An Invitation to Bow

"For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel." Numbers 25:2-3

Not long after the Lord protected the Israelites from Balak’s order for Balaam to curse them, the Israelites were invited by the Midianites to sacrifice to their gods. The Israelites then joined themselves to Baal of Peor by sacrificing, eating, and bowing down to Midianite gods. The Lord became angry against Israel.

The Israelites’ sinful behavior was not one of ignorance. Many of the Israelites that remained were children when the Ten Commandments were given and all of the Israelites were aware of the covenant between the Lord and the children of Israel. Now, the Israelites were joining themselves with the Midianites, as in the form of a covenant because they were engaging in the rituals, sacrifices, and behavior of the Midianite people to their Midianite gods.

Consequently, the Lord pronounced judgment on the Israelites for unfaithfully joining themselves to the Midianites. In contrast, we are shown the zeal of Eleazar’s son and Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas, who executed the Lord’s judgment on Zimri the Simeonite, one of the sons of Israel, who presented Cozbi, the daughter of Zur who was a Midianite leader, in the sight of Moses and the assembly of the sons of Israel. The Lord gave a specific judgment towards the Israelites that Phinehas enforced, which was unique to that time period. Because of Phinehas’s passion for the Lord, the Lord turned away His wrath, which resulted in the death of 24,000.

Each day, we are presented with invitations to sin by bowing and joining ourselves to the things that are against the Lord’s will. We are also presented opportunities to remain zealous for the Lord by rejecting sin and not bowing to sin. If you are a follower of Christ, you are joined to our heavenly Father. Remain faithful to Him by refusing to bow to the invitation to sin against Him. Be zealous in your love for Him by seeking Him, loving Him, and sharing the love of Christ and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are daily accepting the invitation to bow to sin.