Israel had started conquering various nations. Balak had tried to defeat them using "spiritual" power in the form of Balaam's curses. This had failed and had only resulted in Israel being blessed. So we might think that everything was going OK now, but no. Israel was about to fall.
The Moabites seduced the Israelites, so they indulged in sexual immorality and idol worship. So the judgement of God came upon them. You see, we do not need to fear outside opposition, it is the Lord we should fear. It is not attacks from without, but those from within that are the most serious. Problems of health, finance, etc are not the biggest dangers, it is the state of our own soul. In all situations we need above all else to guard our hearts, for it is the well spring of life (Prov 4:23). In difficult situations our top priority should be to guard our attitudes and actions, to ensure that we still live righteously. If we do so then we can be sure that we will see God's salvation, if we do not we are asking for trouble.
The judgement had come against them in the form of a plague. The plague was stopped as a result of the righteous actions of one man, Phinehas, for he was zealous for the honour of the Lord. The zeal of one man or woman can have an enormous effect.
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