HOW OFTEN had Israel tried the patience of Moses, though he was the meekest man in all the earth. But he had failed once in this very thing and this prevented him from crossing the Jordan. Still God, whose great servant he was, gives him the privilege of vindicating His glory, and this was sweeter to Moses and more honoring to God than entering the promised land.
The Lord said to Moses, “Avenge the children of Israel of the Midnites: afterward thou shalt be gathered unto thy people.” Apparently Moab and Midian were linked tether and Balak was king over both. They had corrupted Israel under Balaam’s direction, and this was a great shame to Moses. How lovely to read the response of Moses here. He says, “Arm some of yourselves unto the war,... and avenge the Lord of Midian.” This was indeed excellent. The Lord was thinking of. His people, and now they would think of Him. In the very thing that they had failed and so dishonored Him they would now have the privilege of restoring His honor and clearing both His name and themselves of this blot. How gracious Gad is in His ways with His own!
Moses chose a thousand men out of each tribe so that all might share in the action. It was not a large army; all Israel did not go up for it was not to be a show of strength lest Israel might take credit for the victory. The battle was the Lord’s and the outcome was sure.
Furthermore they were not led by Joshua as their captain, but by Eleazar the priest who carried the holy instruments and the trumpets to blow, for this was truly a “holy” war. So they fought against Midian and the Lord gave them a great victory, for they slew all the men and the five kings of Midian.
And they took the children and the cattle, and their goods, but they burnt all their cities and destroyed their fine castles. Then they returned with all their spoils to the camp, and Moses and Eleazar went to meet them. Moses was angry with the officers because they had brought some of the women back alive. And Eleazar said that none of the spoils might be brought into the camp until they had passed through the fire, and had been purified with the water of separation.
Then they divided all the spoils into two parts and they gave one part to the people that remained behind, and the other part to those who had gone to the battle. Moses also took a tribute for the Lord of the share of the men of war and gave it to Eleazar for a heave offering to the Lord. Nor were the Levites forgotten for Moses took a tribute from the children of Israel and gave it to them.
Then the officers came to Moses and said, We have counted our men, and there is not a single one killed in battle. So we have brought an offering to the Lord of that which we took for ourselves from the Midianites. And Moses took their offering of gold and jewels and laid it up in the tabernacle before the Lord for a memorial for the children of Israel.
If we as Christians make friends with the world sooner or later there will be war. We are told to be at peace with all men, as far as it is possible without compromising the Lord’s honor, but we are to have no relations with the world. If we are snared by its temptations we shall find out that we have been deceived and that the world is really our enemy. But the Lord will give victory over the world when we treat it this way. We belong to Christ whom the world crucified and God will have His people entirely separate from its systems and pleasures.
ML-08/18/1974