John Calvin Commentary Numbers 25
John Calvin Commentary
Numbers 25
John Calvin Commentary
Numbers 25
"And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab:" — Numbers 25:1 (ASV)
And Israel abode in Shittim. From this narrative we learn certainly that the people were no more able to bear prosperity than adversity. Previously, whether worn out by fatigue or made impatient by abstinence and famine, they had often rebelled against God. Now, having entered a habitable land and resting in the midst of fruitful fields, they were incited by their more comfortable dwellings and pleasant way of life to lasciviousness and the indulgence of filthy lusts.
Moses relates how, when they had given way to their lust, they fell at the same time into whoredom and idolatry. We will soon see that this arose from Balaam’s counsel: that the Moabites should prostitute their women to the Israelites to entice them with their enticements to unholy worship.
Balaam had learned by experience that God’s favor was an invincible safeguard, protecting the people from all injury. He therefore devised a plan by which they might destroy themselves, not only by depriving themselves of God’s protection but also by provoking His wrath against them. By this device, then, Balaam stirred up the fire that impelled these poor wretches, inflamed by blind lechery, to another crime by which they might arouse God’s hostility against themselves.
Consequently, Paul, referring to this history, informs us that the punishment, which will be mentioned shortly, was inflicted upon them for fornication (1 Corinthians 10:8). For although it was God’s design to avenge the violation of His worship, it is still fitting to examine the origin and source of the evil.
Just as, if a drunken man kills a person, the murder will be imputed to his drunkenness, so Paul, seeing the Israelites impelled by fornication to idolatry, presents the punishment to us as a warning to deter us from fornication. This sin was the primary cause of their punishment and the means of their corruption.
Since, then, the fall from one sin to another is so easy, let us therefore learn to be more watchful, so that Satan does not entangle us in his snares. Let us also observe that he creeps up on us by degrees to entrap us.
The Moabite young women did not immediately ask the Israelites to worship their idols. Instead, they first invited them to their banquets, thus tempting them to idolatry. For if idol worship had been mentioned at first, perhaps the Israelites would have shuddered at the heinousness of the crime, to which they allowed themselves to be gradually deceived.
Now, to be present at a feast celebrated in honor of false gods was a kind of indirect renunciation of the true God. And when they had been attracted this far, they threw aside all shame and abandoned themselves to that extreme act by which they transferred the honor due only to the one true God to false and imaginary deities.
"And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel." — Numbers 25:3 (ASV)
And Israel joined himself to Baal-peor. Moses amplifies their crime with this expression, stating that they bound themselves to the idol in an impious alliance; and thus he alludes to that holy union by which God had connected Himself with the people, and accuses them of broken faith and wicked rebellion.
Nevertheless, it is probable that the people were not driven by superstition but were enticed by the deceptions of the women to offer worship to idols they despised. Yet we are told how God declared that they were “joined” to the idol, which they merely pretended to worship to comply with the ungodly wishes of the women.
Therefore, this general instruction may be gathered: when we turn aside from pure religion, we, in a manner, connect ourselves with idols, so as to coalesce into one body with them and conspire to renounce the true God.
Baal was then the general name of almost all idols, but an epithet is added to the idol of the Moabites, taken from Mount Peor. Nor does it appear that we need to search for any other etymology, since the name of this mountain has recently been mentioned. It was on the same principle as in Popery, when they name their Marys after particular places,183 where the most famous statues are worshipped.
183 “Comme qui diroit nostre Dame de Laurette, ou de Boulogne, ou de Cleri;” as one might say, our Lady of Loretto, or Bologna, or Cleri. — Fr.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel." — Numbers 25:4 (ASV)
And the Lord said to Moses. We have often seen before how God executed His judgments by His own hand, as if He put it forth from heaven; He now imposes this office on Moses, although it is evident from the context that he was not appointed to execute it alone, but that the other judges were associated with him. For it immediately follows that Moses entrusted the same charge to them, and thus, what was obscure, on account of the brevity with which it is recorded, is more clearly expressed. At any rate, it was a notable judgment of God Himself, though He employed men as its ministers. Nor does Paul in vain exhort184 us by this example to beware of fornication.
