day no. 14,588: while others laid down, he stood up

Numbers 25
Balaam figured out if he couldn't curse Israel with his words, he could get God to curse them by cooking the books. The wiles of devliish worldliness always look for a way to work around God's Word. So he introduced a fly into the ointment in the form of Midianite women. After one thing inevitably led to another, Israel found themselves not only marrying Midianite people, but worshiping Midianite gods. God's charge to Moses was clear: whoever does this deserves to die!

And yet the practice went on to the point that sinners were emboldened in their debauchery to the point that a particular man swaggered through the camp in broad daylight, in the presence of all people, with a Midianite by his side. It was then that the jealousy of the Lord overcame Phinehas. He was consumed by zeal for the Lord's Name. And he did what no one was willing to do, what God had commanded to be done. He left the congregation of the mourning. While everyone else in Israel was laying down, he stood up. While some laid with Midianites, others laid down in grief. But he, alone, stood up. 

And how did God respond to this violent outburst? With reward. Phinehas inherited a covenant of peace. His violent zeal for God's purity produced peace between God and man. His stand begat salvation. The plague of God ended because the zeal of Phinehas began. Years later, a better Phinehas, would secure a covenant of peace between God and man. He would obtain the salvation of many by his violent death. His zeal would lead him to be pierced for our transgressions and by His stripes we would be healed.

Psalm 106:28-30

They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; 

they aroused the LORD’s anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked.

Isaiah 53:5
He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.