Numbers 31

 

God Who Had Midian Destroyed (Numbers 31:1-12)

Verse 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

 

Numbers 31 tells the story of the war with Midian that was not concluded in chapter 25. In chapter 25, Israel fell into the temptation of

the Moabites and Midianites and committed the sins of idolatry and sexual immorality. At that time, God was greatly angered and caused

as many as 24,000 Israelites to die by a plague. So in the final part of chapter 25, verses 16-18, He commanded them to treat the Midianites,

who had caused Israel to fall into idolatry and sexual immorality, as enemies and strike them. After that, in chapters 26-30,

He established the regulations for worship, vows, and oaths by which they would always remain only within the covenant of Christ,

and the fulfillment of the command in chapter 25 begins from chapter 31. This is a chapter that makes us certain that the secret to victory

in war is to be only with God.

 

1. The war with Midian (verses 1-12)

1) It is a war in which God judges the enemies who had opposed Israel.

2) Twelve thousand soldiers were armed and came to participate in the holy war against Midian.

3) In verses 6-8, we see that they carried out everything just as the LORD commanded Moses. 

4) They also killed Balaam, who had tempted Israel and led them onto the path of apostasy.

 

2. The reason God had Midian completely destroyed.

1) It was because they had tried to kill Israel, who would hold to and proclaim the covenant of Christ. 

2) Some scholars have criticized the God of the Bible as a cruel god who carries out ethnic extermination.

3) God also carried out the extermination of mankind. 

4) God operates the earth in order to save His chosen people through Christ.

 

3. Victory that depends on God (verses 13-24)

1) With a small force of 12,000 men, they conquered the five kingdoms of Midian.

2) This war was a war in which God went ahead of them. 

3) This war was not simple revenge, but holy judgment. 

4) We, too, must hold to the mystery of victory in the daily spiritual battle.

 

Conclusion: The distribution and consecration of the plunder from the Midianite war (verses 25-54)

1) Moses, who was welcoming the army of Israel, became angry when he saw the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

2) The reason Moses was angry in this way was that they had brought back the Midianite women alive.

3) It was because they must not leave even the slightest root of sin behind.

4) In verses 19-24, Moses commanded the purification ceremony for the soldiers who had returned from the war.

 

God requires holiness from us who have been saved. He made it so that the soldiers who participated in the war, the captives,

and even the plunder all had to go through the process of purification before they could enter the camp of Israel. Therefore, even when

the New Testament age came, God had His saved people follow this principle. “For God did not call us to be impure,

but to live a holy life” (1 Thess. 4:7). God punished Midian, who had tempted Israel through the Peor incident, had the plunder be divided

in holiness, and had the root of sin be thoroughly removed. This teaches that the life of a believer is a spiritual battle that does not

compromise with sin, and that it is the process of carrying out God’s justice. As God’s holy people, we must live by loving only God alone,

relying only on the Lord, longing only for the Lord, and fearing the Lord. Remembering that this spiritual battle is in our hearts,

I bless all of us in the name of the Lord to live in a spiritual state filled with Jesus Christ alone.