A Covenant of Peace

Numbers 25:10-13 says “ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.” The Covenant of Peace is that of the Priesthood. God tells Phinehas that because he was Zealous for his sake he would made a Covenant of Peace with him, then he explains this covenant of peace is an everlasting Priesthood. They were supposed to offer sacrifices to God, but they rebelled against God: Malachi 2:4-8 says “And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.” Phinehas’ name means “mouth of the serpent” that seems strange, but if you remember the story of the flying serpents it will all make sense: Numbers 21:5-9 says “And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” Isn’t it interesting that Jesus, the High Priest of our profession was zealous for the Father? Psalms 69:9 says “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” Jesus bare our sins on the tree, and God made of Christ an Everlasting Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Jesus said in John 3:14-15 says “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” It would be this peace through the Spirit of God that would establish a royal priesthood beginning at Jerusalem, then all the world. Hebrews 13:20 says “Now the God of peace (the priesthood), that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,” the Priesthood gives the Everlasting Covenant of the Eucharist.”

-Anthony Booker