Numbers 31:1-24
Vengeance on the Midianites
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian. 4 A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”
5 So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand. 7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. 11 And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.
Return from the War
12 Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.
15 And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? 16 Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. 18 But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. 19 And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20 Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses: 22 Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water. 24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”
The LORD called for a holy vengeance of retribution against the ungodly who had intentionally and cunningly led Israel astray before. This included killing Balaam who caused them to sin (Revelation 2:14) as being instrumental in Balak’s attacks through evil counsel and which sins of idolatry through immorality were committed with (Numbers 25:1-3) the faithless idolaters of that land. God did not demand genocide nor ethnic cleansing, but spiritual cleansing from these who were opposed to His morality and worship. This is also the reason behind the killing of the occupiers of the promised land of Canaan so the chosen people of the LORD could inhabit the country promised to Abraham for all His people as those idolaters who were opposed to Him were commanded to be driven out (Numbers 33:52, 53-54) and destroyed. This was also to be the last battle for Moses before he was gathered to his people beyond the grave. However, the army did not understand or obey the command to kill all but the children in their campaign; they brought back the grown women for themselves, the same women who previously led the people into worship of their dead gods of stone and wood from earthly origins carved by godless men. They then killed them all but the young virgin girls to be raised in a godly culture, who had not been led into idolatry and immorality yet. If the people of God wanted wives from these people, it would have to be ones brought up in the admonition of the LORD and not in pagan practices. The army then had to stand outside the camp for purification from all the bloodshed for a week before entering in again after washing their stained clothing before coming back. The precept was also introduced that only metals which could be purified through fire could be kept as spoils of war. Only purified and righteous gain was permitted so that the corrupting influence of the ungodly would not taint the people called to be holy (Leviticus 19:1-2, 20:7-8, 1 Peter 1:15-16) as and because He is holy. They were to keep His statutes, not worship statues or have intimate relationships with those not intimate with their LORD God, just as we are called to live in holiness (Romans 6:12-13, 1 Corinthians 6:15, 16-17, 19-20) of body and soul. In the final judgment there will be holy vengeance on those opposing the gospel and accountability for those living for sinful gain in the passing pleasures of sin when we should instead be pursuing holy purification from within and without to honor Him. May we then fight the good fight according to His word and not the culture around us as we prepare for the heavenly promised land in all holiness of our conformity to Christ in our sanctification.
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