Day 59 · Part 4: The Wilderness
Phinehas
In the Story
In context
At Shittim, in the plains of Moab, men of Israel slept with Moabite women, joined in the sacrifices to their gods, and joined themselves to Baal Peor; Numbers later says this came about “through the counsel of Balaam” (Numbers 25:1–3; 31:16). A plague broke out. When an Israelite leader brought a Midianite woman to his brothers in sight of Moses and the people weeping at the Tent of Meeting, Aaron’s grandson Phinehas killed them both with a spear, and the plague stopped after 24,000 had died (Numbers 25:6–9). It is a hard passage. The Lord gave Phinehas “my covenant of peace,” the promise of an everlasting priesthood (Numbers 25:12–13), and a psalm remembers what he did (Psalm 106:28–31).
Chapter 26 counts Israel a second time, a generation after the first count at Sinai. The total, 601,730 men, is close to the first, 603,550 (Numbers 26:51; 1:46). But not one man from the first count was left except Caleb and Joshua, as the Lord had said at Kadesh (Numbers 26:64–65; 14:29–30). This count was for dividing the land: larger tribes would get more, and the lot would decide where (Numbers 26:53–56).
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas; though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.
Psalms 46:1–3 · Numbers 26 notes that when Korah died, “the sons of Korah didn’t die”; this psalm is one of those titled “By the sons of Korah.”
For families
The second count lists Israel family by family, and it names Moses’ own: his parents, Amram and Jochebed, and their children Aaron, Moses and Miriam (Numbers 26:59). It also names a daughter, Serah of Asher, and five sisters, the daughters of Zelophehad, who are heard from next (Numbers 26:33, 46).
What do you know about your great-grandparents, and who told you?
In the Bible
World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).
Numbers 25
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Numbers 26
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A hymn for today
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing · words by Robert Robinson
- Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;Streams of mercy, never ceasing,Call for songs of loudest praise.Teach me some melodious sonnet,Sung by flaming tongues above;Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,Mount of Thy redeeming love.
- Here I raise mine Ebenezer;Hither by Thy help I'm come;And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,Safely to arrive at home.Jesus sought me when a stranger,Wandering from the fold of God;He, to rescue me from danger,Interposed His precious blood.
- O to grace how great a debtorDaily I'm constrained to be!Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,Bind my wandering heart to Thee.Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,Prone to leave the God I love;Here's my heart, O take and seal it,Seal it for Thy courts above.