Phinehas, The Son Of Eleazar, lived during some of the most formative years in the history of Israel. He wandered in the wilderness, inherited land under Joshua, and was a leader during the early years of the Judges. During this time, Phinehas remained a steadfast and loyal servant of God with his actions saving the lives of countless thousands. Throughout his life, he was a man of courage as he was forced to make some of the toughest decisions ever made by a Bible character.
Aaron’s grandson
Phinehas was born into a prominent family. His great-uncle was Moses; his grandfather was Aaron; his grandmother was Elisheba, who was the sister of Naashon, the head of the tribe of Judah (Ex. 6: 23 – 25; cp. Num. 1: 4 – 7). Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, had no children (Num. 3: 4), so they probably showed a great deal of attention to young Phinehas, who was the firstborn of their younger brother, Eleazar.
One day the congregation was called together to watch the consecration of Phinehas’ family. Phinehas’ father and his uncles were to become priests, and his grandfather was to become high priest. Sacrifices were offered, and Aaron and his sons were commanded to remain in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation for seven days (Leviticus 8).
For seven days all eyes were on the family of Phinehas as they kept the charge in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. On the eighth day, Aaron offered a sin offering, a burnt offering, and peace offerings. After the offerings had been made, Moses and Aaron entered the tabernacle of the congregation, and, as they came out to bless the people, the glory of God appeared to the entire congregation (Lev. 9: 22 — 24).
On this day, which should have been the greatest of days for their family, Nadab and Abihu were drinking themselves drunk. In their stupor, they began to offer strange fire before Yahweh and God had no tolerance for their behavior. He consumed them with fire. Phinehas’ father and grandfather were commanded not to mourn for Nadab and Abihu. The tragedy of the day only increased as Moses found fault and chastised Phinehas’ father for the way in which he had handled the sin offering (Lev. 10).
How Phinehas’ family had fallen! Their failings and punishments took place on what should have been the happiest of days for them. The tragedy was known to all and took place in the open for the whole congregation to witness and discuss.
As Phinehas sadly retired to bed that night, how the words of the LORD spoken that day must have echoed in his ears: I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified (Lev. 10:3). That day a young man learned a lesson that he would never forget.
Phinehas’ great moment
With this background, it is easy to see how Phinehas could develop a hatred for defiance of God. Therefore, when the Midianites and the Moabites conspired to corrupt the children of Israel at Shittim with women and idols, Phinehas knew that it was time for him to make a stand.
At the instigation of Balaam and the peoples of Midian and Moab, the children of Israel had gathered together to worship Baal-Peor and to fornicate. The leaders of the people were involved, and the congregation was wholly given over to wickedness. A plague had broken out as punishment from Yahweh, and God had commanded Moses to slay the heads of the people and hang them up before God “that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel” (Num. 25: 4).
Yet the hearts of the children of Israel were hard. A man of Israel entered the camp with a woman of Midian, the wasters of the people. This man passed by the tabernacle of the congregation, where the faithful had gathered to weep, and entered into his tent with the woman.
This wickedness was too great for Phinehas so he stood up, took a spear, and ran the man and the woman through with it. Yahweh was pleased with Phinehas’ zeal and put an immediate end to the plague that had taken the lives of 24,000 Israelites (Num. 25: 1-9).
Phinehas memorialized
The wickedness of the children of Israel that day was never forgotten. The actions of the people and their subsequent punishment came to be a symbol of those things that are abhorrent to Yahweh. Paul alluded to the events in writing to first-century believers:
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand Cor. 10:6-8).
Christ referred to the incident at Shittim in his message to the ecclesia at Pergamos:
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication (Rev. 2:14).
Phinehas’ bold actions during that tragic event in Israel’s history are lauded in the Psalms:
They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them. Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore (Psa. 106:28-31).
Phinehas’ actions were particularly remarkable because the man whom he slew, Zimri, was the son of a prince of the chief of the Simeonites, and the woman, Cozbi, was a member of the chief house of Midian (Num. 25: 15). Phinehas, however, was not a respecter of persons.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 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 (Num. 25:10-13).
Thus, a great reward was bestowed upon Phinehas; Yahweh declared that his descendants would serve as high priests, and it was so (Ezra 7: 1 — 5).
