Baal Peor is mentioned several times in the Bible as a pagan god that the Israelites worshipped and sacrificed to, provoking the anger of God. The name means “Lord of Peor”, and Peor seems to refer to a mountain or site where Baal was worshipped (Numbers 23:28).
The first mention of Baal Peor is in Numbers 25. The Israelites were encamped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan River, across from Jericho. The Moabite women invited the Israelite men to the sacrifices of their gods, and the Israelite men ate food sacrificed to dead idols and yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. They bowed down to these gods and worshipped them, abandoning the Lord. This provoked the Lord’s anger and he sent a plague among the Israelites. In total, 24,000 died in the plague.
To atone for the people’s sin, the Lord instructed Moses to impale the leaders of those who yoked themselves to Baal Peor, exposing them to the Lord’s wrath and turning away his anger from Israel. Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, took a spear and killed an Israelite man and a Midianite woman in the act of copulating near the tent of meeting. This zeal for the Lord’s honor turned away His wrath and the plague was stopped (Numbers 25:1-9).
Later, God reminds the Israelites through Moses to not intermarry with those who would cause them to turn away from following the Lord as happened at Peor, otherwise the Lord’s anger would again burn against them (Deuteronomy 7:1-5).
After conquering the lands east of the Jordan, the tribes of Reuben and Gad requested to settle there as the land was good for livestock. Moses agreed on the condition that they cross the Jordan and fight with their fellow Israelites until the land was conquered, and he referenced the sin at Peor as an example of what could happen if they did not go over and fight. He warned that if they stayed back, they might turn the rest of the Israelites away from crossing over, as happened with Balaam who caused them to trespass against the Lord at Peor with consequences of the plague (Numbers 32:1-23).
Later in Joshua’s farewell address to the people, he referenced the plague that came upon Israel at Peor as an example of what God did to ensure they feared him and walked in obedience (Joshua 22:17; 24:9-10).
The final mention is a prophecy in Hosea chapter 9, where God laments that Israel has deeply corrupted themselves like in the days of Gibeah (when the concubine was raped and murdered). God declares that he will remember their iniquity, he will punish their sins, and Ephraim shall become a desolation. Verse 10 states: “When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the wilderness; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.” (Hosea 9:10).
So in summary, Baal Peor was a Moabite god associated with the mountain Peor that the Israelites worshipped and sacrificed to instead of the Lord. This provoked God’s anger to the point he sent a plague that killed 24,000. After Phinehas turned away God’s wrath by killing an offending man and woman, the Israelites were commanded to turn from the worship of Baal Peor and destroy the Midianites who had induced them to sin there. Baal Peor served as a recurring example of what would happen if Israel turned away from the Lord and worshipped false gods.
Key Events Related to the Worship of Baal Peor
Here are some of the key events that Scripture records in relation to the worship of Baal Peor:
- While camped in the plains of Moab, Israelite men began to sexually intermingle with Moabite women and bow down to their gods (Numbers 25:1-3).
- This provoked the Lord’s anger and he sent a deadly plague that killed 24,000 Israelites (Numbers 25:4-9).
- Phinehas turned away God’s wrath by killing an Israelite man and Midianite woman in the act of sexual immorality and worship of Baal Peor (Numbers 25:6-8, 10-13).
- The Lord instructed Moses to kill the leaders of those who worshipped Baal Peor as atonement for Israel (Numbers 25:4-5).
- The Israelites were prohibited from intermarrying with foreign women who would cause them to worship other gods, like what happened at Peor (Deuteronomy 7:1-5).
- Moses warned Reuben and Gad not to stay on the east side of Jordan lest they discourage the other tribes from crossing over, as happened with the trespass at Peor (Numbers 32:1-23).
- Joshua referenced the plague at Peor as an example of what God did to make Israel fear Him (Joshua 22:17).
- In his farewell speech, Joshua recalled the plague sent by God at Peor (Joshua 24:9-10).
- Through Hosea, God laments that Israel deeply corrupted themselves at Baal Peor (Hosea 9:10).
The Nature of the Worship of Baal Peor
Though details are limited, Scripture gives some indication of the nature of the worship of Baal Peor:
- It involved sacrificing and bowing down to graven images and dead idols (Numbers 25:2, Psalm 106:28).
- The worship included sexual immorality, likely in the form of ritual prostitution (Numbers 25:1, 6-8; 31:15-16).
- The Israelites “yoked” themselves to Baal Peor, indicating binding covenant ties (Numbers 25:3, 5).
- Israel joined itself to Baal Peor, “ate sacrifices made to the dead”, and provoked the Lord’s anger (Psalm 106:28-29).
- Hosea calls Peor a “shameful idol” indicating fertility cult worship (Hosea 9:10).
- As a god, Baal Peor was believed to inhabit a certain location associated with the mountain Peor (Numbers 23:28).
So the worship of Baal Peor involved both sexual rituals and sacrificial offerings made to an idol representing a pagan god believed to reside at a certain location. It was highly offensive to God because it broke the first two commandments by worshipping a false god and making idols.
God’s Response to the Worship of Baal Peor
Scripture records several ways God responded to punish the worship of Baal Peor by the Israelites:
- He sent a deadly plague that killed 24,000 (Numbers 25:9).
- He commanded impaling the Israelite leaders who worshipped Baal Peor and exposing them before the Lord (Numbers 25:4).
- He honored the zeal of Phinehas who killed an offending couple in the very act of ritual prostitution and idol worship at Peor (Numbers 25:11-13).
