FAITH CAPSULE: God is faithful to make a way not to fall outside of His way.

Numbers 25

Joining any other god besides the One and true God of gods is renouncing the Almighty God who is above every other god. It is an evidence of despising God to join oneself to a god that does not have life. The Israelites in the course of their journey, while stopping over at Acacia Grove, “…was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.” (Numbers 25:3)  The issue was that the children of Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor. They assigned themselves unto another God and that meant the commandment of God was no longer relevant to them; they began to go after a god that they could touch rather than to remain committed to the God with deliverance touch. Baal of Peor was the god worshiped in Moab and that made the children of Israel committed to harlotry, sacrificing other gods and bowing down to gods outside of the God with outstretch hand for their deliverance. What or who have you joined yourself to? Have you entered a life that is gradually taking you outside of the way of the One and only true God?

It is written, ““Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” (Numbers 25:4) It is true that every time we step outside of His word of command and return to Him for forgiveness, there is always forgiveness in place but consequence is certain. However, it is never worth it to spend time away from His word in the world. Joining to another god is jumping into pain because consequences will always come with long lasting pain. Consequence is the reason to remain constant and consistence by not joining any other God outside of the living God of creation. The joining to Baal of Peor was a serious sin with painful consequence which took many lives. The Bible recorded, “And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.” (Numbers 25:9) It was the consequence that brought out the zealousness in Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest. He turned back the wrath of God from the children of Israel when he went after the man of Israel who was still in the act of sin with a Midianite woman. There was no need to suffer such a magnitude of pain. However, it testifies that joining another god is a devastating act of sin which God does not tolerate. Disconnect from other god, stay focus on God; do not go outside of Him. He is faithful to make a way not to fall outside of His way.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to remain focus and not join any other god consciously or unconsciously.