a covenant of peace, granting him and his descendants a perpetual priesthood because of his zeal for God and his action to atone for Israel. This event is peculiar. The plague came because of Israel’s sin; Phinehas’ intervention stopped it. Previously, the pattern involved Aaron standing among the dead and living with a censer, or Moses praying for the people, and the plague stopped. In all these patterns, we can see a pointer to Christ: Jesus intercedes for us, offering Himself, and His intercession appeases God’s wrath.

Yet, Phinehas’ action, killing the two sinners, was not true atonement. Real redemption comes through the High Priest, Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. The deaths of Zimri and the Midianite woman, Cozbi, only removed immediate sin in the camp, but the ultimate solution and reconciliation came through Christ on the cross. Thus, verse 4’s instruction to hang the leaders foreshadows Christ: the leaders represent Israel’s sin, and their judgment points forward to the cross, where Christ bears the sins of the people. Phinehas’ zeal stops the immediate plague, but the true peace covenant is fulfilled in Christ.

Phinehas’ hatred of sin, his refusal to tolerate evil, allowed the plague to cease. However, the ultimate redemption points to Jesus Christ on the cross, who offered Himself as the eternal High Priest, taking upon Himself the sins and transgressions of all Israel. This is the profound story of redemption. The deaths of Zimri and Cozbi can be traced back to Eden: Adam and Eve were guilty and deserved death, yet the Lamb took their place. Here, these two individuals indeed died, but God’s wrath was ultimately satisfied through the representative act, pointing to Christ. The leaders, representing Israel, bear sin on the cross; when they do, darkness covered the land, reflecting the cosmic impact of Christ’s crucifixion. Thus, these Old Testament events illuminate Christ’s redemptive work, and we are reminded to give thanks that God has not condemned us, but through Him, eternal salvation is available.

Our reflection today ends here. Thank you all for listening.