Reflection for Pinchas

“The Pierced Shepherd”

Matthew 26:1-30; Mark 14:1-26;
Luke 22:1-20; John 2:13-22; 7:1-13,
37-39; 11:55-12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14;
Acts 2:1-21; 12:3-4; 20:5-6, 16; 27:9-11;
1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 16:8;
Hebrews 11:28

excerpted from TorahScope Apostolic Scriptures Reflections

Upon coming to the close of Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9), with the dramatic execution events at the sanctuary, one often wonders why the first nine verses of Numbers 25 are included—rather than seeing them begin Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1[29:40]), which we are examining this week. After all, the departure of Balak and Balaam, to their respective domiciles, seems like a natural break in the text (Numbers 24:25). Nevertheless, the ancient Rabbis and Sages concluded that remembering the horrific consequences of succumbing to the vile sexual sins of Baal-peor, was probably something which needed to be considered for two weeks, rather than in just one week. So this week, the beginning of our Torah teaching, not only causes us to reconsider the deadly impalement of a couple in the act of flagrant sin,[1] but also the notable bequeathing by God of a covenant of peace and perpetual priesthood to the zealous executioner Phinehas[2]—who stopped the plague upon Israel:

“When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand. He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, “Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace. It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel”’” (Numbers 25:7-13, WMB).

Contemplating this series of opening events, makes the subsequent census of Israel,[3] coupled with various inheritance laws[4] and information about offerings, most especially those to be offered during the appointed times[5]—seem rather mild. The institution of “my covenant of peace” (b’riti shalom), with Phinehas and his descendants given a perpetual priesthood, is undeniably the main “event” of our parashah. Phinehas was rewarded by God for his jealous act, which ostensibly made a kind of “atonement” for the community of Israel, as it terminated the plague.

Is this a foreshadowing (albeit an obscure example) of how the force or phenomenon of death, can help circumvent the judgment of God? While in the case of Phinehas, God’s judgment was only stopped when he stood up and took righteous action, killing promiscuous idolaters, consider the element of how people had to be impaled with a spear to halt Divine retribution. After Yeshua had died on the tree of sacrifice, we see that “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:34, WMB). Clearly, the events described in Pinchas and the death of our Lord are not identical—namely because Yeshua had willingly offered Himself (Hebrews 9:14), and the two sinners were killed quickly and swiftly—but it is interesting to see how those speared, were carefully noticed by the Father. With Yeshua having died for us, we can now experience a complete restoration of communion with our Creator.

Yeshua the Messiah willingly offered Himself as the pierced sacrifice for the sins of fallen humanity, just as was prophesied by Isaiah in chapter 53:

“But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth. He was taken away by oppression and judgment. As for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people? They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and the LORD’s pleasure will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:5-12, WMB).

Many of the recommended readings from the Apostolic Scriptures provided by the Complete Jewish Bible,[6] focus around Numbers chs. 28-29 and concern the significance which the appointed times had for Yeshua, His Apostles, and the early Believers in their observances and teachings. However, I am more struck by the fact that just like the priest Phinehas—who stood up and intervened to stop a terrible circumstance from perpetuating—so our Messiah Yeshua has a priestly role which each born again Believer needs to be considering. As a vindication of His sacrifice for sinful humanity and His resurrection, Yeshua the Messiah now sits exalted at the right hand of the Father in Heaven (Hebrews 8:1-2). We now await His return, as salvation history prepares to progress forward via His Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead:

“For Messiah hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own, or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, so Messiah also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:24-28, WMB).

