Justin Houtz

Numbers 25, 1 Corinthians 9

DateVersionReading Plan
May 22, 2025ESV (2016)OT/NT Plan 2025 – 2027

Numbers 25

Observation & Interpretation

While living in Shittim, the people of Israel began to whore with the daughters of Moab, yoking themselves to the daughters and to the their god, Baal of Peor (Num. 25:1-2). This is first mention of the god Baal in the Old Testament and “Although Balaam’s name is not mentioned in this chapter, we learn in Numbers 31:16 that he was responsible for the terrible corruption of the children of Israel that is described here. All of Balak’s rewards could not induce Balaam to curse Israel, but they finally did persuade him to corrupt Israel by causing some of the people to commit harlotry and idolatry with the women of Moab.” (CSB Notes). This angered the LORD who told the judges of Israel to kill the men who had yoked themselves to Baal of Peor (Num. 25:5).

It is recorded that one of the men of Israel brought a Midianite woman to his family in the sight of Moses and the congregation while they were weeping in front of the entrance of the tent of meeting (Num. 25:6). When Phinehas saw it, he speared the and woman to death and stopped the plague on the people of Israel (Num. 25:7-8). The number of people who died in the plague was twenty-four thousand (Num. 25:9). There is no specific mention of the plague’s beginning, but is hinted in Num. 25:3.

The LORD gave Phinehas His covenant of peace—which would be to him a covenant of perpetual priesthood—because he was jealous for his God in killing the man and the Midianite woman, making atonement for the people of Israel (Num. 25:10-13). The names of both the man who took the Midianite woman and the woman herself are specified in Num. 25:14-15: Zimri and Cozbi, respectively. Zimri was the son of Zalu, chief of a father’s house belonged to the Simeonites and Cozbi was the daughter Zur, tribal head of a father’s house in Midian.

The LORD told Moses to harass the Midianites and strike them down because they had harassed them with their wiles and beguiled them in the matter of Peor and Cozbi who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor (Num. 25:16-18)

Application

By their worship of Baal, the people had yoked themselves to this false idol. According to the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, a yoke is “the wooden bar that allowed two (or more) draft animals to be coupled so that they might effectively work together (Nm 19:2; 1 Kgs 19:19; Jb 1:3).” Worship goes beyond an expression made toward the object of worship but there is a binding to it as well. Whether worship is conducted rightly—yoking ourselves in faith to the true God of all creation—or of idols, we become bound to that which we worship. To be yoked to anything other than Christ will incur His wrath and enmity with our God. Only when we turn from worthless idols to seek exclusive worship of God in Christ will there be blessings immeasurable.

1 Corinthians 9

Observation & Interpretation

In 1 Cor. 9:19-23, Paul expressed his willingness to do everything necessary to win more to Christ. “No one could exercise jurisdiction or compulsion over him. Yet he brought himself under bondage to all people in order that he might win the more. If he could make a concession without sacrificing divine truth he would do it in order to win souls to Christ.” (BBC).

Application

How much Paul’s sentiment should be for us as well, willing to embrace discomfort and hardship for the sake of the gospel. The choice to take your cross and follow Christ involves forgoing your own well-being to be His agent in the upbuilding of faith in others. Our hearts are not naturally set on this, sinfully focused on self and reticent to give up a life of ease and favor instead one of struggle and difficulty. Only by the quickening of His Spirit are we given eyes to see such that self-sacrifice is worth it and follow in the suffering of our beloved Savior who made the greatest sacrifice of all.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, how wonderful it is that You have made a way to be restored to You through our union with Your Son. Father, help me to remain close to You, yoked to You as a joyful slave of righteousness. Father, by Your Spirit, help me to jettison all that is needed, to live in complete dedication to Your gospel in order that others may see Your glory.

Resources