Those who died in the plague

“but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.” (Numbers 25:9)

 

Despite the fact that there is a disciplinary sign for Koreans and their country, few people seem to repent the wrongs they have committed. The sound of attacking and criticizing others still makes the ears noisy. We say criticism and fighting can lead democracy to progress, but the current situation in Korea is abnormal in its excessiveness. Just as the people of Israel were judged by the plague, how much bigger will we have to be judged by the hand of God? Even the attitude of repenting, their fingers are all directed at the others as usual. God punishes men, for He wants to see their repentance of only confessing one’s own sins.

 

Even if COVID-19 is a dangerous disease because of unknown identity of its virus yet, a more serious problem than that is our inability of spirit to repent sins. But if we accept the reproach of God, we’ll get better little by little in the future. How many wrongs have we made in the past? Many officials of agencies covering the national assembly, the government, political parties, courts, have made troubles yesterday and today. They have always said this insistency, “I’m only good, but you’re wrong.” Churches are not different from them too, and so did the churches. Even though the common societies have done like that, at least the churches should have been different from them. But the churches’ was not better than the common people’s. In the end, God has punished them because their behaviors were still the same as before.

The people of Israel began to commit adultery with Moab women in Shittim, as in the chapter 25 of the Numbers. They committed a crime of idolatry with the women of Gentile. Satan lured the people into dating foreign women who follow for idolatry. God had always asked Israel to serve the Lord and to live according to His commands. To put it another way, it means Satan had lured Israel into betraying God the Lord. The causal fact of problem is as simple as that. To achieve the goal, Satan makes ordinarily use of the tools like human sexual desire, honor, or recognition, or wealth, and etc.

God commanded that the leaders be hanged for repentance of sins, and that those who belonged to Baal-Peor be killed. Then the people gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wept for their own wrongs. The tears of the people who gathered in front of the Tent of Meeting, remind of the faithful persons’ repentance who lay faces down before God in the holy temple. When we have a problem with the country or when people’s sins are rampant, the Church of Christ must take the lead in coming to God and repent in tears. It’s not desirable to do anything that you don’t do to repent, for example, to speak ill of others and to stir up confusion. We need to take a mature attitude of self-assertion maintaining social order and respecting each other. It’s a shame and a pity to see the act of fighting or quarreling often with each other.

While they were in severe punishment and the cries of repentance, a crazy guy of Israelite brought a woman the Midianite into the tent. He went into the tent, ignoring the eyes of the people, just to satisfy his sexual desire, without being conscious of what the situation was like. Phinehas, the great-grandson of Aaron the priest, got up, took up his spear and went in along the tent, and killed them through their bellies. Then the plague that had spread among the Israelite stopped. There were 24,000 people who died of the plague at that time. Oh, how sad and heartbreaking is that scene of history? Let each of us look back at ourselves and pray to God for repentance when the country and people are so afflicted with infectious diseases and difficulties. And only do your duty sincerely in your position. That’s the only way to save one’s own self, neighbors and the country. And Phinehas, who saved the people from the punishment of sin, was promised peace from God the Lord.

 

Phinehas and his descendants were given eternal priests in Israel. Aaron and his descendants in the Old Testament are temporary signs of full priests in the New Testament. Jesus Christ is the complete High Priest who saves all the people. And the one who has been saved in Jesus Christ is an eternal priest under Him. Everyone can reach eternal salvation by believing in Jesus. Though the present situation of the nation and the world is so difficult, let’s pray for a new development with courage and wisdom to console and help.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Mar 22nd 2020)