1 Corinthians 10:8 – Baal-Peor

Nor yet may we be committing prostitution, according as some of them commit prostitution, and fall in one day twenty-three thousand.

After the pitfall of idolatry, Paul mentions the one of fornication and refers to the history in Numbers 25. The people have come to the fields of Moab, on the others side of the Jordan river. The young women of Moab invited the Israelites to sacrifice to their god Baal-Peor and that of course went hand in hand with fornication (25:1,2). The name Baal-Peor means ‘owner of the opening’ and is a little concealing reference to the female sexual organ. God took the evil committed by Israel very serious and twenty-three thousand fell and in total one thousand more, in one day (Num. 25:9).

Idolatry and fornication always go hand in hand. Where one strays from the one GOD, one also forgets what faithfulness is. The essence of fornication is: sexual intercourse separate from marriage. In other words: being one flesh with someone other than your own wife or husband (1 Cor. 6:16). Corinth was known for its fornication (Gr. porneia); Paul had already referred to it several times. But believers in Christ Jesus are sanctified and may witness and live from GOD’s faithfulness!

Delen: