Números 25
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Números 25
Wiersbe writes that "Moab was related to Israel through Abraham’s nephew Lot, and the Midianites were the allies of Moab, so there was no reason why the Jews shouldn’t be “neighborly.” What Balaam couldn’t do by appealing to the demons, he accomplished by appealing to the flesh and inviting the Jews to “enjoy themselves” at Baal Peor. This is the first recorded occasion in Scripture of Israel worshiping Baal, but it certainly isn’t the last. Baal was the chief of the Canaanite gods and was especially responsible for rain and fertility. Until they went off to Babylon, the Israelites were an agricultural people; and whenever there was a drought, they often turned to Baal for help instead of to the Lord. The Canaanite fertility rites involved both male and female temple prostitutes and encouraged all kinds of sexual immorality. Both the idolatry and the immorality were forbidden by God’s law (Ex. 20:1–5, 14)." (Be Counted) The people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab: Why did Israel join themselves to foreign women - While this chapter does not tell us, when we read Nu 31:8, 16+, we learn that the the "brains" behind this great sin was none other than Balaam son of Beor. He could not curse them but he could seduce them (through these foreign women)! PLAYED THE HARLOT (zanah) SADLY BECAME A WATCHWORD FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL... Play the harlot - 19x in 18v - Exod. 34:15; Exod. 34:16; Lev. 17:7; Lev. 20:5; Lev. 20:6; Num. 25:1; Deut. 31:16; 2 Chr. 21:11; 2 Chr. 21:13; Isa. 23:17; Ezek. 16:17; Ezek. 20:30; Hos. 3:3; Hos. 4:10; Hos. 4:13; Hos. 4:14; Hos. 4:15; Hos. 4:18 Played the hartot - 24x in 22v - Gen. 38:24; Num. 15:39; Jdg. 2:17; Jdg. 8:27; Jdg. 8:33; Jdg. 19:2; 1 Chr. 5:25; 2 Chr. 21:13; Ps. 106:39; Ezek. 6:9; Ezek. 16:15; Ezek. 16:16; Ezek. 16:26; Ezek. 16:28; Ezek. 23:3; Ezek. 23:5; Ezek. 23:19; Ezek. 23:30; Hos. 2:5; Hos. 4:12; Hos. 5:3; Hos. 9:1 This action resulted in immediate capital punishment for all who were ensnared by this trap. Balaam himself was later slain because of this counsel (Nu 31:8,16). (Nu 31:8) And they killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. (Nu 31:16) “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD. Balaam could not curse them with curses, but cursed them with counsel! Balaam could not curse Israel whom God had blessed. But he had an alternative nefarious plan to teach "Balak to put a stumbling block (skandalizo) before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality." (Rev 2:14). Here we learn that although he could not curse Israel, he could teach Balak how to place a trap for them that would make them stumble and incur God's judgment thus reducing their ranks. So what was the "skandalon"? The trap was to use Moabite women to seduce Israeli men. The Israeli men committed immorality (played the harlot - Septuagint translates with ekporneuo = to commit gross immorality!), they start worshiping their gods and eating things sacrificed to idols, then God will have to judge them. In other words, Balaam showed Balak how to get in the back door. In (2 Pe 2:1+) we learn that false prophets in Israel came in among the nation and secretly introduced destructive heresies just as Balaam did. Read more of their character in (2 Pe 2:2-3+). Remember these are men who look like true prophets, true teachers, but they are not. In (2 Pe 2:13,14+) we learn these men are sensual and greedy and out for money. And so Balaam was overcome by his lust for money as Peter emphasized = "forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." (2 Pe 2:15+). And in Jude who describes certain persons who have crept in unnoticed (Jude 1:4+) and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam (Jude 1:11+). : Dt 4:3 "Your eyes have seen what the LORD has done in the case of Baal-peor, for all the men who followed Baal-peor, the LORD your God has destroyed them from among you.4 "But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you. Hos 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. But they came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame, And they became as detestable as that which they loved. “Brethren, beware. See how a man may be going on uttering fine words, orthodox truths, and yet be rotten at the heart.” --F.W.
