Israel’s fatal encounter with with the Moabites is a perfect example illustrating what the word “fornication” really means from a true Torah-based or Biblical perspective.
Understand that when the Moabites first approached Israel with friendly gestures and smiles, they were warmly welcomed.
Given all of the hostility and the tiresome wandering in the desert Israel had experienced thus far, such friendly overtures were most likely a very welcome breath of fresh air.
Moab was not an uncivilized or savage nation who deliberately sought to do horrible things to anyone who came near their borders.
They were just regular folks with families whose existence was filled with all of the normal daily ups and downs we all experience.
So when Moab approached Israel in a welcoming manner, Israel reciprocated likewise.
And of course, within this interaction, it would have been perfectly natural for the virile Israelite men to be attracted to the young Moabite woman.
Now from God’s perspective, here’s what the problem was.
Moab’s religious system entailed worshipping various deities with Baal as their supreme chief god.
At this point in history, Israel had not yet been commissioned to convert foreigners.
Their only goal was to as swiftly as possible get to the Promised Land.
Therefore, when Israel encountered the Moabites, even though they didn’t agree with the Moabites’ religious beliefs, in order to get along and be civil, they decided to show respect and go along with the Moabites.
That’s where the problem lay.
The Scripture NEVER tells us we are to bow down and show respect to the false gods of other cultures in order to maintain a peaceful co-existence.
NEVER!!!
Why is this so important?
Well just read Numbers 25:2.
“These women invited the people
to the sacrifices of their gods,
where the people ate
and bowed down to their gods.”
-Numbers 25:2
I can imagine the deadly but subtle step-by-step spiral of destruction that ultimately led to the Israelites’ gradual descent into full-blown apostasy and idolatry.
First, an innocent acquaintanceship was formed.
Next, the Moabite women, in an honest and sincere attempt to be social, invited their new Israelite friends to accompany them to some festival which of course involved worshipping the false gods of Moab.
In response, Israel, in wanting to maintain harmony with their new Moabite neighbors accepted the invitation.
AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE THE PROBLEM LIE!!!
They saw no conflict between attending a Moabite religious celebration and their allegiance to their God HASHEM.
BIG MISTAKE!!!
Do you know what God calls this type of activity, the activity of bowing down and showing respect to other nations’ false gods just to maintain harmony?
He calls this “whoring“, plain and simple!
This is the true Biblical definition of “fornication“.
“Whoring” or “fornication” within the context of Numbers 25 is not specifically referring to the sexual activities that occurred such as the Israelite men bedding down with Moabite prostitutes (though depending on the situation “fornication” can be referring to such activities).
And “whoring” or “fornication” does NOT mean the ridiculous Christian definition of any sexual act that occurs outside of the marriage bed.
No, in this context here, “whoring” or “fornication” here refers to bowing down and honoring OTHER GODS THAN THE ONE TRUE GOD OF ISRAEL…
…and doing it just to be “loving” and “maintain peace“!!!
From a true Biblical perspective, these acts are considered the worst of the worst, the most high-handed (AKA “intentional sins”) of all the sins in the Bible.
This is pure idolatry and as we’re about to see the Lord’s response was swift and super severe.
HASHEM viewed this as a national rebellion.
I don’t know about you, but this kinda gives me pause for serious reflection.
What are you gonna do if you’re invited to some Christmas party to celebrate some God-man Torah-breaking idol who the gentiles call “Jesus“?
Or what are you gonna do if you’re invited to some Easter festival complete with eggs and rabbits in celebration of the god of ISHTAR (the original name for Easter)?
Or how do you respond when you see a representative of our nation stand in a mosque and while being televised in front of hundreds of millions of people announce to the whole world that ALLAH is the same god as HASHEM?
Are we to compromise and make allowances for that just to keep peace?
Difficult questions to answer for sure, but that is how God’s Torah challenges us.
In a word awash in idol worship, we will constantly be faced with two choices.
Follow HASHEM and risk social ostracism, or follow the crowd and risk our relationship with HASHEM.
As Yeshua said, “broad is the road that leads to destruction….“
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