Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 31

The Salvation and Justice of God
Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 31

One of the most disturbing stories in the entire Bible is the story of Moses’ extermination of the Midianites. Why did Moses want the Israelites to kill not only the males, but also all the boys and married women? How can we make sense of this tragic slaughter?

Although it is difficult to understand this passage, I believe that it points to a consistent pattern in God’s nature. When a nation remains unrepentant, God’s judgment will fall upon that nation. However, he always gives plenty of opportunities for salvation and repentance.

Plenty of Time to Repent

When God appeared to Abraham in Genesis 15:16, he told Abraham an important message about the Canaanites. God said that before he allowed Abraham’s family to inherit the land of Canaan, the people of Israel would first live in Egypt for 400 years. Why? Because the sins of the Amorites (a group of Canaanites) were not yet complete. In other words, their sins did not yet deserve complete annihilation.

Abraham’s descendants would live in Egypt, growing stronger and more numerous. They would eventually be used to destroy the Canaanites. But first, God would give these wicked people four centuries to repent.

Let’s look at a practical way that the Canaanites could have repented and entrusted their destiny to God’s plan. In the time of Joseph, there was a severe famine that affected not only all of Egypt, but also all of Canaan. Joseph’s brothers, who still lived in Canaan, went to Egypt to buy food. (See Genesis 41:56, 42:5, 29, 43:1)
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