Phinehas and the verb

My kids love the Disney show Phineas and Ferb. I will admit, I enjoy watching the show with them when I can. The musical numbers or Perry the Platypus or the inventions they make up, all draw me into watching it. I find the show interesting because it is 2 brothers trying to get the most they can out of summer. When I was younger, all I wanted to do in the summer was sit around and play video games or go to the pool. But these brothers are trying to get the most out of each day because they know that summer only last so long before School starts again. I find it interesting to, the cartoon design of each of the characters. Ferb's head looks like a sideways T and Candace there sister, well her head has a long neck so it kind of looks like a backwards P. Phineas' head is a triangle but if you tilt your head a little while watching it you could also say it looks like the tip of an arrow or spear.

Now, you might be asking, what does this kids TV show have to do with Scripture or anything from the Bible. Let me explain. Today I was reading again from Numbers. In Numbers 25, Phinehas the son of the High Priest kills a sinner with a spear. See God did not want His people to be inter-marrying with the sinful idolatrous world around them. But the Hebrews forgot this so the men of Israel started to have sex and marry the Midianite women. Oh no! God was not happy and He brought about a plague and started to judge the people because of the sin of these men. Well, one day as Moses and the priests were weeping at the entrance to the Tabernacle, a Hebrew man walks right by them and takes a Midianite women into his tent. Well Phinehas sees this, is zealous for the glory of God and follows them into the tent and drives a spear through both the man and the women. God makes a special covenant with Phinehas because he is so zealous for the glory and honor of God, that he went and killed a sinner and the women.

For starters I find it interesting that Phineas' head looks like the tip of a spear and Phinehas killed someone by thrusting a spear through them. But I also find a better connection that is the point of my writing. Phineas is all about and zealous to get the most joy and fulfillment out of his summer. While Phinehas is zealous for the glory of God and His honor. Both of these Phineas/Phinehas are zealous for something. The question begins then are we the Phineas who is zealous for our own pleasure and joy or are we Phinehas who is most zealous for God and His joy and glory? Here are a few questions to help you know what you are zealous about.

Do you speak up when you hear God put down or do you hide?
Do you openly talk about God or do you join the negative dirty talk?
Do you give to God sacrificially or do you spend more money on yourself?
Do you use Saturday for your enjoyment only or does it set you up for God on Sunday?
Would you rather sleep or read your Bible?
Are you lazy or do you take care of the blessings God has given you?
Do you read the Bible with your kids or do you yell at them because they get in the way?
Are you broken and weeping over the glory and honor of God being diminished in your life?

Being zealous is not just an adjective, it is also a verb as you are active in pursing and pushing the honor and glory of God, not only in your life first, but also in the lives of your brothers and sisters around you that have missed or trampled it.