Eleven Characteristics of Sin from Numbers 25

The Horrible Context: vv. 1-6

Follows the Exodus where God brings his people out of slavery in Egypt. The heart of God’s covenant with Israel is “I am the Lord your God who brought you out.” Then the commandments to not have any other gods, to bow down before them, or to serve them.

In the chapters leading up to Numbers 25 Israel traveled through Moab.

Israel began to whore. Not a word you use in polite company. A graphic description by God of the spiritual adultery of his people. The physical immorality is a symptom of a spiritual desertion of God.

“So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor”

At the very time God was protecting them, they were whoring themselves with false gods.

“And the anger of the Lord was kindle against Israel.”

God pronounces a death sentence on all who are participating in this treason: vv. 4,5

This holy God who has been right in the midst of protecting his people turns to find them whoring with other gods.

1. Sin is moral in nature, transgressing what is right. It is a negation of what is right. What is good and right is for Israel to worship this one true God, yet rather than do what is right, they denied this God.
a. Our culture has reduced moral standards to autonomy – what is right to me.
b. We can observe this culturally in our music. In the Psalms David responds to his sin in Psalm 51: “Against you, and you only have I sinned.” Fast forward to Frank Sinatra: “I did it my way.” An R&B group who sings, “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”
2. Sin is personal in nature. It is against God himself.
3. This treason is an apostasy. It is a turning away from God. In the culture if people admit sin at all, it isn’;t against any one at all, it’s a matter of our own personal lives, detatched from anything or anyone. This passage makes it clear that our sin does land somewhere; it lands clearly in the sight of a holy God who has pledged he will not look upon sin, and is committed to judging sin. Our sin is an offense against God. This incites God’s anger
4. Our sin is treasonous in nature. It rebels against the rule and love of God.
5. Sin is dangerous. It provokes the wrath of an omnipotent God. Hebrews 10:26-31

Do our neighbors and loved ones understand that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God? Do we engage them in conversation on the treasonous nature of their sin?

Sin is so treasonous, God pronounces a death penalty against it.

The Heightened Conflict: vv. 7-9

In the first six verses God has been correcting the apostasy of his people. While the congregation is gathered, an Israelite man appears with a Midianite woman, seemingly oblivious to what’s going on: “He does this in the sight of Moses, in the sight of the entire congregation, while they are weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.”

“The whores are creeping while the people are weeping.”

This is a brazen affront to God, as he pursues his adultery in the midst of the congregation.

In vv. 7 and 8 Phineas, the priest, kills the man and woman with a spear, presumably in the act of adultery.

The reaction of sin is weeping and thrusting: weeping over the sin, thrusting the sinner.

1. Sin is contempt toward God. This man acts this way right in the sight of everyone. Most people don’t believe that sin is contempt toward God. We say, “It was a mistake. I messed up.” Sin manifests itself as not thinking about God. Genesis 3; James 4
2. Sin poisons our sympathy so that we side with the sinner in his sin before we side with God in his holiness.
3. Sin works our ruin as God puts down our rebellion: Psalm 34:16; Romans 1:18
4. Sin should cause weeping before God, because it is an offense before God and because it works our ruin in the judgment God. Psalm 34:18

The Honorable Commendation: vv. 10-13

Phineas is commended by God and God is commended in his righteous judgment against sin.

1. Because sin is treason, sin requires discipline and correction. God corrects those whom he loves, so that we may participate in his holiness. You cannot develop holiness of character in a pinch, while sin is sweeping you away.
2. Sin requires atonement.

The Harrowing Condemnation: vv. 14-18

In spite of God’s judgment, some maintain their rebellion against God.