Números 25
Wiersbe quips that "Aaron’s grandson Phinehas left the prayer meeting and went after" Zimri and Cozbi! Ashley - "This offense was the proverbial last straw. Phinehas is an Egyptian name (pi-nḥas) meaning “the dark-skinned one.” His priestly lineage is traced back to Aaron to make it clear who he was (he is previously mentioned only in the genealogy of Exod. 6:25)." (NICOT-Nu) Walter Kaiser has an interesting comment on Phinehas' action - Phinehas was no vigilante. He was heir apparent to the priesthood; thus he, no doubt, was one of the appointed judges whom Moses had ordered to slay all known offenders. This story does not justify the actions of private persons who, under the guise of zeal for expediting God’s purposes, take matters into their own hands when they see wrongdoing rather than contacting the appropriate authorities. Because of the Israelites’ apostasy and sin, atonement was required before divine forgiveness could be proffered. The atonement that Phinehas offered was that of two human offenders. Normally in the Old Testament, atonement is mentioned in connection with sacrifices, such as the sin offering. But in twenty-two passages, atonement was effected by means other than ceremonial offerings (for example, Ex 32:30–32; Deut 21:1–9; 2 Sam 21:3–9). Therefore, just as the life of the animal was a substitute, the means of ransoming the life of the guilty party, so the holiness of God was defended in this case through the substitution of the lives of the sinning couple. With atonement made, God could pardon his people and halt the spread of the plague. (Hard Sayings of the Bible) ISBE entry on Phinehas - (1) Son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron (Exodus 6:25 ; compare 1 Chronicles 6:4 ; Ezra 7:5 , where he is seen to be an ancestor of Ezra). He took a leading part in cleansing Israel from whoredom at Shittim. He there punished the brazen licentiousness of Zimri, prince of Sirecon, by slaying both him and the Midianite woman he had brought into camp (Numbers 25:6-18 ). This incident is referred to in Psalm 106:30 , Psalm 106:31 (compare 1 Macc 2:26, 54; Sirach 45:23, 24). As priest he accompanied the expedition sent by Moses against Midjan ( Numbers 31:6 ). He was chief of the Korahite Levites (1 Chronicles 9:20 ), and succeeded his father as high priest. While he was in that office the civil war with Benjamin occurred, and it was he who delivered the oracle's decision to fight Benjamin (Judges 20:28 ff). His faithful services secured to his house the succession of the priesthood ( Numbers 25:11-13 ). He was sent as ambassador to inquire into the reported idolatry of Reuben, Gad and part of Manasseh (Joshua 22:13 ff, 30-32). According to Septuagint he was buried with his father in Ephraim on the hill Gibeah Phinehas (see Joshua 24:33 ). His character was marked with strong moral indignation and fine integrity. Larry Richards - Years later, after the Israelites had conquered Canaan, Phinehas filled a different role. The Hebrew tribes who settled east of the Jordan River had constructed an altar at the riverside (Josh. 22:13–34). The leaders in Canaan were concerned. God had commanded that sacrifices be offered only on the altar that stood before the tabernacle. In fact, the leaders were ready to go to war with their brothers over the altar if indeed it was intended to be used for illicit sacrifices. But first they organized a fact-finding mission. Who better to send on a fact-finding mission than Phinehas, who had proven his zeal for God? Phinehas discovered that the Trans-Jordan tribes had been afraid that as the years passed some in Canaan might deny their right to share in the worship of God. So the Trans-Jordan tribes had constructed the altar, following the rules laid out in Moses’ writings, as a witness that they, too, were God’s people. Phinehas accepted their explanation, and civil war was avoided. On occasions, commitment to the Lord calls for what might seem like harsh discipline in the church. At such times, we need our Phinehases. But we also need Phinehases who are willing to listen and eager to keep peace when misunderstandings come between brothers. Phinehas was one of those unusual men who was harsh only when harshness was appropriate and compassionate when it was fitting to listen and make peace. (Every Man in the Bible) Brian Bell on Phinehas' zeal - A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies - whether he has health, or whether he has sickness - whether he is rich, or whether he is poor - whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offense - whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish - whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise - whether he get honor, or whether he gets