Day 67—  Now that we’ve passed Day 66, it’s 100% likely that we have established a “habit.” So CELEBRATE your habit of daily Bible reading! We are in the THIRD month so far! Praise God!

   Day 67 – Numbers 31 – 32 (War on Midian, The questionable spoil, Special request of some tribes.)

In Chapter 31, the LORD speaks to Moses to go to war against the Midianites, as an act of divine vengeance.  WHY??  You remember in previous chapters how, when he couldn’t “curse” Israel, that Balaam told the king to “conquer” Israel by deviate actions. If they sent their seductive women (with their Baal idols) into the camp, Israel would grab the women and forsake their God.

This happened, and you remember the outcome. Death and plague, and Phinehas’ bold move in killing an arrogant leader with a pagan woman.

Now, Israel was to get a taste of what they would be doing once inside the Promised Land – fighting, conquering, destroying the pagan Canaanite peoples to purify worship of the one and only true God. 12,000 soldiers (with our hero Phinehas) are sent against Midian and they kill every male, including the five kings and their chief men. AND…the false prophet, Balaam got his due as well.

BUT!!!! Another lesson needed to be taught. The now available pagan women with their idols were once again inside God’s holy nation!  NO!  Moses was angry with the commanders and ordered all of the women killed. Young male children as well. YIKES!  Only the young girls could be eventually, safely, assimilated into the nation.

WOW.  Sounds harsh, right?  But think of the invasiveness of sin. If you know some future history of Israel, you know how just a few idols could lead to massive national disobedience.  Like us, sin must be nipped in the bud.

Once the commanders obey, they take stock of the plunder. Lots of gold etc., animals and persons (16,000). The spoil was divided among the tribes (a process that continued in all their wars), and a portion set aside for the Levites, as well as that offered to God.

And in the fray, NOT A SINGLE ISRAELI SOLDIER was killed!

In Chapter 32, we see Moses angry again. (He’s probably just wanting to die and be done with these people!!)  The tribes of Reuben and Gad (farmers & ranchers at heart) see the lush hills of Gilead on the East of the Jordan/Promised Land, and want to settle their tribes there.

Moses thinks they are rebelling, just like the 10 spies 38 years previously had coerced them not to enter the Land, but to turn back.  He rants and rails on them, but they say, “No, we are not turning back. We promise that all our soldiers will go into the Promised Land and fight with our brothers until they are all settled in their areas. Just let our families and animals settle here.”

Moses finally agrees but makes them VOW before the LORD that they would do as they’d promised. If not, they would be sinning against God, and to be sure, “your sin will find you out.”  And so, Moses gave to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh the kingdoms of King Sihon and King Og and all their territories and cities as their permanent possession.