Two Messengers, Two Voices – Pinchas – July 23

One summer during my university days I decided to take a trip across the USA. On part of my journey I was passing through Arizona and I took a day trip into the Grand Canyon. My goal was to hike to the bottom and back to the top rim in one day. This is possible, however, it takes a full day to accomplish this and one must start early in the morning.

I got to the rim of the Grand Canyon as early as I could and was ready to go with my food supply and water. During my descent I was jogging at times as I wanted to make sure that I had enough time for my return journey. I made it down to the bottom about noon and then started the hike back up. Getting down was the easy part, however, returning to the top would be a bit more challenging as it is all uphill.

The bottom of the Grand Canyon can reach temperatures of 120 degrees fahrenheit or 47 degrees celsius. It is a hot and dry climate in the Canyon and one must be careful to keep well hydrated. I was drinking plenty of water and stopped for lunch shortly after reaching the bottom, however, during my ascent I started to feel extremely weak. At one point I just felt like I couldn’t go any more. I arrived at the next rest area, a shelter along the trail with a water source, and laid down on a bench. I didn’t know what was going on but I couldn’t continue the journey as I had no strength left in me.

After laying down on a bench for a few minutes I was approached by a park ranger who asked if I was ok. I told him that I had no strength and couldn’t continue. He then started to ask me questions about my day and what I had eaten. I told him that I had eaten a big breakfast with eggs and cheese and then a full lunch with tuna fish and some dried beef. He then asked me if I had eaten any carbohydrates and I told him that I hadn’t because I was following an all-protein diet. He then gave me a few crackers and encouraged me to eat them. I ate the crackers and I was immediately revived. I felt like someone turned a switch on in my body. I then continued my journey and made it back to the top of the Canyon with no problem.

Just as our physical bodies can easily get depleted of the necessary nutrients that they need, we can also become depleted spiritually if we are not careful. In this week’s Torah Portion we read about a jealousy and zeal for God in the lives of two different people. As inspiring as it is to read about those who are zealous for God, we will learn that maintaining a balanced spiritual life is just as important.

Pinchas – פינחס

This week’s Torah Portion is called “פינחס” – “pinchas,” which is often translated into English as “Phinehas.” Phinehas is the name of one of the grandsons of Aaron the high priest who performed a courageous act during a time of great sin in Israel.

The Moabites and Midianites succeeded in misleading the Israelites in the worship of their gods and in committing acts of immorality with their women. The anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel and God commanded Moses to have the responsible people executed in broad daylight. Moses commanded the judges of Israel to kill those who were involved in this great sin and the judges obeyed (Num. 25:1-5).

In the midst of God’s judgement being poured out on the people, one of the sons of Israel brought a Midianite woman into the camp and into his family’s tent. This is when Phinehas acted:

When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. Those who died by the plague were 24,000. – Num. 25:7-9

The scene portrayed for us through the biblical text is horrific.  The sin and the judgement of God were great but, in the midst of it all, Phinehas committed one act that shone above the rest in his slaying of the Israelite man and the Midianite woman.

The Jealousy of Phinehas

The LORD Himself was well pleased with Phinehas and his zeal for the LORD.  In a declaration of satisfaction and honor, God spoke these words to Moses regarding Phinehas:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’” – Num. 25:10-13

The LORD explained that Phinehas acted out of jealousy, “קנא” – “kanah,” for his God and by doing so he brought an end to God’s wrath on the children of Israel. The LORD longs to see His people live in holy fear of Him above the fear of man. Phinehas acted in resolute fear of God and the LORD rewarded him with His covenant of peace along with the priesthood, which continued through his line.

The Actions of Phinehas in Context

It is vitally important to understand the actions of Phinehas in the context of his day being under the Covenant of Sinai, the Old Covenant.  Through the coming of Yeshua the Messiah and the institution of the New Covenant by His blood, we are no longer under the authority of the Covenant of Sinai to fulfill it as in the days of Phinehas (Rom. 8:1-4). We are to continually have a passion for God’s holiness, especially in the community of those who believe in Yeshua, however, we are to remember that God will judge the world of all unrighteousness (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). The passion of Phinehas for God’s heart is what is to be honored, not his exact actions.

Phinehas acted in a resolute manner that was undistracted by others around him. The biblical text tells us that Moses and everyone in the camp saw the Israelite man bring the Midianite woman into the camp:

Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. – Num. 25:6

Although everyone saw this situation, only Phinehas acted. Phinehas knew exactly what the LORD had said to do with those who played the harlot with the daughters of Moab and Midian (Num. 25:1-4) and he didn’t hesitate to act.  Phinehas burned with the jealousy of God and acted in accordance to the voice and Word of God.