Although considering Yeshua and/or His Disciples with the appointed times is an important theme, before the various rituals and sacrifices about the moedim are discussed (Numbers chs. 28-29), Moses was told that he would die (Numbers 27:13). He would be allowed to climb up to a high vantage point in order to see Canaan (Numbers 27:12), but because he struck the rock at Meribah of Kadesh, God would not allow him to enter in (Numbers 27:14). As he noted this, Moses made the request of the Lord that a new leader for Israel would need to be chosen, or else, “the congregation of the LORD…[will] be as sheep which have no shepherd” (Numbers 27:17, WMB). Moses was most concerned about the welfare of the Israelites, who he knew needed strong leadership. Because of this, the Lord instructed Moses to commission his close aid Joshua as his successor in front of the entire assembly of Israel (Numbers 27:18-20), who would also receive priestly support (Numbers 27:21). While Joshua became a significant leader and figure of inspiration for Ancient Israel, as noted in Hebrews 4:8, he did not lead the people into the ultimate destiny anticipated of God’s people. Only Yeshua the Messiah Himself, the Good Shepherd, can bring together the one flock and bring about the restoration of the Kingdom:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father” (John 10:11-18, WMB).

In reading through the actions of Phinehas this week—especially His zealous actions on behalf of the fledgling nation of Israel—I cannot help but be reminded of how Yeshua, in His actions of leadership, took matters into His own hands to stop unrighteousness. While present in Jerusalem to observe the Passover, Yeshua saw how the various moneychangers in the Temple complex abused their position, and shortchanged many of the people who came to honor the Lord:

“The Passover in Judea was at hand, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting. He made a whip of cords and drove all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables. To those who sold the doves, he said, ‘Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will eat me up’ [Psalm 69:9]” (John 2:13-17, WMB).

When we read this encounter, it often seems to us to be an “out of character” moment—for a “meek” Messiah to take off His proverbial “gloves,” and then zealously disrupt the exchange activities in the Temple grounds. Just as Phinehas had acted in righteous indignation in front of the Tent of Meeting, so had Yeshua taken the right action in making an example of those who had defamed the Holy Place.

As important as it is for us to consider connections between the righteous actions of Phinehas, and Yeshua in the Temple—our Haftarah selection this week (1 Kings 18:46-19:21) describes the battle between the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, with the true Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18:19). In not wanting to forget this important scene in Ancient Israel’s history, the ministry of Yeshua not only was foreshadowed by the work of Phinehas, but also that of Elijah. People who either encountered Yeshua or had heard about Him, truly wondered who He might be:

“Now when Yeshua came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ They said, ‘Some say Yochanan the Immerser, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Yeshua answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven’” (Matthew 16:13-17, WMB).

By the time Yeshua was executed—and most importantly resurrected—it would have been obvious to the Disciples that their Lord had fulfilled/was fulfilling a whole host of prophecies, and that the various aspects of previous figures in Israel’s history were manifested in His saving events. Today, in retrospect of much of this—examining the tapestry of Scripture—we can see Yeshua as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), our High Priest (Hebrews 7:26; 8:1), and our coming King. But unlike Phinehas who used a spear to execute justice, when He returns to the Earth—the Messiah will instead have a sword coming forth from His mouth, ruling with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15-21).

To this end, Messiah followers today can enthusiastically—although patiently—wait, as we anticipate the restoration of Israel’s Kingdom (Acts 1:6) and the establishment of true peace and justice in the world. To those who overcome until the end, the Apostle John has these great words of encouragement, as the pierced Shepherd Yeshua will return on the clouds to rule and reign:

“Yochanan, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne; and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood—and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds [Daniel 7:13], and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:4-7, WMB; cf. Zechariah 12:10-14).

Looking to the future, let it be our fervent and steadfast prayer, that as few people as possible will actually mourn when the Messiah returns. Let us, as diligent Messiah followers, demonstrate His blessings and goodness to all we encounter, so that when He does return, those who witness His arrival rejoice—rather than cry because they know they will be judged. No one has to wait to know that Yeshua was pierced for their transgressions at the Second Coming; now is the time for all to know that He was pierced for us!

NOTES

[1] Numbers 25:1-9.

[2] Numbers 25:10-13.

[3] Numbers 26:1-65.

[4] Numbers 27:1-14.

[5] Numbers 28:1-29:40.

[6] Matthew 26:1-30; Mark 14:1-26; Luke 22:1-20; John 2:13-22; 7:1-13, 37-39; 11:55-12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14; Acts 2:1-21; 12:3-4; 20:5-6, 16; 27:9-11; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 16:8; Hebrews 11:28.