There are a lot of gruesome stories in the Old Testament, difficult to know how to apply in our context. I saw this one (again) the other day, but something jumped out that I hadn’t seen before. The Israelites are in the wilderness, and suddenly an orgy breaks out involving the men of Israel and the women of Moab. Moses starts executing leaders, and the congregation has gathered at the tabernacle to mourn over their sin. Then this:

And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the chamber… (Numbers 25.6 – 8, ESV)

The text goes on to say that Phinehas killed both of them and that the Lord was pleased with his action! (See Numbers 25)

Bob, there’s a lesson? Yes! What I saw this time was “He rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand…” There’s a time to gather and repent, and there’s a time to leave the congregation and take action.

While I was casting about for a practical example, Breakpoint came to the rescue with a story about Amy Carmichael, missionary to India in the early 1900s. Here’s a snippet:

One day, a young girl named Preena, who had been sold as a temple slave by her widowed mother and literally branded when she tried to run away, listened as Amy Carmichael told of God’s love. Preena ran away again, this time to Amy’s house. Amy knew that if she took Preena in, she could be charged with kidnapping. However, she also knew to send Preena back would mean further beatings or even death. Driven by the truth of the gospel, Amy welcomed Preena into her home. – Breakpoint, March 16, 2021

The whole article is worth reading. Amy Carmichael ended up saving over 1,000 children from temple prostitution and influencing the Indian government to outlaw the practice in 1947.

Sometimes it’s not enough to gather in our churches and lament the problem. Someone has to take up a spear! I’m praying about what that might look like for me.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7.24, ESV, emphasis mine)

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16.9. 10, ESV)