Numbers 25:10

Numbers 25:10 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse eleven adds, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.  God told Moses that the actions of Phineas, the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, the family designated to be priests, on behalf of God, had turned His wrath away from Israel.  Our actions on behalf of God should be like those of Phinehas and turn God's wrath away from people, especially those who are supposed to be God's people, though this doesn't mean we are to kill some of them.  Verse twelve continues, Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:  God said He gave Phinehas His covenant of peace, just as He does to us today if we are followers of Christ and are obedient to Him. Verse thirteen concludes, And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.  God said that since Phinehas was zealous for Him and made atonement for the people of Israel, He would make Phinehas and his descendants an everlasting priesthood.  Though we must accept Him individually, Jesus Christ made atonement for us, and once we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, we are a part of an everlasting priesthood.  Verse fourteen states, Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. The man who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri, who was the son of the prince of the house of the tribe of Simeon.  No matter how important we may be in the eyes of the world, if we are sinners who have not accepted God's gift of salvation, we are no better than the poorest of sinners.  All will one day go away to everlasting punishment, forever separated trom God's grace and forgiveness.  Verse fifteen adds, And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.  The Midianite woman was the daughter of Zur, who was the chief over the house of Midian, so she would have also been an important person to the Midianites.  No matter how important a person may view themself in the world, they are not exempt from God's word, and if they do not accept Him as the only God, they will one day face His judgment.  Verse sixteen declares, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse seventeen adds, Vex the Midianites, and smite them:  God told Moses to vex the Midianites and slay them.  God had punished the Israelites with a plague for their defiance of Him, but He was going to punish the Midianites with destruction, because they were leading the people of God into idolatry.  Those guilty of idolatry, whether they call themselves God's people are not, will always face God's judgment.  Verse eighteen continues, For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.  God told Moses that he was to destroy the Midianites because they were leading God's people away from Him.  The world today will try to lead us away from God's will, but we must never allow them to do so.  Still, instead of trying to kill them, we are to reach out to them with the gospel of Christ.