February 17, 2026 - Numbers 25-26

Throughout the Bible are stories of individuals who step up and stand out from all others.  Once again, this time at Peor, the people followed unholy people and committed idolatry, worshiping Baal.  In his wrath, the Lord struck down many Israelites.  But Phineas stood up!  “When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.  Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.   And the LORD said to Moses, “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.  Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace,  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’” (25:7-13).

Marching with the heroes,

Comrades of the strong,

Lift we hearts and voices

As we march along;

O the joyful music

All in chorus raise!

Theirs the song of triumph,

Ours the song of praise.

Glory to the heroes,

Who, in days of old,

Trod the path of duty,

Faithful, wise and bold;

For the right unflinching,

Strong the weak to save,

Warriors all and freemen,

Fighting for the slave.

So we sing the story

Of the brave and true,

Till among the heroes

We are heroes, too;

Loyal to our Captain

Like the men of yore,

Marching with the heroes,

Onward, evermore.   --William George Tarrant (1914)