Psalm 106 offers a helpful commentary on one of the best known biblical characters, Moses, and one of the least known, Phineas. Oddly, Moses comes out the worse for the comparison, and the reason why offers some very helpful direction for leaders in the community of faith.
In the Book of Numbers, the people are notoriously difficult, given to complaining, on the verge of open rebellion to God and leadership, and constantly tempting God to destroy them. Moses occasionally gets so frustrated with them that he asks God to kill him so that he might be relieved of his duty. Anyone who has put in more than a few years in religious leadership has probably prayed the same prayer at some point or another.
Psalm 106 refers to two incidents of the Hebrews unfaithfulness and contrasts the leadership offered by Phineas and Moses. In one instance, the Hebrews sinned against God by intermarrying with Gentiles and God sent a plaque to kill them off. Phineas prayed and interceded before God, and in a particularly gruesome biblical scene, impaled a couple with a spear. In the other instance, the people complained about having clean, fresh water to drink. When they came to a place called Meribah, Moses made them drink bitter water. God condemned Moses for it.
Weird stories, both of them. What's interesting is Psalm 106's commentary. Psalm 106 says that Moses that the story about the bitter water ("Meribah" means "bitter") is about Moses allowing his heart to get bitter. The story says that he spoke rash words to the people.
Phineas, in contrast, met the unfaithfulness of the people with intercession. He held back the plague.
We are sinners, all of us. We are a band of grumbling, complaining, reluctant, unfaithful, beloved disciples. All disciples are inclined to look around at the rest of the crew of to get frustrated with the others. All of us are inclined from time to time to mentally separate ourselves from the others and to condemn the others. This was Moses's sin--he put himself in God's category and put the sinful people in another category. He let himself get bitter toward the people. He allowed his bitterness to erupt into rash words. he spread his bitterness of soul and voice to the people.
Phineas met the unfaithfulness of the people with an understanding that he, too, was part of a sinful people and that he, too needed God's mercy lest he be destroyed. He stood between God and the people and took a stand for the right. The violent way in which he did it is something we might condemn. But the position he takes (as Psalm 106 describes it) is something we should emulate. He stands with the people and between them and God's judgment in repentance and integrity seeking God's mercy.
When we meet with unfaithfulness in the community, we can easily condemn the others, allow our heart to become bitter and our words to become rash. This ends badly for us and for the people. Or we can take the role of the intercessor, recognizing that we, too are likewise unfaithful and stand condemned and in need of mercy. Those who become bitter become the conduit of their bitterness poisoning the community. Those who choose intercession become the conduit of the mercy and grace of God redeeming the community.
