Day 67 – Numbers 31-32

Talking Points

• Moses receives his final set of instructions before he dies. He is to direct the Israelites to make war against the Midianites, “to execute the LORD’S vengeance on Midian” (31:3).
• We now find out that while Balaam couldn’t curse the sons of Israel, he did counsel Balak to invite them into idolatry and adultery. God sends His judgment in the form of 12,000 fighting men of Israel.
• The victory is decisive and swift. All of the males and the five kings of Midian are killed. For his part in the Israelites’ rebellion, Balaam is also killed. The females are spared and taken captive. Then, Moses reminds them that it was the women who led the Israelites into sin. He commands that only the virgin Midianite females should be allowed to live. All of the rest are killed. We see the strong call to remove all sin and enticements to sin from the camp.
• After the victory over the Midianites, the descendants of Gad and Reuben see the land of abundance on the east side of the Jordan River. They ask Moses if they can settle there. Moses thinks they are rebelling as their forefathers had and are refusing to go into the Promised Land. After they assure him that they will help fight for the land, securing it for the other tribes, Moses grants their request.

Thoughts

There is no getting around the difficult issue of God commanding the killing of entire nations in the Old Testament. And, make no mistake, this is a profound and complex discussion. There have been many accusations and criticisms thrown at God in regard to His ordering people killed in execution of His judgment.

Remember that our main purpose in reading through the Bible is that we might know God. So, when we come to challenging texts like this, we must remember who God is:

• God is the Creator of everything, the Giver of all life, sustaining everything by His power.
• He is holy — completely separate, unique, perfect, sinless.
• The Lord is infinite in nature and therefore, He is infinite in each of His other attributes. (infinitely good, infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, etc.)
• He is all-knowing.
• God is all-powerful.
• He is good.
• He is gracious.
• God is merciful and patient.
• Our God is perfectly just.
• He is righteous in all that He does.
• The Lord is loving — infinitely so.
• God is faithful. Not one word of His shall fail.
• And, so He is trustworthy.
• He is jealous for us, desiring our sincere love and devotion to Him, alone.
• God is forgiving. He is the One who promised to send a Deliverer.
• He is the Author and Perfecter of faith. It was all His idea, His design, and His fulfillment.
• The Lord truly knows what is best for us, and He wants that for us.
• He is God alone, Lord over all, King of Kings.

And, so, with these truths about His character in mind, we are better able to navigate such challenging questions. God will always do the good thing, the right thing, the needed thing because of His nature. He can’t do anything else. And, when our minds and our human logic and reasoning fall short, remember this: we cannot presume to bring God down to our level. He is not normal, and we are not holy. Simply, He is God, and we are not. And, that is a good thing!