Where Is Our Zeal?
What Phinehas Can Teach Us About Today’s “Me First” World
Psalm 106 remembers a shocking moment in Israel’s history:
“But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked.” (Psalm 106:30)
Who was Phinehas? He was the grandson of Aaron, Israel’s first high priest. In Numbers 25, Israel fell into sexual immorality and idol worship. A plague broke out. Right in front of everyone, one man brought a Midianite woman into his tent. Phinehas, filled with zeal for God’s holiness, took a spear and struck them down. His act stopped the plague, and God rewarded him with a covenant of peace.
After looking this up, I concluded that it was intense. So how do we make sense of it today?
Zeal Then vs. Zeal Now
Phinehas’ zeal was tied to the covenant of Moses, where unfaithfulness brought national judgment. His action was not private vengeance or pride but priestly intercession. What about today?
Everything shifted at the cross.
Instead of piercing sinners, Jesus was pierced for sinners.
Instead of wielding wrath, He bore wrath.
Instead of ending lives, He gave His life so that we might live.
So what does zeal look like for us?
Zeal for holiness: turning from sin, beginning with our own hearts.
Zeal in intercession: praying and pleading for others.
Zeal for the gospel: rescuing not with a spear but with truth spoken in love, with compassion.
Zeal in obedience: living set apart in a world that rewards compromise.
Today, zeal doesn’t look like Phinehas’ spear. Instead, it looks like the cross we carry daily.
The “We” That We Forgot
Psalm 106 isn’t written in the language of “me” and “my plan.” It’s “we… our… us.” Israel understood themselves as one people. If one rebelled, all suffered. If one interceded, all were blessed.
That’s hard for us. We live in a culture of radical individualism—even in church. Too often, and I am raising my hand, it’s about my destiny, my calling, my faith journey. But the gospel forms a people. The Lord’s Prayer doesn’t say “My Father.” It says “Our Father.”
The plague stopped because one man stood for the people. True zeal is never just about me—it’s about us.
Never Finished Challenge: Stand Up Like Phinehas
This week, confess not only your sin but also the sins of the church, asking God for mercy.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer out loud and notice the “our” and “us.”
Ask: Where am I tempted to live a “me” faith instead of a “we” faith?
Phinehas stood up and stopped death. We stand up by taking up the cross of Christ. His zeal saved a camp. Our zeal—expressed in holiness, prayer, and unity—can help rescue a generation.
I think it is important to emphasize that zeal without love becomes harsh fanaticism. Love without zeal becomes a weak compromise. In Christ, we hold both: love that never lies about sin, and zeal that is willing to suffer (not kill) for God’s holiness.
What Does Today Say About God?
Righteous.
Romans 3:10 reminds us, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” God alone is righteous. There are depths of His wisdom and ways I will never understand. But this I know:
Jesus died for us. Those who accept Him are clothed in His righteousness through His death and resurrection.
That means we have the opportunity—not only to live for Him, but to die for Him.
What a God. What a King. What a Father.
Thank You, Jesus.