While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.

The LORD issued the following command to Moses: “Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.”

So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, but not before 24,000 people had died.

Numbers 25:1-9

“From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war.”
Numbers 26:2

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• The women of Moab befriended the Israelites and seduced them to participate in idolatrous worship to Baal of Peor. 
• https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/fertility-cults-of-canaan
• God was angry with the Israelites. 
• God sent a plague to punish the people. 
• As God’s commands were being carried out and the people are weeping at the Tabernacle, an Israelite man brought an idolatrous woman into the camp…in the middle of the camp...to his tent!
• Phineas was enraged by the man’s disrespect for God. 
• He took a spear and went into the tent…and killed them both. 
• God withdrew the plague. 
• 24,000 had died because of idolatry. 
• It is right to be angry about people disrespecting God. 
• We should realize that God alone is worthy of worship.
• False gods are demons and their worship is spiritual deception. 
• There is a place in the Christian life for confrontation. 
• Phineas believed in the holiness of God…and God would not be mocked in the camp. 
• Matthew 21:12

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God is the only true God. He alone is worthy of praise. He alone is worthy of worship. Be jealous for worship to belong only to our God.