Num 25:10-18 And the LORD said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’” The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father’s house belonging to the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father’s house in Midian. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Harass the Midianites and strike them down, for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.”
Phinehas was passionate about the things God was passionate about. In this situation, Phinehas faithfully demonstrated the zeal of God against Israel’s unfaithfulness to their covenant with God. Zimri the son of Salu…. Cozbi the daughter of Zur: These were the names of the previously unnamed (Numbers 25:6, 8) Israelite man and Moabite woman who so publicly and offensively sinned. This naming was to their everlasting shame. Both of them came from fathers who were leaders.
God commanded Israel to show no tolerance towards the Midianites, who played a role in seducing Israel to these sins of immorality and idolatry. Israel was commanded to battle against the Midianites at every opportunity they had.
We read not that any Midianites died of the plague; God punished them with the sword of an enemy, not with the rod of a father. We must set ourselves against whatever is an occasion of sin to us, Mt 5:29,30. Whatever draws us to sin, should be a vexation to us, as a thorn in the flesh. And none will be more surely and severely punished than those who, after Satan’s example, and with his subtlety, tempt others to sin. (Henry)
The hearts and minds of those who reject and deny God are full of evil ideas that find their way into actions. Sometimes these are overt and other times they subtle nudges to get others to follow after their ungodly acts. Much of the time we do not see the evil intents that others have. They know their intents. They know what they are doing is wrong but have given their hearts and minds over to that which is wrong. It is wrong because God has called it wrong. It is wrong because it is fed by evil desires that result in thoughts, words, and actions that do not honor God or His holiness. There is a point of no return, where the hearts and minds of these people are hardened beyond redemption and god gives them over to the lusts of their hearts. We live in a time of mass communication availability. Literally a person can have a thought posted on social media and it can be sent and picked up by millions of views. Evil thoughts and ideas can be spewed out every second of every day. Some of these thoughts try to defend overt acts of unrighteousness and others try to convince with worldly wisdom that their acts are ok to do. Homosexuality, Abortion, Pornography, Transgenderism, Looting and Destruction, Rewriting or Denying Historical Events, Cancelling Opposition, ETC………… All have evil roots and hurt the souls of those who proclaim and defend them. People void of God and the Word of God will be led astray little by little until what would have been totally absurd 5-10 years ago is now defended and common place. It does not matter how many smooth words are used to convince and proclaim wrong thoughts, words, and actions, Wrong is wrong. When God is removed from the hearts and minds of people they will do what seems right in their own eyes to the eternal damning of their souls. God’s Word rightly says, “The fool says in their heart there is no God”.