Dealing with some unfinished Business

Read Numbers 28-31.

In preparing this second generation for entering the land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants, the LORD repeated a few important lessons here and in the book of Deuteronomy.  He had them take a second census, and then reminded them of the offerings, feasts, and vows.  Next, the nation needed to deal with some unfinished business.

The basis for the war in chapter 31 is found in chapters 22-25.  The Midianites allied with the Moabites to fight Israel.  They tried to hire Balaam, a pagan prophet, to curse Israel and shore up their own confidence.  When that did not work, Satan used another tactic against God's people.  The Moabites and Midianites lured many into sexual immorality and false worship.  The LORD at that time meted out some strong and swift judgment against His own people.  But nothing further is said about the enemy involved until chapter 31.

God told Moses to prepare for war "to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian."  This was God's judgment and He used Israel to perform it.  Do not miss 31:8b-"And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword."  Note when the soldiers returned, Moses became angry as he discovered that not only had the young males been allowed to live, but the sexually active Midianite women had not been killed.  Then, at his command the annihilation of the Midianites was complete.

The Midianites may have felt for a long time that they got away with their sin.  They knew of the true and living God and His great power.  But instead of surrendering to the LORD, they chose to rebel against Him and His people.  They chose to go their own way.  The truth in this story is that no one gets away with sin. 

Even today there "are scoffers, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, 'Where is the promise of his coming?'"  "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that done on it will be exposed."  (2 Peter 3:4-10)

Then, Peter wrote this question: "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness...?" (2 Peter 3:11)