God gave Israel a plan for the destruction of the Midianites: they were to choose 12,000 armed men to go to war against the Midianites, 1,000 military men from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Each tribe stood to loose the same number of men when they went to war. These men then set out to go to war against the five kings of Midian. The knew their "marching orders" well. They were to kill everyone and everything, for that was what God meant by "take full vengeance." There was no question as to what God required of them, and no other options!
So these 12,000 men of war set out to destroy all of the Midianites. Even Phinehas the priest went out with them to be God's agent to them, for he carried with him the holy vessels and the trumpets for alarm in his hand. They wouldn't lose--they couldn't lose! Just as the Lord had commanded them, they went to war and killed all the men and the kings with the sword. The captured the women and the children. Then they took all their cattle and all their flocks, and then . . .
WHAT? What did they do? Did these 12,000 soldiers obey God? Did they comply with God's command? Had not God said to them, "Take FULL vengeance"?
Do you understand what they did? They disobeyed the command of their God. They killed the men and kings, but they captured the women, kept them alive, and plundered the animals, too! Why would the do that? They had been sent to battle to kill everyone and everything because the Midianites were idol worshipers instead of God worshipers, and they had already had a great evil influence on the Israelites.
In a nutshell the disobedience of God's people was a result of this:
- The Israelite men had a thing for the Midianite women, who introduced them to their gods. The men then would marry these women who were outside of the Jewish faith, thus destroying the purity and holy calling of the Jewish race.
- The did not want to destroy what their flesh definitely wanted to hang on to and enjoy--the women.
- The wanted to be in control and make their own decisions instead of allowing God to be in charge. Flesh doesn't normally like to be told what to do by God or anyone else.
- Maybe they thought God would somehow be pleased with them for keeping the women and children alive. He might just approve of their "compassion."
Can't you just see them merrily returning to camp with those they took captive and all the spoils, hoping to be rewarded for the fine work the had accomplished and for the wealth they were bringing into the family? They were surely proud of their increase, and they probably couldn't wait to choose from the booty that would be their reward for a job well done.
No matter what the reason for their disobedience, the truth is that they still disobeyed God and He and Moses would surely have something to say about that! Moses was angry! Surely his words to them cut them to the quick! There was no applause, no congratulations, no heroes' welcome home from battle. This is what Moses said to them:
Have you spared all the women? Behold these caused the sons of Israel . . . to trespass against the Lord . . . so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord. (Numbers 31: 15-16)
God is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What was important to Him in the Old Testament and New Testament is important to Him in the Church Age right now. Obedience has always been VERY IMPORTANT to God!
(More tomorrow on how this applies to the believer. Today's quote is excerpted from Chapter 7 of Spiritual Healing: The Surrender That Brings Victory written by Cheryl Gnagey)
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