You Can't Be Cursed, So Don't Conform

The episode of Balaam has proven one thing to Israel - they cannot be cursed. Balaam tried hard to resist God but was stopped and instead followed God and blessed Israel several times.

God's people cannot be cursed by the forces of this world. What a privilege.

However, there is something that Balaam's people do to Israel. More specifically, it is something Israel allows to be done to them. They conform to the sexual promiscuity of Moab.
Numbers 25:1–3 (ESV) While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

This is a sad episode. As Israel is protected by God on the mountain as blessed by Balaam, they follow the foreign gods of the Moabites. Numbers 31 gives us more information:
Numbers 31:16 (NLT) “These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the LORD at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the LORD’s people.

Note that. Balaam could not curse them, but he could mislead them. How interesting to note that the only people that can derail God's people are God's people. In Him we are protected from every other enemy.

Israel's sin here was grave. It would bring God's punishment. But there's something more.

Numbers 25:6–8 (ESV) And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.

In the midst of Israel's sin and God's judgment for these actions a man rises up - Phinehas and declares war on outright sin in the presence of God. He wipes out the rebellious man and his "wife" in one swift stroke. This moment is little talked about but recorded for our understanding of the life of faith. 

The Psalms retell of Phinehas' actions in the same way we hear of Abraham's actions of faith...

Psalm 106:28–31 (ESV) Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; 29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. 30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. 31 And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.

Incredible that Phinehas' actions here would be described the same was as Abraham's. When Abraham believes God for a multitude of descendants, he is "saved" and his faith is counted as righteousness. When Phinehas fights for the purity of God's people it is on par with Abraham's faith in the promise. To live by faith is not simply to believe God's promises but to regard them as precious and worth fighting for. Many Christians want God's blessing by faith, but fail to fight for righteous living by putting to death the misdeeds of the body. 

Why should we want a faith that longs for obedience and holiness? Because obedience and holiness bring peace and longevity. Notice what God says in response to Phinehas:

Numbers 25:11–13 (ESV) “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’ ”

Phinehas line would remain high priest until the exile to Babylon with a small exception during Eli's leadership. What a powerful testimony to faith that fights for God's holiness. May we like Phinehas put to death whatever is of our earthly nature and live long in God's peace.

Amen.