PHINEHAS – COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

A long recapitulation of the history of Israel, in which the sins of God’s people are humbly acknowledged, forms this psalm. All the failures written into that history are recognized, and the righteous chastisement which the sin of the nation merited is recorded. One of the dominant thoughts of the O.T. is that success and failure are linked with loyalty to God. The last twenty verses of the psalm develop this theme. In this section Phinehas and his loyalty to God are found. Of him, verse 3 is true, similar in thought to “Blessed is the man” in Psalm 1. 1; this too was true of Phinehas. God has His champions left in the worst times, and they will stand up when the need arises. So it was with Phinehas.

The background to these verses 30, 31 is found in Numbers 25. Phinehas was zealous for his God, Num. 25. 13. He could not fold his arms and see God’s law insulted, His rule defied. The servant’s heart moved in one blaze of godly indignation. He must be up to vindicate God; he “stood up”.

This is a picture of one zealous man rising up from the midst of the inactive multitude who sit still and make no effort. It is more, for it brings echoes from an earlier scene when again sin had reared its head in the camp, and Aaron stood and the plague was stayed, Num 16. 48. Phinehas stood up from the rest, and presented himself before the people, assuming the office and discharging the duty from which the regular, official leaders seemed to shrink. His bold resolve feared nothing in a righteous cause. The offender, Zimri, was a prince, but this did not matter; he was not spared. His companion was a princess of the house of Midian, but no fear of reprisal held Phinehas back. Are we as courageous and zealous for the honour of God?

“So the plague was stayed”; cp. Num. 25. 8-11, and God said that Phinehas “hath turned my wrath away”, because he acted with zeal for God’s glory and for Israel’s good. The zeal of Phinehas was a true act of faith. It was counted as a righteous act, for ever memorable. He was a true son of Abraham, of whom similar words are written in Genesis 15. 6. There faith, here an act springing from faith—both are counted for righteousness. His reward was “the covenant of an everlasting priesthood”, Num. 25. 12, 13. God honours those who honour Him.