Last week’s blog about King Balak’s attempt to get the “seer” Baalam to put a curse on the Israelites backfired because Yahweh, the God above all gods, had chosen to bless them. https://www.cosdavis.com/the-god-above-all-gods/ . God was fully aware that his chosen people would be confronted with pagan cultures and gods on their trek to the Promised Land. When He made the covenant with them, He specified that He alone was to be their God: “You shall have no other gods before you.” Exodus 20:3. That was the first commandment and the foundation of their covenantal relationship, as well as the guiding principle of how they were to live in all other relationships. In other words, if the Israelites didn’t get this right, nothing would be as God intended.
God intended that the Israelites would learn to trust Him based on His actions to free and provide for them. He relied on their common sense to connect His actions on their behalf to His character as a good and compassionate God, and to help them faithfully embrace Him as their God. Some of them, such as Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, and Caleb, “got it,” but many did not and continued rebelling against God’s authority in their lives. Think about what I’m saying, recall some of the ways the Israelites have spurned God’s love these forty years in the wilderness. It’s a testament to God’s mercy that He hadn’t disowned them and developed a new plan.
Today’s blog is about yet another instance of Israel’s rejection of Yahweh’s authority in their lives. “Playing the harlot,” the title of today’s message, comes directly from Numbers 25:1-2, the first verses of the larger text we will consider. ” While Israel remained in Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.”
“The people began to ‘play the harlot.'” I don’t recall seeing this kind of language to describe other instances when Israel worshiped and turned to other gods. It is a strong, repugnant sexual language describing a senseless, vulgar whore or prostitute who leaves a faithful partner to degrade herself by faithless actions with an illegitimate lover.
Verse 3 continues the horrible description of what Israel has done. Notice the graphic language, “So Israel ‘joined’ themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel.” This carries the idea of sexual union or intercourse, where a man and woman are “joined” physically. Israel has left her true love and has played the harlot, prostituted herself with Baal of Peor.
In Exodus 19:7-8, Moses explained the “marriage” covenant terms God offered to the Chosen People, and they said, “All the Lord has spoken, we will do.” v.8. He would be their God, and they would have the blessings of being His special people. This unique relationship wasn’t so much about rules to follow but a commitment to put the Lord first, and that is where they failed so miserably.
The rules, or commandments, are for our good and blessings, and our obedience should be motivated by the desire to put God first; to have no other gods before us. Religion can be a miserable mess of trying to keep all the rules to earn God’s love. A relationship with God recognizes He is the loving Source of grace, mercy, and forgiveness we need and can never repay. We try to live by His “rules” because we know He is a good Father and wants the best for us.
It is a dangerous thing to “play the harlot” with God. When we put anything: money, pleasure, fame, family, etc., before the Lord, we have chosen another god and will reap the consequences of our harlotry. “Don’t deceive yourself, God is not mocked, whatever you sow, you will also reap.”
Takeaway: Put the Lord first in your life. He deserves that place and will not tolerate anything less. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6