The LORD’s vengeance upon the Midianites and dividing the spoils of war! Numbers CH 31

Truth In Scripture Pastor Rick Kabrick Thursday, February 13, 2025Numbers Part 31 Ch 31.The LORD’s vengeance upon the Midianites and dividing the spoils of war!
Pastor Rick KabrickPO BOX 595 Tiverton RI 02878www.paypal.me/PastorRickkwww.truthinscripture.org
Moses is angered by the soldiers' decision to spare the Midianite women. He commands them to kill every male child and non-virgin woman but allows the virgin women to live.
Many see Ch 31 of numbers as a very difficult Ch because of the destruction of the Midianites.Many Pastors, congregations teach that GOD, although HE is indeed the creator of the Heavens and earth, HE is more like a kindly grandfather and friend, and less like the Mighty Creator and King. The Mighty Creator and King Who stands above all things and demands our faithfulness and obedience to HIM.
The Law says that the consequence of adultery is death; so, GOD’s justice demanded that more than 24,000 Israelites died of a divine plague due to their adultery with Chemosh, the god of Moab. Midian is a people who are NOT GOD’s people, but who have intentionally drawn GOD’s people away from HIM. This is adultery in that they GOD’s people went astray.
The LORD orders that the Israelite army will NOT do battle using all of the more than 600,000 men of Israel; rather they are to select 1,000 from each tribe for a total of 12,000. There is some debate on whether the Levites were involved.
Because these were the women who led the Hebrew men astray (rather easily we can suspect); and as a result of the actions of these women 24,000 Israelites were slain by the LORD GOD.
PSA 145:17, The LORD is righteous in all HIS ways and faithful in all HE does.
The war is announced by the LORD GOD, not Moses. It was ‘the LORD’s vengeance’ because of the wickedness of the Midianites. Because it was specifically commanded by the LORD, this was also a test of Israel’s obedience.
This second generation of Israel (since they left Egypt), now poised in the plains of Moab opposite Jericho, was facing the same moral, ethical, and spiritual dilemma that the first generation had faced in the wilderness.Would they be faithful to their unique covenant relationship with GOD or succumb to the temptations that lay ever before them? Including fear and doubt.
DEU 32:35, It is MINE to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”
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 signaling.