Phinehas to lead the army
God followed this blessing of Phinehas with a command to Moses to destroy the Midianites for the troubles they had caused the Israelites. When it came time to choose a leader for the army that would do this work of the Low, Phinehas was the natural choice:
And Moses sent them to the war; a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son ofEleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand (Num. 31:6).
With Yahweh fighting for them, Phinehas and the children of Israel defeated the Midianites in battle. Some time later they entered the land under Joshua and began to subdue the Canaanites. Phinehas stood with his people during those years of bitter conflict against the Gentile inhabitants of the land, and he inherited land with them in the hill-country of Ephraim (Joshua 24: 33, ASV).
Phinehas the peacemaker
When Joshua dismissed the people, Phinehas’ services were quickly called upon, for the land did not enjoy quiet for long.
Before they crossed over to their inheritance on the eastern side of the Jordan River, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh erected a great altar by the Jordan River. The other tribes heard of it and assembled at Shiloh. The erection of the altar seemed to be a rebellious act, therefore, the people prepared for war.
Despite the people’s intentions to destroy the two and a half tribes, the Lord guided them into sending a delegation to the tribes on the other side of the Jordan before launching a war. The delegation consisted of ten princes from the tribes on the western side of the Jordan River, with Phinehas selected to be the leader. He was a man the people could trust to take strong action against rebellion.
Phinehas was not going to be dominated by the emotions of the people, however, as his actions would be based on divine principles, not blind rage. He was not a hot head but a man of faith and principle. Though Phinehas was a man of war, he wanted peace among Israel and reasoned that perhaps the tribes built the altar because they were dissatisfied with their inheritance. Thus he offered them land on the eastern side of the Jordan:
Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’S tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God (Josh. 22:19).
His remarks were filled with divine principles and scriptural allusions: Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity (Josh. 22:20).
When the tribes explained their action, Phinehas did not press with questions in hope of finding an excuse for war. Instead, he rejoiced that the tribes had affirmed their loyalty to God, and the land enjoyed peace (Joshua 22 — 23: 1).
Trouble with Benjamin
Time passed, Phinehas’ father died (Josh. 24:33) and he became high priest, but it was not a happy time as the people began to turn from God (Jud. 2: 8 —13). Great evil arose in Gibeah in the land allotted to Benjamin. The children of Israel gathered together at Beer-sheba to decide what to do. They sent a delegation to the children of Benjamin and asked them to hand over the wicked men of Gibeah. But the children of Benjamin refused and prepared for war.
When the children of Israel attacked Gibeah, they were routed by Benjamin with 22,000 lost. Again the battle was engaged and Benjamin slaughtered 18,000 men of the other tribes.
Now an old man, Phinehas sought the LORD for Israel in his capacity as high priest as he wept with the people at the end of the second day of fighting. “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?” they asked (Jud. 20: 28).
The answer was, “Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand” (Jud. 20: 28). So in one of the hardest things he must have ever done, Phinehas gave his blessing to the people. They were sent back to war with the children of Benjamin.
The victory over Benjamin was a bitter one as the children of Benjamin were nearly exterminated. However, wickedness in Israel had been put down for a time. Unfortunately, Phinehas had grown old and would die soon, and the children of Israel were entering a period of great decline.
An exhortation to ourselves
During his lifetime, Phinehas’ service was of great value to the children of Israel. We also benefit from his life for it teaches us about courage.
People of courage are willing to “go against the grain.” When the children of Israel were in Shittim, the people, especially the prominent people, had forsaken Yahweh and were given over to the lusts of the flesh. Phinehas knew what they were doing was wrong. He took a public stand against the wickedness of the people, a stand that could have made him very unpopular. It turned out to be a stand that saved his nation.
Phinehas went against the grain decades later at Shiloh. This time the children of Israel were prepared to kill hundreds of thousands of their own people in their zeal, but Phinehas was a man of peace. He sought an explanation of the tribes and was prepared to give them land to bring them back to Yahweh. As a result of his adherence to divine principles, a horrible war was averted.
We are followers of a man whose “kingdom is not of this world” (John 18: 36). He taught us that the world hated him, and so it would hate us also. Choosing to make the hard decisions and to do unpopular things can be difficult. Yet when we look at the example of Phinehas, we see a clear lesson. We are to follow God, and if we do so, we will live.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One