Numbers 31

CHAPTER 31THEME: Judgment of MidianRemember that we are dealing with things that pertain to the new generation which has come through the wilderness. Many of them were just little fellows when they started out. Some were grade schoolers, some were high schoolers, and some had not even been born when they started the wilderness march. God is preparing this new generation for their entrance into the Promised Land. The Midianites, you recall, joined the Moabites in hiring Balaam to curse Israel and afterwards seduced the people to idolatry and licentiousness. The only woman named in this seduction was Cozbi, a Midianite (Num_25:6-16). After this episode God commanded His people, “Vex the Midianites, and smite them: For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake” (Num_25:17-18). Midian in the wilderness is a type of the world. For the child of God there is to be a spiritual separation from the world today.

Numbers 31:1

JUDGMENT OF MIDIANWe are now going into the last official acts of Moses. When we get to Deuteronomy, we will have the last private acts of Moses. One of his last official acts is this war against the Midianites. Now God commands Moses to make war against them. He is going to avenge Israel. They are to deal very harshly with them.

Numbers 31:6

Moses sent out twelve thousand men to go to warone thousand from each tribe. The holy instruments, the articles of furniture in the tabernacle, were to go along, indicating that this was a spiritual warfare.

Numbers 31:7

The kings of Midian were slain, and we note here the death of Balaam, the prophet. God is giving them a victory over the Midianites. There is a judgment on the Gentiles here, prior to the entering into the Promised Land. This is the same thing that will consummate the age before Christ comes. For in the Millennium, Israel, which is having such great problems today, will be put in the land and they will have peace. But now there is a problem.

Numbers 31:9

God gave them a tremendous victorythey did not even lose one man (v. Num_31:49).