Here we read that in Shittim, Joshua 2:1 / Joshua 3:1, the men of Israel began to have sexual relations with the Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods, Numbers 25:1-2.
Notice The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods, Numbers 25:2. This was to be a problem for Israel for many years to come, hence why God warned them about this very thing, Exodus 34:12-16 / Deuteronomy 7:1-6.
As it is in most cases, one sin leads to another, here we find that the Moabite women led them to worship and sacrifice to foreign gods, the Baal of Peor, Numbers 25:3 / Numbers 23:28.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The joining to Baal-Peor, mentioned here, was probably what St. Paul had in view when he said, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And this joining, though done even in a matrimonial way, was nevertheless fornication, Revelation 2:14, as no marriage between an Israelite and a Midianite could be legitimate, according to the law of God. See the propositions at the close of the preceding chapter.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘By taking part in the sacrificial meals as described in the last verse, Exodus 34:15 / 1 Corinthians 10:18. The worship of Baal was attended with the grossest impurity, and indeed partly consisted in it, Hosea 4:14 / Hosea 9:10.’
Baal was the Canaanite fertility god, and the worship of Baal was a constant temptation for Israel, Hosea 4:14 / Hosea 9:10. Baalam prophesied from the high places of Baal, Numbers 22:41. It does appear that Balaam played some part in this moral destruction of Israel in that he counselled both the Israelite men and Moabite women to commit fornication, Numbers 31:16 / Revelation 2:14. Remember, after meeting with King Balak of Moab, Balaam prophesied over Israel four times but as he spoke forth God’s word, he didn’t curse Israel, instead, he blessed them each time.
When he was unsuccessful in cursing Israel, Balaam advised Balak on how to bring Israel under a curse. Instead of trying to have a prophet curse Israel, he should lead them into fornication and idolatry and then God would curse a disobedient Israel. Balak did just that, sending his young women into the camp of Israel to lead Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry.
Balaam was guilty of the greatest of sins, deliberately leading others into sin. Worse yet, he did it for money. Greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, the greedy error of Balaam was that he was willing to compromise everything for money, 2 Peter 2:15-16. The certain men Jude warned about had the same heart, Jude 11.
It’s no wonder the LORD’s anger burned against them, Numbers 25:3. We read how serious this matter was before God, the leaders of the people were held responsible by God and as a result, they were hanged first, Numbers 25:4. Moses is to take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel, Numbers 25:4.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Many scholars agree that the mode of execution here is not certainly known. Many believe that the exposure of the bodies in the sun was merely to advertise the penalty and not for the purpose of causing death, that being inflicted before the impaling.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This would be done by impaling the body or fastening it to a cross, Deuteronomy 21:23 / 2 Samuel 21:9.’
Moses tells the Israel’s judges that each of them must put to death, those of their people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, Numbers 25:5 / Numbers 25:3. The second action that had to be taken was to rid the nation of those who had committed the sin, and so, the judges executed those who had had sexual relations with the Moabite women and worshipped the Baal of Peor.
Here we read that an Israelite man, blatantly walked into camp with a Midianite woman while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting, Numbers 25:6 / Numbers 25:15. This woman was brought into the camp even while supplications were being made to stop the plague that was ravaging through Israel.
Phinehas in the righteous indignation Phinehas was moved to take immediate action. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand, and followed the Israelite into the tent and drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach, Numbers 25:7-8, whose names are Zimri and Kozbi, Numbers 25:14-15.
Because of the people’s sin, God did curse Israel, He brought a plague of judgment upon Israel that killed 24,000, Numbers 25:8-9 /Exodus 32:35, but judgment would come upon Balaam later, Numbers 31:7-8.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning the number who died.
‘St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 10:8, reckons only twenty-three thousand; though some MSS. and versions, particularly the latter Syriac and the Armenian, have twenty-four thousand, with the Hebrew text. Allowing the 24,000 to be the genuine reading, and none of the Hebrew MSS. exhibit any various reading here, the two places may be reconciled thus, 1,000 men were slain in consequence of the examination instituted Numbers 25:4, and 23,000 in consequence of the orders given Numbers 25:5, making 24,000 in the whole. St. Paul probably refers only to the latter number.’
God tells Moses that Phinehas son of Eleazar, has turned His anger away from the Israelites and since he was as zealous for God’s honour among them as God is, God did not put an end to them in His zeal, Numbers 25:10-11 Leviticus 1:4 / Psalms 106:30.
Phinehas and his descendants were rewarded with a covenant of peace, Numbers 25:12 / Psalms 106:30-31 / Ephesians 2:14, and a lasting priesthood in Israel, Numbers 25:13. The names of the two killed by Phineas are given in Numbers 25:14-15.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning Phinehas.
‘He therefore risked his own life by dealing according to their deserts with two influential and defiant evil-doers; and his act, done in the face of Moses and the people, and for them, was accepted by God as a national atonement; and rewarded by the people, compare the leadership assigned to him in Numbers 31:6 / Joshua 22:13.’
God tells Moses to treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them, Numbers 25:16-17. It appears that deception was part of the problem in reference to Israel’s sin with the Midianites, Numbers 25:18. It’s possible that the Midianites took advantage of Israel’s innocence.
Notice, however, that although the Israelites were innocently deceived, they were still held responsible for their sin, Numbers 25:18. The Midianites paid the price for the sin in that God judged them using the Israelite army, Numbers 31:1-20.