Browse Bible Study Resources

Daily Devotions

Psalms

Psalms 
Day 
Day 162

Psalm 106:28 "They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor..."

Day 162 – Psalm 106

“They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor…” Psalm 106:28

IDOLATRY AGAIN

One would have thought that the children of Israel would never have become apostates and turned to idolatry. They had seen the power of God again and again. They had even heard His voice. They had seen the wrath of God revealed when they worshipped the golden calf that Aaron made. Yet the sad reality was that they turned to idolatry once again.

“They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor,
And ate sacrifices made to the dead.
Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.”
Psalm 106:28-29

1. “They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor”

a) Baal was the god of the Moabites.
b) Peor was a mountain.
c) This was the mountain where Balaam the false prophet tried to curse Israel (Numbers 23:28).

2. “And ate sacrifices made to the dead”

a) King Balak of Moab had hired Balaam to curse Israel because of fear of the nation (Numbers 22:1-6).
b) Yet Israel now turned to worship Baal of the Moabites.
c) And were even having fellowship meals (post worship) that were dedicated to the dead.

3. “Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds”

a) This was very severe provocation.
b) The children of Israel had not heeded specific commandments not to worship other gods.
c) To worship the Moabite god Baal was absurd for the Moabites had evil intentions towards Israel.

4. “The plague broke out among them” (Numbers 25)

a) God had to take divine action against the children of Israel.
b) The punishment had to commensurate with the gravity of their sin.
c) A plague was sent to afflict the people to help them comprehend the seriousness of their sin.