1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian.
4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.
13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter 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 that hath known man by lying with him.
18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
20 And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.
21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;
22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.
24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
25 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
27 And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:
28 And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
29 Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD.
30 And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.
31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.
32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
34 And threescore and one thousand asses,
35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:
37 And the LORD's tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD's tribute was threescore and twelve.
39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD's tribute was threescore and one.
40 And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD's tribute was thirty and two persons.
41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD's heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.
42 And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
43 (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44 And thirty and six thousand beeves,
45 And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
46 And sixteen thousand persons;)
47 Even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
48 And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
49 And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.
51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53 (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.
The book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Old Testament in the Holy Bible. It is named after the census that was taken of the Israelites in the wilderness. The book tells the story of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land and their struggles and challenges along the way. Chapter 31 of Numbers is a significant chapter that focuses on the victory of the Israelites over the Midianites and the aftermath of their conquest. This chapter is filled with important themes and lessons that are still relevant to us today. In this essay, we will explore the main themes of Numbers Chapter 31 and its meaning in the context of the book as a whole.
Before we dive into the details of Numbers Chapter 31, it is essential to understand its context within the book of Numbers. The Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, and in this time, they had faced numerous challenges and obstacles. In chapter 25, we see the Israelites falling into idolatry and sexual immorality with the Midianite women. This act of disobedience angered God, and as a result, a plague broke out among the people, killing 24,000. In chapter 26, a second census is taken, and the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land. However, before they can do so, they must deal with the Midianites, who have become a threat to their journey and their relationship with God.
In Numbers Chapter 31, we see the Israelites preparing for battle against the Midianites. God commands Moses to take revenge on the Midianites for their role in leading the Israelites astray. Moses sends 12,000 men, 1,000 from each tribe, to fight against the Midianites. The Israelites are victorious, killing all the men, including the five kings of Midian. They also capture the women and children, along with their livestock and possessions.
After the battle, Moses is angry with the Israelite leaders for allowing the women, who were responsible for leading the Israelites into sin, to live. He commands them to kill all the women who have had sexual relations and to keep the young girls as slaves. The spoils of war are divided among the soldiers, the Levites, and the rest of the community. However, a portion of the spoils is also set aside for the Lord as a tribute.
Numbers Chapter 31 is a powerful chapter that is filled with important themes that are relevant to us today. These themes include obedience, judgment, justice, and God's faithfulness.
Throughout the book of Numbers, we see the importance of obedience to God's commands. The Israelites' journey in the wilderness was a test of their obedience and faithfulness to God. In Chapter 31, we see God commanding the Israelites to take revenge on the Midianites for their role in leading them astray. Moses and the Israelite leaders obeyed God's command and carried out the battle, which resulted in victory. This shows the importance of obedience to God's will, even when it may seem difficult or challenging.
Another theme that is prevalent in Numbers Chapter 31 is justice and judgment. The Midianites had committed a grave sin by leading the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality. God commanded justice to be served, and the Midianites were judged for their actions. This serves as a reminder that God will not tolerate sin and will bring judgment to those who disobey Him. However, it also shows that God is a just and righteous God who will bring justice to those who have been wronged.
Throughout the book of Numbers, we see God's faithfulness to the Israelites, despite their constant disobedience and complaints. In Chapter 31, we see God's faithfulness in delivering the Midianites into the hands of the Israelites and giving them victory. This victory serves as a reminder that God is always with His people and will fulfill His promises to them. It also shows that God is a God of justice and will defend His people when they are wronged.
Numbers Chapter 31 is a significant chapter in the book of Numbers, and it holds a powerful message for us today. The conquest of the Midianites serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of obedience to God's commands. It also shows that God is a just and righteous God who will bring justice to those who have been wronged. The division of the spoils of war also teaches us about the importance of giving back to God and being faithful stewards of His blessings.
Furthermore, Numbers Chapter 31 reminds us of God's faithfulness and His promise to be with His people. Despite their constant disobedience, God remained faithful and delivered them from their enemies. This is a message of hope and encouragement for us today, knowing that God is always with us and will fulfill His promises in our lives.
Another important lesson from Numbers Chapter 31 is the importance of dealing with sin. The Israelites had to deal with the Midianites to continue their journey to the Promised Land. In the same way, we must confront and deal with sin in our lives to grow in our relationship with God and move forward in our journey of faith. We must also be careful not to allow sin to lead us astray and hinder our relationship with God.
Numbers Chapter 31 is a powerful chapter that teaches us about obedience, justice, and God's faithfulness. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of dealing with it in our lives. It also shows us that God is a just and righteous God who will bring justice to those who have been wronged. Furthermore, it is a message of hope and encouragement, knowing that God is always with us and will fulfill His promises in our lives. As we continue to journey in our faith, let us remember the lessons from Numbers Chapter 31 and apply them to our lives.
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