shame - for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, & to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it-he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Several years ago a man named Eugene Ormandy dislocated a shoulder while directing the Philadelphia Orchestra. [That’s Zeal!!!] F F Bruce - 25:7–13 Why Was Phinehas Praised? Several questions are generally raised in connection with this most unusual story of Phinehas. The first involves the action of Cozbi and Zimri. What were they doing that so stirred the holy indignation of Phinehas that he impaled both of them with one thrust of his spear? We will need to understand what was involved in the worship of Baal of Peor (Num 25:1–5). And was Israel’s lapse into this sin in any way connected with the advice or at the instigation of Balaam, the son of Beor? Finally, we wish to know how the death of the couple, Zimri and Cozbi, could effect an atonement and assuage the wrath of God. All of these questions arise from one of the most bizarre episodes in Israel’s long wilderness wanderings. At this point, Israel was encamped at Shittim, or Acacia. It was a site east of the Jordan and six miles north of the Dead Sea, if this name is to be connected with modern Tel el-Kefrein. It appears that the Israelite men began to have sexual relations with the Moabite and Midianite women (Num 25:1, 6). How such liaisons began we can only guess, but they seem to be connected with the bad advice given to the Moabites by the prophet Balaam, son of Beor. Prior to this event, the king of Moab had hired Balaam to curse the people of Israel; because of the strong hand of God on his life, however, Balaam had only been able to bless them. Apparently still bent on helping the Moabite king, Balaam had stayed on in the land of Moab and Midian. Numbers 31:16 informs us that “[the Midianite women] were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD’s people.” (Apparently the Midianites were in Moab giving military advice to the Moabites at this time.) The Moabites worshiped the war god Chemosh, but they must have also indulged in the fertility religion of Baal. This cult was marked by some of the most depraved religious practices in Canaan. In lurid and orgiastic rites, the worshipers would emulate the sacred prostitution of their gods and goddesses, often also participating in a ceremonial meal. (ED: "DEBAUCHERY ON STEROIDS!") In the case of Baal of Peor, we suspect that the cult also involved veneration for the dead. Peor may be the Hebrew and Phoenician spelling for the Luwian Pahura. This word in Hittite means “fire” and may derive from some form of the root that underlies the Greek pyr, “fire.” Among the Israelites, then, the Midianite and Moabite women continued to prostrate themselves in Baal worship, imitating fertility rituals. And one day, as all the Israelites were gathered in front of the tabernacle confessing their sin, the son of one of the leaders in the tribe of Simeon paraded before them with a Moabite woman, headed for his tent. Reading the situation clearly, Phinehas swung into action. By the time he reached them in the back (bedroom) part of the tent, the couple were already involved in sexual intercourse. With a single thrust, Phinehas speared both of them. His action stopped the plague that had broken out among the Israelites. Israel’s wholesale embracing of the immorality and idolatry of pagan ritualistic sex had aroused the anger of God. While God had saved Israel from the curses of Balaam, the Israelites could not save themselves from sinning against God. Phinehas was no vigilante. He was heir apparent to the priesthood; thus he, no doubt, was one of the appointed judges whom Moses had ordered to slay all known offenders. This story does not justify the actions of private persons who, under the guise of zeal for expediting God’s purposes, take matters into their own hands when they see wrongdoing rather than contacting the appropriate authorities. Because of the Israelites’ apostasy and sin, atonement was required before divine forgiveness could be proffered. The atonement that Phinehas offered was that of two human offenders. Normally in the Old Testament, atonement is mentioned in connection with sacrifices, such as the sin offering. But in twenty-two passages, atonement was effected by means other than ceremonial offerings (for example, Ex 32:30–32; Deut 21:1–9; 2 Sam 21:3–9). Therefore, just as the life of the animal was a substitute, the means of ransoming the life of the guilty party, so the holiness of God was defended in this case through the substitution of the lives of the sinning couple. With atonement made, God could pardon his people and halt the spread of the plague. The reward given to Phinehas was