Zealous for God

Num 25:1 MKJV
(1) And Israel lived in Shittim, and the people began to fornicate with the daughters of Moab.
(3) And Israel joined himself to Baal-peor. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel.
(5) And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal-peor.
(6) And behold! One of the sons of Israel came and brought to his brothers a woman of Midian, before the eyes of Moses, and before all the congregation of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
(7) And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a spear in his hand.
(8) 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 her belly. So the plague was stayed from the sons of Israel.
(9) And those that died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.
(10) And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,
(11) Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the sons of Israel while he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy.

This is an incredible story. It's a story about open rebellion of a people before God. It's a story about God's patience with uncovered sin: not much! It's a story about ZEAL for righteousness.

After reading the passage, I really only wish to point out two things.
1) Before sin was atoned for, we see that God's judgment is severe. But scripture says that when Jesus paid the world's price for sin, God's judgment of it was poured out - totally - upon Him. Sin's price is paid. This was not always so. The 'grace' part of this equation today is that we can go through life without accepting the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. Judgment again comes - after death (Heb 9:27-28).

2) This is how God defines zeal. Phinehas pinned a man and woman to the turf with a spear. This is an act that most people would find absolutely repulsive. Even the strongest, most determined among us would have great difficulty in doing such a thing. God said it was the right thing. He called it justice. He called it ZEAL. How many of us who have called ourselves zealous Christians really possess the quality that God defines here? Zealous? Really? Are you - really? This isn't about killing people for God! This is about possessing the attitude that God's opinion is the ONLY one that matters. Apply that any way you wish. That's zeal.

Junkies

Have you ever known or perhaps lived with a junkie of some sort? There are all types. Junk food, fishing (ahem), music, TV, video game, cell phone... just about anything you can imagine, a person can get hooked on to an extreme. The 'junkie' trait is the kind of thing your spouse should discover before marriage. Granted that most of us are junkies at something, even if it's something tame. Being a junkie can be hard for others to cope with.

I love to fish. I am probably not as much of a fishing junkie as some other folks I know, but it's plenty-enough to make my wife uncomfortable IF she doesn't like fishing. Fortunately, I chose wisely, and my wife is a fisher-woman. My love for fishing does not tend to make her uneasy. I could attend the most hard-core fishing convention in the world and TOTALLY enjoy myself. If everyone there ate, drank, and slept fishing, fishing boats, fishing rods, fishing lures.... I'd be right at home. This is the way of junkies.

I'm also a Jesus junkie. I don't get tired of talking about Him, hearing about Him, trying to do what He did... it's all fascinating and captivating and consuming and contagious! If you want my attention, talk about fishing or Jesus. If you don't, talk about baseball or work.

But now these hard questions. How is it that so many Christians get uncomfortable when you really start talking about being like Jesus? Why would anyone who claims to know Him get tired of talking about Him? I see it. I see it a lot. Some folks don't like extremes of any kind, and being like Jesus is RADICAL. It's divisive. Being like Jesus - or trying to - may cause contention in the home or the family. A prophet isn't accepted in his home town... or home, often enough. Familiarity does breed contempt. "Look at him, trying to be all Jesus-like!" Yes... trying.

I buy Bill Dance lures so I can catch fish like Bill. For some reason people think that is okay, but if I sign on to emulate Jesus, even self-proclaimed Christians think I'm being pretentious.

So far, this post has been fairly judgmental (let's call it exhortational, not a word but go with it) - but mostly it's to me. The reason I think I know what people are thinking is because... it's what I've thought. I now understand, though, that a true junkie is going to make a non-junkie uncomfortable with their passion. What's the saying? "A Jesus-freak is someone who loves Jesus more than you do." Ouch.