Instant Judgment
The nation of Israel has a problem with sexual immorality. Some of their men are involved with Moabite women, indulging themselves sexually with these foreigners, something the law of Moses prohibits.
Then these women entice the men to worship with them and offer sacrifices to Baal instead of God.
God is not pleased. Moses orders the execution of each man who has strayed.
During all this, another man brings a Midianite woman into camp and into his tent. Her name is Kozbi.
We don’t know if he thinks this is okay because she is a Midianite and not a Moabite. Perhaps he wants to make a point or maybe he isn’t thinking at all.
We also don’t know if Kozbi is aware of the situation. What we do know is that this man flaunts his sexual relationship with a foreign woman, a liaison God forbids and for which many other men have just died.
Phinehas, the priest, takes judgment into his hands in the form of a spear. Going into the tent, he drives the shaft all the way through the man and into Kozbi. This appeases God’s wrath.
While Kozbi may have instigated this, it’s more likely she is merely a naïve woman who ends up in the wrong place. But she pays for her ignorance with her life.
Being unaware is no excuse for doing wrong. There will still be consequences for our actions.
What must we do to guard ourselves from sexual immorality?
If we intentionally sin, do we rely on God’s mercy or fear his judgment?
[Read about Kozbi in Numbers 25:6–18. Discover more in Numbers 25:1–5.]
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More Old Testament Sinners and Saints is part of the Bible Character Sketches series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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