Obeying God with Jealousy

Each one of us faces situations in life from time to time where we are challenged to act in accordance with the voice and heart of God as detailed in His Word. It is easy to be intimidated by those around us, even if they are like-minded but simply sitting in silence. Passivity and silence are too often understood as declarations of acceptance.

To act alone in following after God is risky. This can occur in a family setting, in the community, at work, in the market, or basically anywhere. We need to know God so intimately that jealousy for His ways is a natural instinct of who we are. To read more about this topic of living a sold out life for the LORD, I recommend the following article: Living for an Audience of One

We must also remember that there will always be those who are in opposition to the Word of God and want to keep us down, keep us silent, and keep us from acting according to the voice and heart of God. It is in moments like these, when we face harsh resistance, that we must know the heart of God and hear His voice with utter certainty. There is an excellent example of dealing with this sort of opposition in one’s life in this week’s haftara, the corresponding reading from the prophets, which is found in 1 Kings 19.

The Prophet Elijah

Elijah was a mighty prophet of God who was led by the voice of God and experienced the miracles of God firsthand.  Elijah raised the dead by the power of God (1 Kings 17:17-24). He confronted Ahab according to the command of God and killed 850 false prophets of Baal and Asherah. During the confrontation with the false prophets, the fire of God fell from heaven in accordance with the prayer of Elijah and consumed the sacrifices, which brought the fear of God upon the people (1 Kings 18). Elijah also prophesied that there would be no rain or dew until he commanded it, and it was so (1 Kings 17:1). He then prayed again three years later according to the Word of God, and there was a heavy shower of rain (1 Kings 18:1,41-46).

Elijah was a man who knew God intimately and he obeyed the voice of the LORD. He was jealous for the jealousy of God and he was not afraid to stand alone for the God whom he served in the midst of the people. There was one voice, however, which Elijah ran from, the voice of Jezebel.

The Voice of Jezebel

After Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal, Ahab returned home and shared with his wife all that had happened:

Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life… – 1 Kings 19:1-3

Elijah had confidently stood up to Ahab, the King of Israel, and to 850 false prophets, however, he ran when the wife of Ahab made a single threat on his life. Why did Elijah run from the voice of Jezebel?

The Messenger of Jezebel

We read in the verses quoted above that Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to deliver her threat.  The word for “messenger” in Hebrew is the word “מלאך” – “malach,” which can mean either “a messenger” or “an angel.” Context dictates whether the intended meaning is a human messenger or a heavenly messenger, an angel. The most obvious indicator is whether the messenger is sent by God or another human being. Jezebel’s messenger was clearly a human messenger.

Walking in the Natural

The messenger of Jezebel delivered her message to Elijah and in receiving the message he literally “ran for his life.” Fear gripped Elijah and he felt that he could no longer withstand the attack of the enemy:

And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” – 1 Kings 19:3-4

Elijah literally ran off into the desert alone and asked God to take his life.  We don’t know exactly what was going on in Elijah’s mind, soul, and spirit, however, we do know that he made the statement “for I am not better than my fathers.”

Whatever was going through the mind of Elijah during this dark moment of his life he obviously felt inadequate and seemed to revert to relying on human strength rather than depending on God. Elijah’s statement about “not better than my fathers” tells me that Elijah took his focus off of God and was simply viewing his life in the natural. He was comparing his life to his ancestors and had forgotten the unique touch of God on his life, “Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah” (1 Kings 18:46), which was recorded immediately before Jezebel spoke her words. The LORD was clearly with Elijah and was using him as one of His prophets on the earth. Elijah was weary, was thinking in the natural, and needed a fresh touch from God.

Walking in the Spirit

I am so thankful for the record of situations like what Elijah experienced because all of us who seek to walk with God will experience challenges to our faith like Elijah faced. There will always be people like Jezebel that oppose the plans of God and make threats against us. There will also be challenges to the inadequacy of who we are in the flesh, in relation to our sin nature, and the imperfect family line of which we are a part.

It is true that we are inadequate in ourselves to accomplish that which God has set before us, however, with God and by His Spirit, all things are possible. We must never forget this. This is why the Bible commands us to not give up meeting together, but rather to continually meet together and encourage one another in the faith (Hebrews 10:23-25). We cannot be successful alone. We need encouragement and we need a fresh word from God. This is exactly what Elijah needed.

