A Childlike Approach to God’s Word

This sermon centers on the necessity of approaching Scripture with a childlike humility, recognizing God’s sovereignty and our own smallness, especially when confronting difficult passages like Numbers 25. It emphasizes that true understanding requires time, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and a posture of surrender rather than judgment. By examining the immediate context—Israel’s journey from bondage to the Promised Land, God’s active intervention through Balaam, and the shocking sin of idolatry and harlotry—the preacher highlights the gravity of spiritual compromise. The broader context of Scripture is then brought into focus, revealing that the ultimate theme is the glory of God in the redemptive work of Christ, with Phinehas’s zeal foreshadowing Christ’s atoning sacrifice. The sermon culminates in a call to live in continual dependence on God, guarding the heart with childlike faith, knowing that only through Christ’s finished work is the plague of sin truly checked and eternal life secured.