08/13/2008
Numbers 25:1 - 4 (HCSB) 1While Israel was staying in Acacia Grove, the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab. 2The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods. 3So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor, and the LORD’s anger burned against Israel. 4The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD so that His burning anger may turn away from Israel.”
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Archeologists tell us that the wealthy Romans would season their food with lead shavings. Lead has a sweet, metallic flavor, but as you know, ingesting it – especially over time – can cause irreversible nerve damage. It causes nervous disorders ranging from depression and anxiety to death. It is presumed that this practice contributed to the eventual fall of Rome.
Israel found itself in a similar situation, that is, Israel was dabbling in the practice of pagan deities. Baal of Poer was a fertility god and was worshiped by eating and having sex. Before long, a significant portion of the Israelites were involved in this practice.
God commanded Israel to overtake the land of Canaan, to utterly destroy its inhabitants – and not to have any social contact with them prior to this objective. It is easy for us to look at this and think God is being rather harsh to the seemingly innocent Canaanites. But we must remember that God would use one nation to punish another.
The reason Canaan was to be destroyed was because of its pagan practices – such as worshiping Baal. There were people of God around. The knowledge of God was not absent. Remember Baalam the Prophet? Therefore, we need to remember that the Canaanite people had spiraled into decadence and Pagan worship and God was going to use Israel to destroy them.
Unfortunately, though, the Israelites were just like us. Their curiosity and human desires led them into intermingling and intermarrying the people they were supposed to destroy. This led to a punishment on Israel itself.
The Romans thought that a little lead in their food would be pleasing – indeed, they were unaware of its dangers. The Israelites thought that dabbling with Pagan cultures would bring no harm – they too, were unaware of the dangers.
We must remember to hold to the commands of God, for there are dangers of which we are unaware.
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
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