Numbers 31-32
An Overview of Chapter 31
At the end of Chapter 25 God instructed Israel to be hostile towards Midian. Now the hostility will be completed in an all out war. One thousand men were chosen from each tribe to fight the Midianites. Phinehas (the priest with Godly jealousy) was selected to carry the trumpets and holy objects to war.
The result of the battle was Israel defeated and killed all five kings of Midian, they killed Balaam the prophet who had betrayed them, and every adult male. They captured all the women, children, cattle, flocks. They plundered their goods, and their slaves. They burned every city and camp. They returned to Israel with all they had captured.
Before they could enter the camp Moses, Eleazar and the leaders of the tribes met them outside camp and Moses was angry. The army had not killed the women who had caused Israel to sin at Peor. Moses instructed all the male children, and all the non-virgin women to be killed. The men of the army had to stay outside the camp for seven days because they had been made unclean by touching the dead Midianites.
The booty was divided, half was given to the 12000 who went to war and half was given to the rest of the nation of Israel. The army paid a tax to the priests and the rest of the nation paid a tax to the Levites. When the officers realized that not one of their men were killed in the war they realized that God had provided the victory for them, so they brought all the gold they had captured to Moses as a gift to God. The total was 16,750 shekels of gold (almost 4 million dollars by today’s standard).
An Overview of Chapter 32
The tribes of Reuben and Gad looked at the land they had just captured and decided it was perfect for them and their livestock. They asked Moses if they could stay their instead of continuing on to the promised land. Moses initial response was anger, he accused them of discouraging their brothers, and being a brood of sinful men that were acting like their forefathers the day the spies returned.
The two dissenting tribes promised to send their men to the promised land to fight alongside the rest of their family, but they wanted to return to Midian. Moses agreed to those terms, and the tribes of Reuben and Gad as well as 1/2 of the tribe of Manasseh rebuild the cities of Midian and rename them. Some of the names are very self honoring, and none of them seem to be honoring to the God who brought them to this land.
Reflection
When you have sin do you remove the cause of the sin or try to live with it? When you recognize that God has provided for you, do you give him the praise or do you claim some of the glory? Are you so happy with where God has you now that you would give up where God is leading you?
For Further Study
Sin will find you out: Genesis 4:7, Genesis 44:16, Psalms 90:8, Psalms 140:11, Proverbs 13:21, Isaiah 3:11, Romans 2:9, 1Corinthians 4:5
At the end of Chapter 25 God instructed Israel to be hostile towards Midian. Now the hostility will be completed in an all out war. One thousand men were chosen from each tribe to fight the Midianites. Phinehas (the priest with Godly jealousy) was selected to carry the trumpets and holy objects to war.
The result of the battle was Israel defeated and killed all five kings of Midian, they killed Balaam the prophet who had betrayed them, and every adult male. They captured all the women, children, cattle, flocks. They plundered their goods, and their slaves. They burned every city and camp. They returned to Israel with all they had captured.
Before they could enter the camp Moses, Eleazar and the leaders of the tribes met them outside camp and Moses was angry. The army had not killed the women who had caused Israel to sin at Peor. Moses instructed all the male children, and all the non-virgin women to be killed. The men of the army had to stay outside the camp for seven days because they had been made unclean by touching the dead Midianites.
The booty was divided, half was given to the 12000 who went to war and half was given to the rest of the nation of Israel. The army paid a tax to the priests and the rest of the nation paid a tax to the Levites. When the officers realized that not one of their men were killed in the war they realized that God had provided the victory for them, so they brought all the gold they had captured to Moses as a gift to God. The total was 16,750 shekels of gold (almost 4 million dollars by today’s standard).
An Overview of Chapter 32
The tribes of Reuben and Gad looked at the land they had just captured and decided it was perfect for them and their livestock. They asked Moses if they could stay their instead of continuing on to the promised land. Moses initial response was anger, he accused them of discouraging their brothers, and being a brood of sinful men that were acting like their forefathers the day the spies returned.
The two dissenting tribes promised to send their men to the promised land to fight alongside the rest of their family, but they wanted to return to Midian. Moses agreed to those terms, and the tribes of Reuben and Gad as well as 1/2 of the tribe of Manasseh rebuild the cities of Midian and rename them. Some of the names are very self honoring, and none of them seem to be honoring to the God who brought them to this land.
Reflection
When you have sin do you remove the cause of the sin or try to live with it? When you recognize that God has provided for you, do you give him the praise or do you claim some of the glory? Are you so happy with where God has you now that you would give up where God is leading you?
For Further Study
Sin will find you out: Genesis 4:7, Genesis 44:16, Psalms 90:8, Psalms 140:11, Proverbs 13:21, Isaiah 3:11, Romans 2:9, 1Corinthians 4:5
posted by Shaun Sells | 9:06 AM
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