Num 25:1-3 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Num 25:1-18: 25:1-18 Israel was camped across the Jordan from Jericho, almost on the eve of conquest, but they plunged to a new low in moral failure and spiritual bankruptcy. Balaam’s advice led to the immorality and apostasy of Baal-peor (31:16 ); he found a way to damage Israel, if not through a curse, then through lust and idolatry. The same temptation to idolatry and immorality existed for the early church (1 Cor 10:6 , 11 ). 25:1 Acacia Grove: This type of tree thrives in arid regions. From here, Joshua later sent spies across the Jordan, and the Hebrews launched their conquest (Josh 2:1 ; 3:1 ). • Moabite women: The Moabites and Midianites shared culpability in the episode involving Balaam (Num 22:2-4 , 7 ; 31:8 , 15-16 ).

Summary for Num 25:1-18: 25:1-18 ^a Israel was camped across the Jordan from Jericho, almost on the eve of conquest, but they plunged to a new low in moral failure and spiritual bankruptcy. Balaam’s advice led to the immorality and apostasy of Baal-peor (31:16 ^b); he found a way to damage Israel, if not through a curse, then through lust and idolatry. The same temptation to idolatry and immorality existed for the early church (1 Cor 10:6 ^c, 11 ^d). 25:1 ^e Acacia Grove: This type of tree thrives in arid regions. From here, Joshua later sent spies across the Jordan, and the Hebrews launched their conquest (Josh 2:1 ^f; 3:1 ^g).

• Moabite women: The Moabites and Midianites shared culpability in the episode involving Balaam (Num 22:2-4 ^h, 7 ⁱ; 31:8 ^j, 15-16 ^k).
25:2 ^l The Israelites participated in worship feasts associated with the gods of Moab (see Ps 106:28 ^m).
25:3 ⁿ Baal of Peor might refer to Chemosh (21:29 ^o) by a different name, but probably Baal (“lord”), the Canaanite god, was included on the list of deities honored by the Moabites. Numerous place-names were formed with this deity’s name (e.g., Baal-gad, Baal-hermon, Baal-meon, Baal-peor), representing shrines for local manifestations of Baal. Peor was a mountain from which Balaam could see the Israelite camp in the plains of Moab; the mountain and the related shrine of Beth-peor (23:28 ^p; 25:3 ^q, 5 ^r, 18 ^s; 31:16 ^t; Deut 3:29 ^u; 4:3 ^v, 46 ^w; 34:6 ^x; Josh 13:20 ^y; 22:17 ^z) were somewhere in the vicinity of Mount Nebo.

• Israel’s idolatry caused the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people; this included a plague (Num 25:8-9 ^aa; 26:1 ^ab; cp. 11:1 ^ac, 10 ^ad; 12:9 ^ae).