Here in this chapter we read of the immorality and idolatry of Israel. Balaam, wanting to gain for himself the sizable financial reward he would get from Balak, instructed Balak how to put a curse on Israel. We could not read this in this chapter but other portions of the Bible tell us that this is so (see Num_31:16; Rev_2:14, 2 Pe 2:15 and Jude 1:11)
His advice apparently went along like this---Balak was to seduce Israel by making them commit immorality and idolatry through sexual relations with women from Moab and Midian.
This Israel did and the Lord's anger was aroused. A plague broke out. The Lord told Moses to kill all who were involved. One Israelite man from the tribe of Simeon, by the name of Zimri, boldly and openly, flaunted his sin by bringing a Midianite women, by the name of Cozbi, into his tent.
When Phinehas, Aaron's grandson, saw all this, he took spear in his hand and went inside the tent and impaled the man and the woman with it. Death penalty was served. As a result, the plague was stopped but 24,000 already died because of it.
God rewarded Phinehas for his zeal for God by promising him that his family would be the chief priestly family in Israel.
Then God commanded Moses to view the Midianites as their enemies and that they should punish them.
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