that his descendants would enjoy eternal possession of the priesthood. That priesthood continued, except for the interval of the priesthood of Eli, without interruption until the collapse of the nation in 586 B.C. (Hard Sayings of the Bible). Numbers 25:8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. BGT Numbers 25:8 εἰσῆλθεν ὀπίσω τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ Ισραηλίτου εἰς τὴν κάμινον καὶ ἀπεκέντησεν ἀμφοτέρους τόν τε ἄνθρωπον τὸν Ισραηλίτην καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα διὰ τῆς μήτρας αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπαύσατο ἡ πληγὴ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ισραηλ NET Numbers 25:8 and went after the Israelite man into the tent and thrust through the Israelite man and into the woman's abdomen. So the plague was stopped from the Israelites. NLT Numbers 25:8 and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man's body and into the woman's stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, ESV Numbers 25:8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. NIV Numbers 25:8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them--through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; KJV Numbers 25:8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. YLT Numbers 25:8 and goeth in after the man of Israel unto the hollow place, and pierceth them both, the man of Israel and the woman -- unto her belly, and the plague is restrained from the sons of Israel; LXE Numbers 25:8 and went in after the Israelitish man into the chamber, and pierced them both through, both the Israelitish man, and the woman through her womb; and the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. ASV Numbers 25:8 and he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. CSB Numbers 25:8 followed the Israelite man into the tent, and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman-- through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped, NKJ Numbers 25:8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. NRS Numbers 25:8 he went after the Israelite man into the tent, and pierced the two of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. So the plague was stopped among the people of Israel. NAB Numbers 25:8 followed the Israelite into his retreat where he pierced the pair of them, the Israelite and the woman. Thus the slaughter of Israelites was checked; NJB Numbers 25:8 followed the Israelite into the alcove, and there ran them both through, the Israelite and the woman, through the stomach. Thus the plague which had struck the Israelites was arrested. GWN Numbers 25:8 and went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman's body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped. thrust: Nu 25:5,11 Ps 106:29-31 So the plague: Nu 16:46-48 2Sa 24:25 1Ch 21:22 Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ONE WAY TO PAUSE A PLAGUE! Into the tent - It does not take much imagination to understand what was transpiring in the tent which enabled Phinehas to pierce both of them through with a single spear through the body! The NLT paraphrase is vivid - Phinehas "rushed after the man into his tent. (and he)...thrust the spear all the way through the man's body and into the woman's stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped." The word for tent is qubbah which is used only here in the OT and means a large, vaulted tent. The Greek Septuagint picks a strange word kaminos to tranaslate qubbah, for this Greek noun literally means an oven or furnace and was used figuratively by Jesus to describe hell as "the furnace of fire" (Mt 13:42)! Could there be some association? Go figure! NET NOTE says "qubbah seems to refer to the innermost part of the family tent. Some suggest it was in the tabernacle area, but that is unlikely. S. C. Reif argues for a private tent shrine. NET NOTE on pierced both of them... (Hebrew = "and he thrust the two of them the Israelite man and the woman to her belly [lower abdomen]." Reif notes the similarity of the word with the previous "inner tent," and suggests that it means Phinehas stabbed her in her shrine tent, where she was being set up as some sort of priestess or cult leader. Phinehas put a quick end to their sexual immorality while they were in the act. (Click here to read some interesting thoughts on the possible significance of this tent.) So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked - God had sent the plague and now He stopped the plague in response to the action of Phinehas. Numbers 25:9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000. BGT Numbers 25:9 καὶ ἐγένοντο οἱ τεθνηκότες ἐν τῇ πληγῇ τέσσαρες καὶ εἴκοσι χιλιάδες NET Numbers 25:9 Those that died in the plague were 24,000. NLT