28 They joined themselves also to [u]Baal-peor,
And ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and interposed,
And so the plague was stayed.
31 And it was reckoned to him for righteousness,
To all generations forever.32 They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of [v]Meribah,
So that it went hard with Moses on their account;
33 Because they were rebellious against [w]His Spirit,
He spoke rashly with his lips.34 They did not destroy the peoples,
As the Lord commanded them,
35 But they mingled with the nations
And learned their [x]practices,
36 And served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with the blood.
39 Thus they became unclean in their [y]practices,
And played the harlot in their deeds.
There is a word in all of this that seems so innocent: mingled. We mingle at work, at church, and at all sorts of places, and that’s all fine and dandy. But when the Israelites “mingled” it was a bit more involved. Picture a glass of water with just a bit of motor oil mingled in. They don’t really mix, but good luck getting the oil back out, and you certainly can’t use it for much.
So it was as they mingled, and married the people who God had told them to destroy. That often feels harsh at first glance, until we see what they were doing, offering their sons and daughters as human sacrifices. And they didn’t only play the harlot in their deeds, but they literally played the harlot in their worship of these false gods.
And all of this just from marrying someone they shouldn’t? Now, you might say, I’m already married, lovely Christian gal, I’ve got nothing to worry about. But it isn’t just marriage, it’s business, social circles, and any other relationships in our lives. We need to protect our hearts in all of these areas, and not let them be polluted.
We need to be like Phinehas. He could have just sat back and watched the rebels be destroyed, but he didn’t. Phinehas took a stand, and God’s judgment was stayed. Don’t be afraid to stand up for your beliefs, hold them dear, and hold God closer. Listen for His voice, leading and guiding you every day, and don’t be swayed by the currents of this world.