 

Touched by an Angel

Elijah was exhausted and had asked the LORD to take his life.  The LORD understood what Elijah was facing and met him where he was at:

He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” – 1 Kings 19:5-7

The angel of the LORD came to Elijah twice while he was sleeping under a certain tree, touched him, and encouraged him to eat and drink.

Jezebel had sent her messenger to threaten Elijah with her words, whereas God sent His messenger to touch Elijah, speak kindly to him, provide food and drink for him, and encourage him. The messenger of God, who was the angel of the LORD, came to Elijah to strengthen him and to prepare him for the rest of his journey:

So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. – 1 Kings 19:8

God’s messenger provided the physical touch that Elijah needed for his long journey to Mt. Horeb. After being physically revived, Elijah was about to meet with God for the spiritual revival that he also needed.

Meeting with God

I would love to have been the travel companion of Elijah during the 40 days and 40 nights of his journey to Horeb. The angel of the LORD had just come to him twice and nourished him with food and drink. He had to know that God saw him and had not abandoned him. At the same time, Elijah was still reeling from the voice of Jezebel which was still ringing in his ears.

It is at Mount Horeb that Elijah encountered God afresh. We all know this story but we can never hear it enough:

Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” – 1 Kings 19:9-10

The LORD asked Elijah what he was doing there and Elijah answered by expressing that he had been zealous for the LORD. He literally said in Hebrew, “קנוא קינאתי ליהוה” – “kano kineti la’Adonai” which can be translated as “I have been very jealous for the LORD.”  This is the same exact wording that God used of Phinehas in Numbers 25.

Elijah was very jealous and zealous for the LORD, however, he felt completely alone. Elijah explained to the LORD the situation in Israel from His perspective and we read in this response that Elijah took the words of Jezebel which she had spoken against him and turned it into a conspiracy against himself. Instead of simply saying that Jezebel was seeking his life he said, “they seek my life.” God was about to put everything in perspective for Elijah. It is easy to feel like the whole world is against us when someone is attacking us or threatening our life.

Hearing the Voice of God

The LORD did not immediately respond to Elijah’s claim but rather chose to provide an object lesson for Elijah that would speak to him and all generations to come:

So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. – 1 Kings 19:11-12

Elijah witnessed a show of nature that must have been awesome and fearful at the same time.

The Scriptures tells us that the LORD was passing by but that the LORD was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. After these three powerful displays of nature there was a still small voice. The English translation above reads “a sound of a gentle blowing,” but this is not an accurate translation. The Hebrew reads “קול דממה דקה” – “kol demama daka,” which is literally translated “a still small voice.” We can assume that the LORD was in the “still small voice” as it is the only time when the text omits the phrase, “but the LORD was not in…” one of the other manifestations.

Elijah had witnessed firsthand the power of God in the fire, in the wind, and in other supernatural displays of the LORD on the earth through various miracles, but this is not what Elijah needed at that time.  Elijah needed to hear the voice of the LORD. Elijah needed to hear the still small voice of the LORD to drown out the threatening voice of the enemy:

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. – 1 Kings 19:13

While Elijah was standing at the entrance of the cave, the voice of the LORD came to him again. The LORD asked Elijah the same exact question which he had asked him previously and Elijah responded with the same exact answer (1 Kings 19:13-14).

A Fresh Word from the LORD

The LORD then spoke to Elijah and gave him a new set of instructions to carry out:

The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place… So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat – 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19

Elijah was finally on his way again after encountering the LORD and having received a fresh Word from the LORD with a clear plan ahead.

Maintaining our Spiritual Lives

There are many voices in this world that want to distract us from the voice of God. We need to seek God daily, meet with other believers consistently, hear a fresh word from the LORD regularly, know the plans that God has for us to walk in, and be faithful to live out all that God shows us.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:23-25

It is easy to allow the messengers and voices of the enemy to distract us and wear us down. This is why we must be proactive in hearing and receiving from the LORD.

There is a spiritual war raging around us and we must be properly prepared for the battle ahead and for the journey that the LORD will send us on. There are two messengers and two voices in this world. We must be mindful to receive from the messenger of God and to listen to His voice above all other voices.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Torah Portion: Num. 25:10 – Num. 29:40

Haftara: 1 Kings 18:46 – 1 Kings 19:21

Supplemental Haftara for the Three Weeks: Jer. 1:1 – Jer. 2:3

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