Numbers 25

Today's reading was quite short, but further reinforces two of the commandments God had given the Israelites: do not commit adultery, and do not have any gods before Yahweh. This is a theme we will see recur throughout the history of the nation of Israel - they will be tempted away by other peoples around them (whether sexually or otherwise) and then that leads to worship of foreign gods, which incurs God's wrath. On this occasion that resulted in over 24,000 deaths by plague; I suspect in the future the punishment may be even more severe.