The mode of the punishment, however, was diverse, for the lower orders were slain (by pestilence), but the leaders were hanged on the gallows, so that the sight might awaken more terror. For by “the heads of the people” he means those of the highest repute, whose ignominy must have been most notable, because the eyes of all men are generally upon the great and noble. Hence, they also deservedly incur the heavier punishment, because obscure persons do less harm by their example, nor are their acts so generally the objects of imitation. Let, therefore, those who are held in esteem beware that they do not provoke others to sin by their evil deeds, for, in proportion to each man’s pre-eminence, the less excuse he deserves. Others interpret it differently, as if Moses were commanded to fetch the princes to give their sentence against the criminals; thus by the pronoun “them” they understood whosoever should be convicted. But it is hardly probable that so great a multitude were hanged, and therefore I do not doubt that reference is made to their peculiar punishment.
184 “Les Corinthiens.” — Fr..
"And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting." — Numbers 25:6 (ASV)
And, behold, one of the children of Israel came. Moses here relates a case that was foul and detestable beyond others. There is no doubt that many, in the midst of such gross licentiousness that had now generally prevailed for some time, had filled the camp with various scandalous offenses; but there was something peculiarly enormous in the atrocity of this act, because this impious despiser of God wantonly insulted both God and men amid the tears and lamentations of all, as if he were triumphing over all shame and modesty.
The multitude were weeping before the tabernacle, that is to say, all the pious who trembled at the thought of approaching calamity, because they were fully persuaded that this licentiousness, accompanied by idolatry and sacrilege, would not go unpunished. Meanwhile, this abandoned man rushes forward and, in mockery of their tears, leads his harlot in procession, as it were.
No wonder, therefore, that God should have exercised such severity when things had come to this extremity. But it must be observed that the order of the history is inverted, because it is not credible that, after the Judges had begun to perform their office, such an iniquity would be committed. But this narrative is inserted in this way so that it may be more apparent how necessary it was to proceed speedily to severe chastisement, because otherwise it would have been impossible to apply a remedy in time to so desperate an evil.
"And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand;" — Numbers 25:7 (ASV)
And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar. The courage of Phinehas is celebrated. While the others were hesitating, he, inflamed with holy zeal, hurried forward to inflict punishment. The reluctance of others is therefore implicitly condemned, though their tears were praiseworthy. However, since they were almost stupefied by grief, their virtue was not entirely free from defect. And certainly, while the still unrestrained licentiousness of the people was raging like a tempestuous sea, it is no wonder that the minds of the good were completely or partially paralyzed.
Phinehas’s zeal was all the more remarkable because he did not hesitate to confront so many worthless and wicked people, enraged by their lust.
If anyone objects that he transgressed the limits of his calling when he seized the sword—with which God had not armed him—to inflict capital punishment, the reply is clear: our calling is not always confined to its ordinary duties, since God sometimes requires new and unusual actions from His servants. As a priest, it was not Phinehas’s role to punish crime. Instead, he was called by the special inspiration of God, so that, acting as a private individual, he had the Holy Spirit as his guide.
Indeed, these circumstances should not be taken as an example from which a general rule can be established. However, God preserves His sovereign right to specially appoint His servants to act on His behalf as He sees fit. God’s judgment on this case can be clearly inferred from His approval. Therefore, we may rightly argue that Phinehas was guided by Him, since God immediately declared His pleasure with the act, as is also stated in Psalm 106:30-31.
Now, if any private individual, in misguided zeal, should take it upon himself to punish a similar crime, he will boast in vain that he is an imitator of Phinehas, unless he is thoroughly assured of God's command. Therefore, let us always remember Christ's answer, by which He restrained His disciples when they, like Elijah, wanted to pray for fire from heaven to destroy those who had not received them: You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. (Luke 9:54–55). Therefore, for our zeal to be approved by God, it must be tempered by spiritual prudence and directed by His authority. In short, the Holy Spirit must lead and dictate what is right.
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