Numbers 31: Vengeance, Purification, and Gratitude
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian.
Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.
And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.
And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses;
Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.
And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:
And levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the Lord.
And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.
And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
And threescore and one thousand asses,
And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:
And the Lord’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the Lord’s tribute was threescore and twelve.
And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the Lord’s tribute was threescore and one.
And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty and two persons.
And Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord’s heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.
And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
(Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
And thirty and six thousand beeves,
And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
And sixteen thousand persons;)
Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.
And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.
And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the Lord, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
Numbers 31 recounts the final military campaign led by Moses, a divinely ordained act of vengeance against the Midianites for their role in leading Israel astray into idolatry. This chapter reveals not only God's justice and holiness but also His provision, protection, and the importance of purification and gratitude. Let's delve into the details of this significant chapter.
God's Command and Israel's Obedience (Numbers 31:1-6)
In Numbers 31:1-2, we see Moses carrying out God's command to execute vengeance on the Midianites. This act was to be Moses' final act as leader before his death. The Midianites had cunningly seduced Israel into the degrading worship of Baal (see Numbers 25:1-18), a betrayal that demanded divine justice.
Understanding the limited nature of this war is crucial. God was leading this campaign in a special way, and therefore, Moses only called for one thousand men from each tribe (Numbers 31:3-6). Each tribe had been affected by the sin of Baal worship, making their involvement in cleansing the source of this sin essential. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, accompanied the troops, bringing with him the holy objects and trumpets (Numbers 31:6). This reminds us of the importance of spiritual leadership and the presence of God in times of conflict. Phinehas’s presence was a reminder of his zeal for God’s holiness in the Peor incident (Numbers 25:6-13).
Victory and Disobedience (Numbers 31:7-12)
The Israelites waged war against Midian as the LORD commanded, killing every male, meaning every soldier (Numbers 31:7). Balaam, the son of Beor, also suffered the consequences of his sin and was killed alongside the Midianite kings (Numbers 31:8; see Numbers 31:16; Romans 6:23).
However, the victory was marred by disobedience. The Israelite troops failed to fully follow the Lord’s command. They took the Midianite women and children captive and plundered the cities (Numbers 31:9-12). This act of disobedience would soon be addressed by Moses.
Moses's Anger and the Purging of Evil (Numbers 31:13-18)
Upon meeting the returning troops, Moses was furious with the officers (Numbers 31:13-14). He realized that some of the captured women were the very ones who had incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness (Numbers 31:15-16), leading them to sexual immorality and the worship of Baal, which resulted in a plague that killed twenty-four thousand Israelites (see Numbers 25:1-18).
Moses then issued a stern command: "Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves" (Numbers 31:17-18). This was a necessary purge of evil to prevent further influence and endangerment of God's covenant people. It was a harsh but necessary measure to protect the spiritual purity of Israel. The execution was intended to remove those who had directly participated in the immorality of the Peor incident, while those who had not participated were permitted to live (Numbers 31:18).
Purification and Cleansing (Numbers 31:19-24)
The soldiers had become ceremonially unclean during the battle and were required to remain outside the camp for seven days with their captives (Numbers 31:19). This period was for ritual purification of themselves and their belongings (Numbers 31:19-20). Items such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead were to be purified through fire and water, while items that could not withstand fire were to be purified with water alone (Numbers 31:22-23). After a week and the washing of clothing, the soldiers could re-enter the camp (Numbers 31:24). This highlights the importance of spiritual and physical cleansing after engaging in warfare or encountering uncleanness.
Dividing the Spoils (Numbers 31:25-47)
Next, Moses and Eleazar oversaw the counting and dividing of the spoils brought back from Midian. Half of the bounty was given to the soldiers who fought the battle, with God requiring a tribute of one out of every five hundred people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats (Numbers 31:25-29). The other half was given to the entire community, with the Lord's tribute being one out of every fifty from the living spoil (Numbers 31:27, 30). The detailed accounting and distribution demonstrate God's concern for justice and order, even in the midst of war. Moses and Eleazar followed the LORD's commands precisely, distributing the soldiers' shares and giving the tribute to Eleazar as a contribution for the LORD (Numbers 31:31-47).
An Offering of Gratitude (Numbers 31:48-54)
The leaders of the troops reported an extraordinary blessing: not one of their soldiers was missing after the battle (Numbers 31:49). Recognizing this as a miraculous act of divine protection, they offered a freewill offering of gold articles—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for themselves (Numbers 31:50). This offering was an expression of profound gratitude to God for his faithfulness and protection.
The “atonement” they spoke of was probably not a reference to some specific sin, but rather a recognition that God’s faithfulness to them was far more than they deserved. This act of thanksgiving is a powerful reminder of the importance of acknowledging God's blessings and responding with generosity. Moses and Eleazar received the gold, weighing 420 pounds (Numbers 31:51-52), and placed it in the tent of meeting as a memorial to the Lord (Numbers 31:54). This offering recognized that everything the Israelites possessed came from the hand of the Lord and served as a reminder that He is able to supply every need. God loves it when giving is done willingly, cheerfully, and generously (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
Numbers 31 serves as a powerful reminder of God's justice, holiness, and the consequences of disobedience. It also underscores the importance of purification, gratitude, and acknowledging God's provision in all aspects of life. The chapter highlights the need to deal decisively with sin and to maintain spiritual purity within the community of faith. Furthermore, it encourages believers to recognize and give thanks for God's protection and blessings, responding with generous and willing hearts.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian.
Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.
And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.
And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses;
Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.
And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:
And levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the Lord.
And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.
And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
And threescore and one thousand asses,
And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:
And the Lord’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the Lord’s tribute was threescore and twelve.
And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the Lord’s tribute was threescore and one.
And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty and two persons.
And Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord’s heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.
And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
(Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
And thirty and six thousand beeves,
And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
And sixteen thousand persons;)
Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.
And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.
And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the Lord, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
Numbers 31 recounts the final military campaign led by Moses, a divinely ordained act of vengeance against the Midianites for their role in leading Israel astray into idolatry. This chapter reveals not only God's justice and holiness but also His provision, protection, and the importance of purification and gratitude. Let's delve into the details of this significant chapter.
God's Command and Israel's Obedience (Numbers 31:1-6)
In Numbers 31:1-2, we see Moses carrying out God's command to execute vengeance on the Midianites. This act was to be Moses' final act as leader before his death. The Midianites had cunningly seduced Israel into the degrading worship of Baal (see Numbers 25:1-18), a betrayal that demanded divine justice.
Understanding the limited nature of this war is crucial. God was leading this campaign in a special way, and therefore, Moses only called for one thousand men from each tribe (Numbers 31:3-6). Each tribe had been affected by the sin of Baal worship, making their involvement in cleansing the source of this sin essential. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, accompanied the troops, bringing with him the holy objects and trumpets (Numbers 31:6). This reminds us of the importance of spiritual leadership and the presence of God in times of conflict. Phinehas’s presence was a reminder of his zeal for God’s holiness in the Peor incident (Numbers 25:6-13).
Victory and Disobedience (Numbers 31:7-12)
The Israelites waged war against Midian as the LORD commanded, killing every male, meaning every soldier (Numbers 31:7). Balaam, the son of Beor, also suffered the consequences of his sin and was killed alongside the Midianite kings (Numbers 31:8; see Numbers 31:16; Romans 6:23).
However, the victory was marred by disobedience. The Israelite troops failed to fully follow the Lord’s command. They took the Midianite women and children captive and plundered the cities (Numbers 31:9-12). This act of disobedience would soon be addressed by Moses.
Moses's Anger and the Purging of Evil (Numbers 31:13-18)
Upon meeting the returning troops, Moses was furious with the officers (Numbers 31:13-14). He realized that some of the captured women were the very ones who had incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness (Numbers 31:15-16), leading them to sexual immorality and the worship of Baal, which resulted in a plague that killed twenty-four thousand Israelites (see Numbers 25:1-18).
Moses then issued a stern command: "Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves" (Numbers 31:17-18). This was a necessary purge of evil to prevent further influence and endangerment of God's covenant people. It was a harsh but necessary measure to protect the spiritual purity of Israel. The execution was intended to remove those who had directly participated in the immorality of the Peor incident, while those who had not participated were permitted to live (Numbers 31:18).
Purification and Cleansing (Numbers 31:19-24)
The soldiers had become ceremonially unclean during the battle and were required to remain outside the camp for seven days with their captives (Numbers 31:19). This period was for ritual purification of themselves and their belongings (Numbers 31:19-20). Items such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead were to be purified through fire and water, while items that could not withstand fire were to be purified with water alone (Numbers 31:22-23). After a week and the washing of clothing, the soldiers could re-enter the camp (Numbers 31:24). This highlights the importance of spiritual and physical cleansing after engaging in warfare or encountering uncleanness.
Dividing the Spoils (Numbers 31:25-47)
Next, Moses and Eleazar oversaw the counting and dividing of the spoils brought back from Midian. Half of the bounty was given to the soldiers who fought the battle, with God requiring a tribute of one out of every five hundred people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats (Numbers 31:25-29). The other half was given to the entire community, with the Lord's tribute being one out of every fifty from the living spoil (Numbers 31:27, 30). The detailed accounting and distribution demonstrate God's concern for justice and order, even in the midst of war. Moses and Eleazar followed the LORD's commands precisely, distributing the soldiers' shares and giving the tribute to Eleazar as a contribution for the LORD (Numbers 31:31-47).
An Offering of Gratitude (Numbers 31:48-54)
The leaders of the troops reported an extraordinary blessing: not one of their soldiers was missing after the battle (Numbers 31:49). Recognizing this as a miraculous act of divine protection, they offered a freewill offering of gold articles—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for themselves (Numbers 31:50). This offering was an expression of profound gratitude to God for his faithfulness and protection.
The “atonement” they spoke of was probably not a reference to some specific sin, but rather a recognition that God’s faithfulness to them was far more than they deserved. This act of thanksgiving is a powerful reminder of the importance of acknowledging God's blessings and responding with generosity. Moses and Eleazar received the gold, weighing 420 pounds (Numbers 31:51-52), and placed it in the tent of meeting as a memorial to the Lord (Numbers 31:54). This offering recognized that everything the Israelites possessed came from the hand of the Lord and served as a reminder that He is able to supply every need. God loves it when giving is done willingly, cheerfully, and generously (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
Numbers 31 serves as a powerful reminder of God's justice, holiness, and the consequences of disobedience. It also underscores the importance of purification, gratitude, and acknowledging God's provision in all aspects of life. The chapter highlights the need to deal decisively with sin and to maintain spiritual purity within the community of faith. Furthermore, it encourages believers to recognize and give thanks for God's protection and blessings, responding with generous and willing hearts.