Pinchas
Numbers 25:10 - 30:1
Haftorah
Jer. 1:1 -2:3
This Torah
portion is named for Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron. He is a highly esteemed
figure in Judaism and for good reason. Some
Jewish commentators liken him unto Elijah whom the book of Malachi says will
bring peace to
Israel
as a forerunner of Messiah. Pinchas
displays great qualities - qualities that are necessary if we are going to
fulfill the calling of God in our lives. First he displays what I call Sacred
Idealism. He did not settle for
things they way they were but acted out in the way things ought to be.
In the narrative, the men of
Israel
have “attached themselves” to a foreign deity and are having sexual
relations with Midanite women. One leader of
Israel
has gone so far as to have relations with a
Midianite woman right in front of Moses!!
It seems from the text that the leadership of
Israel
has resigned itself to this
idolatry - after all no one in leadership did anything about this heinous act!
It was Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron who acted. He would not settle for this
idolatry. Pinchas killed this Israelite leader and midianite woman, averting a
plague on all of
Israel
. He is commended for this act because he displayed the zeal of the Lord. He was jealous for the things of God. He was a
zealot who did not act on a whim or simply on emotion but rather according to
the revealed will of God. He displayed courage
in taking action. He not only believed that action should be taken but he rose
to the occasion, putting his
reputation and very life on the line for what he valued.
Yeshua is a perfect illustration of these qualities. He did not settle
for the way things were. He died for our sins and rose from the dead! He
displayed zeal and courage in is act of sacrifice for our sins.
If we are going to finish well, we must not settle into a
pragmatic way of serving God but rather display zeal and courage and act in
accordance with what we know to be right. In the text we see that Pinchas held
three important values that caused him to act the way he did. First, he valued
the covenant relationship with God. He could not sit by and see the covenant
violated. Second, he valued the community. His act averted a plague which would
have been catastrophic to
Israel
. In other words, his act of faithfulness to God was beneficial to the
community. Thirdly, he valued the land. His valiant act preserved the vision of
entering the land. So in the same
way, we must exhibit a sacred
idealism, zeal and courage in preserving what we value - the covenant with God,
the community and the
land
of
Israel
. May we serve God in such a way
that we exhibit godly character, be beneficial to the community and
help to bring the peace of God to the
land
of
Israel
.
Today’s Haftorah portion is the narrative of the call of
Jeremiah. In this passage, Jeremiah complains that he is too young to assume the
role of prophet. However, God tells him "Do
not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all
that I command you, you shall speak. "Do not be afraid of them, For I am
with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. (Jer.1:7-8) This is a
reminder to us that regardless of our age, size, or status in life, God is
looking for available people like Pinchas to stand up for what is right.
He will protect and defend us. Lewt
us move forward and serve God with confidence! Shabbat Shalom!