seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Numbers 31:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
3 So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. 4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
7 They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8 Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. 10 They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. 11 They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, 12 and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.
13 Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.
15 “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. 16 “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
19 “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. 20 Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.”
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: 22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead 23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”
Well, I left out some chapters. I didn't write about Moses appointing Joshua to take his place. God told Moses it was time. Moses asked God to put someone in his place so the Israelites wouldn't be wondering around Canaan without a leader. God chose Joshua.I skipped over the instructions for the offerings. There were the Daily, Weekly, and Monthly offerings. I skipped over the instructions for the feasts. There were festivals for Passover, weeks, trumpets, atonement, and tabernacles.
I also left out a half a chapter about the requirements of a vow. If a woman made a vow and the man in charge didn't say anything, the vow took hold. But if a man didn't like the vow, he could renege.
Now... on to the vengeance on the Midianites and the taking of the virgins.
Here's the link to the commentary I read.
“The Midianites were a large confederation of tribes, associated with various smaller groups… They roamed through the arid lands of the Sinai, the Negeb and Transjordan. Here it is those Midianites associated with Moab that are picked out for vengeance.” (Wenham)
Take vengeance: We are generally uncomfortable with the idea of vengeance because it doesn’t seem consistent with God’s love. Yet, in the right context, vengeance is something good that God is interested in.
The Scriptures repeatedly speak of the vengeance of God as a positive thing. Evil comes when we take vengeance into our own hands.
In this circumstance, Israel was in a unique place — with a special call to be an instrument of God’s vengeance. This is something no person should take upon themselves today, knowing that ancient Israel had this unique place in God’s plan.
So, when God-ordained instruments of authority (such as government) take vengeance on evildoers, we as Christians can be at peace, knowing that good has been done when vengeance has been executed.
And they warred against the Midianites: According to the custom of the day, all the males were killed, and the women and children were taken as servants, with all the possessions being taken as spoil.
Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword: Balaam, who had masterminded the strategy by which Israel would be seduced into sexual immorality and idolatry, and who did it all for money, was now dead. He was judged by the vengeance of God, and his money did him no good.
Keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately: Therefore, all the women who had known a man intimately were to be killed. But ones who had not been connected with the immorality and idolatry of the Midianites could be kept alive.
Every male among the little ones: These also had to be killed. This was harsh but done with the understanding that in that ancient culture, the boys would have grown into men with the solemn responsibility to avenge their father’s death and to perpetuate Midianite culture — which in itself was anti-God.
I always wondered about the "virgin" thing. I wondered where that came from. Now I know. In recent history, captives were taken by Hamas and the "virgins" were raped. It's war. It's not Godly and nice. God isn't always nice. Sometimes he has to "put down" some humans and that is never pretty to watch. Once again... women were treated differently than men. Women survived the battle only to be taken hostage and raped [if they were virgin].
Then the boys were all killed so they wouldn't grow up to avenge their dad's death.... or the rape of a little girl they knew.
After the battle with the Midianites, the soldiers had to purify themselves outside of camp for a week. I'm reminded of a statement from the 70's... "Clear your mind and your ass will follow". I dont' know if that's a really good verse for those guys who had to purify themselves outside of camp... but it seems to me that they would lose some of that "fight or flight" energy from the battlefield. They would have time to calm down and wipe all the blood off their body and mind.
So... taking virgins as hostages began back there in the desert before the Israelites passed into Canaan.
My Online Bible titled this "Vengeance on Midianites".
I will title this "Taking of the virgins".
