Message Notes

YOUTH WORSHIP
6 September 2025
Text: Numbers 25:1-18
Title: “Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace” Numbers 25:12

INTRODUCTION

1. Balaam’s attempts to curse Israel failed spectacularly

2. But the influence of Balaam in other ways was perhaps even more harmful

This was noted in the following comment:

But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:14

a) Balaam had taught Balak

b) How to stumble Israel

i) To eat things sacrificed to idols

ii) To commit sexual immorality

BAAL OF PEOR

1Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”

5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

6 And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

Numbers 25:1-6, 14-15

1. Israel had succumbed to the wiles of Moab

a) Israel was invited to the worship of Baal

b) The people became involved in the worship of Baal

c) Part of the activities involved sexual immorality

2. The anger and judgement of the Lord

a) He addressed the leaders of the nation

b) They were to address the offenders

c) These were to be executed by hanging

d) The leaders functioned as judges

3. The people grieved when the executions took place

a) The people were weeping for the loss of their family members

b) They were grieving that this disaster had taken place

4. Zimri, from the tribe of Simeon

a) He came to the Tabernacle where the people were weeping in grief

b) He had brought his girlfriend, Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader

c) This act was:

i) Insensitive

ii) A blatant disregard of the deep grief of the people

iii) Offensive

iv) Defiant and Shocking

THE CURBING OF THE PLAGUE FROM GOD

6 And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7 Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. 9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.
10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”

Numbers 25:6-13

1. A plague from the Lord struck the people

2. 24,000 people died in this plague

3. The zeal of Phinehas

a) He was the grandson of Aaron

b) His father was then the high priest

c) He slew both Zimri and Cozbi

d) The plague ceased immediately

4. God’s commendation of Phinehas

a) Phinehas had turned God’s wrath away from Israel

b) His zeal was noted and applauded

c) He was given high commendation

i) God gave him “a covenant of peace”

ii) This was an “everlasting priesthood”

iii) This was a reward for his zeal

iv) He had managed to turn away the wrath of God

v) He had made atonement for the children of Israel

THE MIDIANITES

16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 17 “Harass the Midianites, and attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”

Numbers 25:16-18

1. They had harassed Israel

2. They used schemes to entrap Israel

3. They used women to seduce the men of Israel

OUR CHALLENGE

1. To be on guard at all times

2. To reject idolatry and its influences

3. To guard ourselves that we might be able to shepherd the flock well