to talk or not to talk

Numbers 25 can be a tough passage to swallow. It details Israel's idolatry, God's anger, and one Israelite's decision to openly oppose God's Word in the sight of the the entire nation of Israel. And we haven't even gotten to the hard part yet. The beginning of the chapter ends with Phinehas, Aaron's grandson, driving a spear through the openly rebellious Israelite. As if that isn't hard enough, the second section depicts God blessing Phinehas for doing what he did.

Now I want to be clear I am not advocating any Christian injuring or killing anyone because they fail to honor God. That's called assault/murder. Assault/murder is a sin and a crime. Numbers 25 is not telling us this normal behavior for God's people. Numbers 25 is a depiction of the zeal all God's people should have for His name. Hear what God has to say about Phinehas,

"Phinehas...has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them...and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God." (vs. 11& 13, emphasis mine)

I've been reflecting of zeal recently in light of the release of certain book from certain well-known pastor and author. I have not read the book. I read multiple reviews of the book, both positive and negative. A friend of mine purchased the book in order to gain a better understanding of this individual's view. I plan on borrowing it once he's finished. But from my research I do know the book presents a serious challenge to the gospel of Jesus Christ in the name of providing "clarity," "understanding," and "conversation."

A lot of people feel the same way about this particular book. It does not hold to the sound words Paul spoke of in I Timothy 6:3, II Timothy 3: 14, and Titus 2:1. As a result, the book has been labeled heretical for it's attempt to strip the cross of Jesus Christ of its significance, power, and beauty by many God fearing individuals.

And, recently, these individuals have received some slack for making such comments. Phrases similar to "God doesn't need us to defend Him" and "we should engage in conversation instead of judgmental statements" are being thrown around like baseballs in Florida. While there are certain instances where these phrases apply, I believe Phinehas teaches us something different.

Yes, God doesn't need us to come running to His defense, but He expects us to stand up for His honor and glory. As far as I am concerned, this book tries to do a great number to the honor and glory of God all in the name of tolerance and conversation. We should be jealous for God's name when people start ruining the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the declaration of just how great God's name truly is. Shrugging it off as something merely a handful believe is not honoring. Do we remember what Christ did because God wasn't being honored in the temple?

And as for engaging in conversation, I have no problem bantering back and forth when it comes to secondary issues. Yes, we should be able to talk with one another over predestination vs. free-will. You can be a Christian while holding to either. We should discuss infant baptism vs. believer's baptism vs. immersion vs. sprinkling. We should peacefully converse the particulars of the faith. But when someone within the faith wants to declare something spoken out against multiple times in God's Word, I don't see a glaring need to sit down and discuss over tea. Paul spoke out often against various individuals proclaiming a different gospel. He did not inquire of a sit-down gathering first. He called them out.

God's name is worth all honor and praise. We should be examining our own efforts to give His name it's proper due. From there we should be jealous for His name as Phinehas was. The exaltation of God's name sent Christ to earth in order to die. What are we willing to do for God's great name besides sing and smile?