Numbers 25:9 but not before 24,000 people had died. ESV Numbers 25:9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. NIV Numbers 25:9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. KJV Numbers 25:9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. YLT Numbers 25:9 and the dead by the plague are four and twenty thousand. LXE Numbers 25:9 And those that died in the plague were four and twenty thousand. ASV Numbers 25:9 And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand. CSB Numbers 25:9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. NKJ Numbers 25:9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand. NRS Numbers 25:9 Nevertheless those that died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. NAB Numbers 25:9 but only after twenty-four thousand had died. NJB Numbers 25:9 In the plague twenty-four thousand of them had died. GWN Numbers 25:9 However, 24,000 people died from that plague. Nu 25:4,5 16:49,50 Dt 4:3,4 1Co 10:8 Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries In a passage many see as a NT parallel description, Paul writes "And do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY. (quoting Ex 32:8) Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day." (1 Co 10:7, 8) Some like John MacArthur interpret 1 Cor 10:8 as a different event - "This is to be differentiated from the plague over the golden calf where 23,000 died (cf. Ex 32:1-14, 28; 1 Co 10:8)." Dr MacArthur may in fact be correct as there are parallels between Israel's sin in Exodus 32 and Numbers 25. Notice also that in context verse 7 clearly is an allusion to the sin of the golden calf. Then follows the mention of 23,000 in one day. Here in Nu 25:9 the number is 24,000 but it is not stated this occurred in one day. The problem with the Exodus 32 explanation is that the text says 3000 men fell in one day (Ex 32:28). So while MacArthur may not be correct, it is still interesting to compare Israel's two episodes of national sin against God in Exodus 32 and Numbers 25. In regard to the sinful episode in Exodus 32, it was clearly accompanied by idolatry (Ex 32:8, cp 1 Cor 10:7) and in the opinion of a number of writers also included immorality. They interpret the following passage as indicative of immoral behavior Moses recording that Israel "sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play." Walter Kaiser says the word to play (tsachaq) in this context means "drunken immoral orgies and sexual play" (Expositor's Bible Commentary 2:478). While this is an assumption several recent English translations seem to agree. For example the NCV has "got up and sinned sexually"; and the TEV has "an orgy of drinking and sex". I would add that the same Hebrew word translated "play" (tsachaq) is used in Ge 26:8 of Isaac "caressing (tsachaq) his wife Rebekah." One of the definitions of tsachaq is "to play amorously with." In sum, it appears very likely that the Israelites were mixing immorality with idolatry, a "duet" that plays out from Genesis to Revelation. So what is the take home point? "Little children, guard (phulasso)yourselves from idols!" (1 John 5:21-note) Guard is in the aorist imperative calling for a sense of urgency. Do this now. Don't delay. Beloved the only way you or I can obey this command is by casting off self-reliance and self-effort and yielding to the filling of the Spirit, Who alone can enable us to successfully guard ourselves from idols (cp the role of the Spirit in Ro 8:13-note). Henry
Números 25
Wiersbe comments that "Like Abraham when he offered up Isaac (Gen. 22; James 2:21–24), Phinehas proved his faith by his works, and it was “accounted to him for righteousness (Ps. 106:28–31). Because of his zeal for the honor of the Lord, Phinehas was given the special reward of a lasting priesthood for himself and his descendants. Phinehas knew nothing about this reward before he acted, so his motive wasn’t selfish. He was motivated by his zeal for the honor of God and the authority of His law. Phinehas went with Moses when Israel attacked the Midianites (Nu 31:5–6), so he wasn’t afraid of a battle. He also was in charge of the gatekeepers at the tabernacle and had the presence of the Lord with him in his ministry (1 Chr. 9:20). Guarding God’s sanctuary was a very responsible task, but Phinehas had the conviction and courage to do it well." (Be Counted) Ps 106:30; 31+ Then Phinehas stood up and interposed (clearly an allusion to his spearing the guilty parties); And so the plague was stayed. And it was reckoned to him for righteousness, To all generations forever. Comment - It is notable that the psalmist uses the exact phrase first found in Scripture in Genesis 15:6+ where Abraham "believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness."
