Peor

Joshua 22:16-20 - “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord? Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’”

Numbers 25:1 – While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab.

Joshua 7:9,15 – For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”… And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”

Application:

• ·         Israel’s engagement in the fertility rites of Baal was a breach of covenant with the Lord, a worship of the gods of the land and a foretaste of the people’s ruin in the unfolding of their history.
• ·         Joshua pleads, as Moses had, that God’s honor in the eyes of all the world was at stake in the fortunes of His people.
• ·         Disgraceful thing in Israel is an act that within Israel, as the covenant people of the Lord, is an outrage of utter folly.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV