In Galatians 1:14, Paul describes his extreme zeal with regards to the Law (both written and oral traditions). Commentators associate this idea of zeal with a fascinating incident from the Old Testament.[1] The incident is referred to in Psalm 106:30-31 and described in Numbers 25:1-9.
In Numbers 24, a prophet called Balaam had attempted to curse Israel as they journey through the wilderness. Failing, he had encouraged the Midianites to entice the people into sin through sexual immorality and idolatry so that God would turn against them and allow him to curse them. Moses orders that those caught in this serious and ugly sin should be put to death. Whilst the people are gathering at the tent of meeting, possibly in mourning and repentance, one Israelite brings a Midianite woman to the tent in public defiance of God and Moses, it is possible that he engages sexually with her in public. Phineas, seeing what is happening is captivated by zeal, he is angry at the sin and jealous for God’s honour and glory. He picks up a spear and drives it through both of them.
God then tells Moses that:
11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 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 and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”
The Psalmist’s evaluation is that:
“Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.31 And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation for ever.”[2]
It is also likely that when David says “zeal for your house will consume me”[3] which is also later applied to Jesus and his cleansing of the temple, that he had this incident in mind.
So, notice a few things. First that this zeal, this passionate, jealous concern for God’s holiness which produces action to defend God’s honour is described as something that is “credited as righteousness” in the same way that Abraham’s faith is “credited as righteousness.” Secondly, notice the affect of this righteous act. Not only is it credited to Phinehas but it seems to be credited to all the people, so that, Phinehas turns back God’s wrath. It becomes an act of propitiation or atonement.
This incident helps us to think a bit more about what was going on with the atonement. That on the Cross, Jesus was acting obediently. His zeal/passion for his Father’s name is at work. God’s glory and honour is defended on the Cross. The penalty is fulfilled, both in that sin and death themselves are condemned and that unlike in the Phinehas incident, Jesus, the zealous priest takes the penalty of death upon himself. The result is that righteousness is applied to us so that we are no longer under condemnation and judgement.
However, notice too, Paul’s thinking. Before he was a Christian, he was consumed by this same kind of zeal. This was exactly why he persecuted the church. He saw the message of Jesus and his resurrection as being an attempt to entice God’s people away from faithful worship to Yahweh, it was a form of spiritual adultery, it was to him, idolatry. When he joined in the murder of Stephen and when he sought to destroy the church in Jerusalem and Damascus, he considered himself to be stepping into Phinehas’ shoes.
Paul had zeal and considered this as demonstrating his righteousness. However, when he met with the risen Jesus, he realised that, like his fellow Jews, his zeal was misplaced.[4] What he thought to be defending the honour of YHWH was in fact attacking it. His righteousness was “like filthy rags”. He was the idolatrous adulterer. He was the one who deserved to face the spear of the zealous avenger. Yet, Jesus had done that for him. We might sum up Galatians as showing that Jesus was pierced at Calvary so that we do not have to be (as symbolised by circumcision).
In this little phrase, which we might be tempted to skip lightly over, Paul takes us deeper into the wonder of the Gospel and what it means to be made right with God.
[1] See e.g. Moo, Galatians, 101 -102.
[2] Psalm 106:30-31.
[3] Pslam 69:9.
[4] C.f. Romans 10:2.
Faithroots 