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This week’s parasha is entitled Pinchas meaning (Phinehas). Pinchas is also translated as “dark skin”. Our Torah portion covers Numbers 25:10- 30:1

Adonai gives Moses instructions about Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, grandson of Aaron, great nephew of Moses and also the nephew of Nadab and Abihu, whom Adonai killed in the sanctuary for dishonoring Him with false worship.

In order to understand these instructions, we need to remember that failing to be able to curse Israel, Balaam gave the Moabites and Midianites direction on how to provoke the Lord’s anger against his people.

The advice of Balaam was more devastating to Israel than any attack of the enemy nations.

While Israel was camped at Shittim, the last campsite they would have before crossing over the Jordan into the land of milk and honey, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the Moabite and Midianite woman, who invited them to sacrifice to their gods.

Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor and the anger of Adonai, the only true God who is worthy of all worship – His anger burned hot against them.

Adonai commanded Moses to take the leaders of these sinful people and have them killed in broad daylight before the people,

so that Adonai’s fierce anger would turn away from Israel and atonement could be made for their sins.

Moses and all the elders of Israel were gathered together at the entrance of the tabernacle, when an Israeli man brought a Midianite woman into the camp.

He did this in full view where Moses and all the leaders could see. The people were weeping, because of a divine judgment and punishment that Adonai had placed on Israel for the sins of sexual immorality with the Moabite and the Midianite women, and for worshiping and bowing down to their false gods.

When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, saw this Jewish man bring a Midianite woman into the camp, Phinehas got his spear and followed this man with the woman into the tent.

There he pushed the spear through both of their bodies.

When wicked human beings are killed, a kind of atonement is made.

At that time there was divine judgment and punishment in the form of a plague that was upon the Israeli people, but when Phinehas killed these two people, the plague was stopped. A total of 24,000 people died from that plague.

Phinehas had shown the zeal of the destroyer, and it proved also to be the zeal of the preserver. Because of this zealous and righteous act, the Lord made an agreement with him, that he and all of his family who lived after him will always be priests.

Israel had been destined to wander in the wilderness for forty years because of their lack of faith. They were not allowed to enter into the land of Canaan because of the report that the spies had brought back with the exception of two, Joshua and Caleb.

Adonai promised that none of that generation would be allowed to cross the Jordan, only their children would be allowed to enter into the land of Canaan. It is interesting to note that this plague which just killed 24,000 people, was the tool used to wipe out the last of that faithless generation.

It could be said that Phinehas was the representative, the voice, the heart and the spirit of the generation that the Lord God would allow to enter into His blessed land.

It is sobering when we compare the similarities and contrasts between Phinehas and Messiah. Phinehas stood up for the righteousness of God, and in doing so delivered Israel from the plague. Yeshua, condemned sin by His own death, and through death destroyed the power of death, and delivered us all from the wrath of God.

Because of his zeal, Phinehas received God’s covenant of peace, and the promise of an everlasting priesthood. Because of His zeal for God, Yeshua became our peace and was made a priest forever after the order of Malkee-tzedek.

Sin and death prevented Phinehas and his descendants from functioning as priests forever, but Yeshua is sinless and eternal He forever is our high priest.

The old generation had died off except for Moses, Caleb and Joshua and very soon, Moses would die.

Israel was making a new beginning. It was now time to take a census of the new generation, which is found in Chapter 26.

 

Moses had two purposes in mind when he took the second census. Like with the first census, Moses needed to know how many men were twenty years and older who could serve in the military.

The second purpose for the census was to get an idea of how much land each tribe would need when Israel settled down in Canaan and claimed their inheritance.

The first census had revealed a total of 603,550 available soldiers, while the second census totaled 601,730, a slight decrease.

When you consider that every man had now been replaced who had died during the previous thirty-eight years, except for only 1,820 men, this total is remarkable.

Just as God had multiplied His people during their years of suffering in Egypt, so He had sustained them during their years of traveling in the wilderness.

In chapter 27, special note is taken of the five daughters of

Zelophehad because their father died without sons.

These daughters went to Moses and Eleazar the high priest, who with Joshua and the tribal leaders oversaw the allotments of land to the tribes.

These five women claimed and received their portion within the territory of Manasseh. This is significant, for it shows a concern for the rights of women at a time when most societies regarded them as mere property.

God reaffirmed that Moses would not enter the land of Canaan, although he was allowed to see it from Mt. Nebo, across from Jericho.

Moses, being the wise and faithful leader that he was, wisely used the time he had left. He prayed for a new leader for the nation of Israel, ordaining Joshua, giving the final laws to Israel, destroying Midian as God had commanded, settling some in the newly conquered lands east of Jordan.

He made preparations for others to enter the promise land. He also repeated many of the laws to the new generation, giving Israel his last words, counsels, laws, prophecies, warnings, blessings, and his last song.

I would like to summarize this Torah portion with one word, “honor”. Phinehas is commended for honoring the Lord. Many Israelis were killed for dishonoring the Lord.

Even Moses was forbidden to enter into the land of promise because he did not honor Adonai. That new generation was being taught to honor the one true God who alone is worthy.

Are we honoring the Lord our God in the way that He is worthy of being honored?

Are we Honoring our Father the way Phinehas did?

We would do well to remember that, the spirit and the wickedness of Balaam is still in the earth.

We have leaders “today” who are deliberately putting this nation on a collision course with the wrath of God.

There are many areas in this life where the voice and zealousness of a Phinehas could, and should, be heard and seen.

We were created to honor and glorify our Lord; we would do well to pray for zeal and boldness and in doing that.

Imagine standing at the throne of judgment and hearing Yeshua say well done, well done my good and faithful servant.