Slices
Prepare
Before reading this chapter, remind yourself of the character of God through Psalm 103.
Bible passage
Vengeance on the Midianites
31 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 signalling.
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 opposite 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.’
Explore
This must be one of the most distasteful chapters of the Bible. It apparently condones genocide, including the destruction of children, and the distribution of women as commodities for men. If ever there was a chapter that needed to be read in the wider context of the whole Bible, this is it!
It could be argued that these gruesome actions were simply Moses’ personal interpretation of the Lord’s command to ‘take vengeance on the Midianites’, particularly as, under Balaam, their women had been responsible for leading Israelite men into idolatry (vs 15,16). However, it’s uncomfortable reading.
Whether we acknowledge him or not, our modern reading of chapters like this is impacted by Jesus. Ancient history is littered with similar accounts of vengeance, devoid of any hint of embarrassment or shame, and the editors of Numbers seemed to find nothing in this chapter to object to. But in Jesus, a new way of thinking was introduced because he triumphed over ‘the powers and authorities’ by the cross, the epitome of shame and weakness (Colossians 2:15). This is why we find this chapter so difficult.
We may consider ourselves perfectly civilised and above the behaviour of the Israelites. But modern history shows that this is not the case. Every thought needs to be brought into subjection to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Respond
Do I consider myself morally superior to some people or cultures? (See 1 Corinthians 4:4.)
Deeper Bible study
Think about what God says he wants: ‘I want justice – oceans of it. I want fairness – rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.’1
In modern legal systems, bringing a wrongdoer to justice involves several parties: a prosecutor brings charges against the accused; a judge decides questions of law; a jury determines questions of fact; and, for capital punishment, an executioner carries out the sentence.
Today’s passage is hard and horrifying, but recognising that Israel is not practising vigilante justice may mitigate our feelings. God is both prosecutor and judge, Israel merely the executioner. Midian and Moab had joined forces to thwart God’s purposes, first by hiring Balaam to curse God’s people, then by seducing them to sin. As prosecutor, the Lord accused them of deceiving the Israelites in the Peor incident (v 16); as judge, he weighed the evidence, found them guilty and delivered his verdict: ‘Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.’2 Today’s passage focuses on the executioner charged with carrying out this sentence (vs 2,3) and obliged to do so exactly ‘as the Lord commanded’ (v 7). Therefore, sparing the women is not regarded as an act of mercy but as dangerous disobedience (vs 15–18) because the Midianites might again become a ‘snare’ among God’s people, enticing them to sin.3 But God’s favour towards his people is never favouritism. They themselves must stand before the same holy judge: later, foreign nations like Assyria and Babylon would serve as executioners of God’s judgement. God reminds Israel, ‘It is not because of your righteousness … that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations’.4 Even Moses was not exempt; his disobedience at Meribah had been judged5 and God’s sentence would soon be carried out (v 2).
Take to heart Peter’s warning: ‘...don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.’6
1 Amos 5:24, The Message 2 Num 25:17,18 3 Exod 34:12–16 4 Deut 9:5 5 Num 20:12 6 1 Pet 1:17, The Message
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ecclesiastes 4,5; 2 Thessalonians 3
Pray for Scripture Union
Join Local Mission Partner Hope for the Valleys in giving thanks for the opportunities they’ve had to visit schools in the year since Mick Moffett joined the team working in the South Wales Valleys. Pray for more doors to be opened especially as they take the SU football cage to different venues.