- He prohibited intermarriage with foreign women who would cause them to worship false gods, under penalty of His wrath (Deuteronomy 7:1-5).
- He later punished Israel’s continued idolatry by allowing them to be conquered and exiled (2 Kings 17:7-23).
In addition to immediate punishment, the worship of Baal Peor had ongoing consequences:
- God nearly consumed Israel in His anger before Phinehas intervened (Numbers 25:11).
- It led to further judgment including the execution of the Midianite leaders who induced the Israelites to sin (Numbers 25:16-18).
- It served as a recurring example of what would happen if Israel abandoned the Lord for idols (Numbers 32:14-15; Joshua 22:17; 24:9-10).
So God responded to the worship of Baal Peor by immediate plague and capital punishment upon the leaders and intermarriage prohibition, as well as long-term consequences for Israel’s continued unfaithfulness to Him.
Lessons Learned from the Worship of Baal Peor
The incident of Israel worshipping Baal Peor teaches important spiritual lessons:
- God intensely hates idolatry and will judge severely those who practice it.
- Sexual immorality and idolatry are often connected as forms of spiritual adultery.
- Even believers can be tempted to compromise with surrounding culture and adopt pagan religious practices.
- Dabbling in false religion has consequences – it opens demonic strongholds that lead to judgment.
- National repentance is needed to stay God’s wrath against sin and turn away punishment.
- Spiritual leaders must confront those practicing idolatry and prune it from the body.
- In an idolatrous society, intermarriage with unbelievers often leads to adopting their pagan practices.
- Drastic measures like Phinehas’ may be required to stem the tide of apostasy and stay God’s anger.
- Guarding purity in worship and doctrine is essential for preserving true faith in God.
The account serves as a sobering reminder for believers in any age about the dangers of compromise with the world and corrupting influences of idolatry. It underscores the need for moral vigilance and spiritual zeal in opposing false religion by confronting it and removing it from the Church and society.
The Significance of Baal Peor in Israel’s History
The worship of Baal Peor was a major turning point early in Israel’s wilderness journey that had far-reaching effects:
- It was Israel’s first act of idolatry after God powerfully delivered them from Egypt.
- It showed their vulnerability to pagan influences and preference for cultural accommodation over holiness.
- The plague God sent was a national catastrophe that wiped out a huge number of people.
- It was a bellwether event foreshadowing later apostasies as Israel repeatedly abandoned God for idols.
- God used it as a perpetual warning of the dangers of fraternizing with pagan cultures.
- The zeal shown by Phinehas established a precedent for active spiritual opposition to apostasy.
- It affirmed the need for racial purity and separation from unbelievers and their immoral influences.
- The aftermath with Midian showed God would judge those who induced His people into idolatry.
For these reasons, though a short incident, the worship of Baal Peor marked a critical juncture where Israel’s inclination toward idolatry first surfaced in a pronounced way. Its repercussions shaped national policy and identity for generations to come as Israel struggled to eradicate baal worship and maintain purity of faith in God.
Baal Peor in Contrast to Pure Worship of God
Scripture contrasts the worship of Baal Peor with true worship of God in several ways:
- Baal Peor involved sacrifices to dead idols, whereas God wants living sacrifices of hearts, minds and bodies offered to Him (Numbers 25:2; Romans 12:1).
- Peor worship focused on sexual immorality, but God calls His people to moral purity and holiness (Numbers 25:1-2; 1 Peter 1:13-16).
- Israel’s worship of Baal Peor provoked God to anger, yet He desires worship in spirit and truth (Numbers 25:3; John 4:23-24).
- The idolatry at Peor led to judgment and death, but true worship results in spiritual life to those who believe Christ (Numbers 25:9; John 6:47).
- God hates idolatry but loves and desires wholehearted commitment that worships Him alone (Deuteronomy 5:9; Matthew 22:37).
- Worship of Baal Peor catered to human fleshly desires, but true worship serves God’s desires through His enabling Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25; Philippians 3:3).
The incident highlights key distinctions between empty religion that caters to human sinful cravings versus true worship governed by love, obedience and purity before a holy God.
The Allure of Idolatry and Lessons for Today
Scripture shows how easily God’s people can be enticed by cultural and religious trends that compromise faith:
- Idolatry has an appeal to human fleshly desires that must be guarded against (Galatians 5:19-21).
- It often masks itself as tolerant, sophisticated, or intellectually appealing to win converts (Colossians 2:8).
- Its rise reflects diminishing love and passion for Christ among His followers (Revelation 2:4-5).
- A little tolerated idolatry spreads quickly like yeast if not confronted and removed (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).
- Idolatry incites God’s anger because it betrays His covenant love and righteousness (Psalm 78:56-64).
- It exchanges the glory and truth of God for empty lies and practices (Romans 1:18-25).
The spirit behind Baal Peor threatens the Church today through sexual immorality, doctrinal compromise, materialism, tolerance of sin, and embracing other religions. Believers must remain vigilant against subtle drifts toward loving the world more than God and His ways. Clinging to Christ and His word is the safeguard against idolatry.
Conclusion
The story of Baal Peor serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of idolatry and consequences of God’s people embracing pagan religious practices. Though details are limited, it illustrates the corrupt nature of such worship in God’s sight. The zeal exhibited by Phinehas provides an example of active spiritual opposition needed to counter apostasy. God’s people today must guard against doctrinal compromise and maintain moral vigilance, confronting and opposing any drift toward idolatry in the Church. Spiritual apathy and lack of separation from worldly influences open the door to idolatry gaining influence as it did in Israel. But walking closely with Christ and adhering to Scripture protects against such deception.