Números 25
Wiersbe reminds us that "Those who criticize the Lord and Scripture because of these national massacres fail to understand that God had been patient with these wicked nations for centuries (Gen. 15:16) and had given them ample opportunity to repent. He had revealed Himself to them in nature (Rom. 1:18ff; Ps. 19), and they had heard of the Lord’s judgments against Egypt (Josh. 2:8–14). Their religious practices were abominably filthy, and the only way God could remove this cancer was to wipe out the entire civilization. Israel had an important task to perform for the Lord, and the presence of those wicked nations was only a temptation to the Jews to sin. Question: Why did God command the Israelites to completely destroy the Midianites in Numbers 31:17? Answer: Understanding and applying passages from the exodus and conquest of Canaan can be challenging. The passages about putting certain inhabitants to death are among the most difficult. Among those is Numbers 31. God told Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites” (Numbers 31:1). The Israelites obediently armed themselves and attacked the Midianites, killing the men (verse 7). Also, “the Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder” (verse 9). When the troops returned to Moses, he was angry that they had not fully carried out the Lord’s vengeance (verse 14; cf. verse 3). The Midianite women were those who had caused Israel to sin at Baal Peor (see Numbers 25). So Moses commanded that the women be killed, and also “kill all the boys” (Numbers 31:17). When we look at the command to kill the male Midianite children, there are two perspectives we might take. One is the more understandably temporal. During the timeframe in question, tribal warfare was rampant. It was highly likely that the male Midianite children would grow up and seek revenge for their fathers and grandfathers against Israel. Avenging the death of one’s father is a commonly accepted necessity in every culture and even in popular fiction—it’s what motivates Hamlet in Shakespeare’s classic play and what energizes Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. Further, the utterly disgusting depravity in which these Midianite boys had been raised is well documented. Regular behaviors among the Midianites included child sacrifice, cult prostitution, and bestiality. The divine prohibition of these acts was codified, and the acts were known to the Israelites (Leviticus 18:21, 23–24). Male inhabitants carrying on the lineage of this culture would have been a perennial problem for Israel. The other perspective we should consider is the divine. Now, we cannot know the mind of God or comprehend the depths of His wisdom (Isaiah 55:8–9). But we can know that, given the depravity of the Midianites, God’s command to kill the Midianite boys might have been an act of divine mercy. In His perfect knowledge—including His knowledge of what would happen in the lives of those young Midianites, had they lived—it’s possible that God brought them to Himself before they had the opportunity of choosing to reject Him. It is highly possible that, had these males grown to maturity, they would have embraced the wanton rebellion and idolatry of their fathers. From God’s perspective, it may have been better for them to die at a young age than to endure a life of depravity and the attending temporal (and eternal) consequences. In all this, we must remember that God is goodness. He is not simply a good moral agent like humans are commanded to be; He is not beholden to or measured by a standard outside of Himself. We cannot look at God’s actions as being in any moral category like human actions. God is not a man (Numbers 23:19). The very nature of God is such that He cannot do evil. “The LORD is righteous in all his ways” (Psalm 145:17). This is the point by which we must reconcile passages such as Numbers 31:17 with the likes of John 3:16. Moreover, a major mistake we sometimes make is to think that our lives are our own. We are creatures, not the Creator. We could not exist for one moment without God’s willing our existence (Hebrews 1:3; Acts 17:28). We should not think that God owes us anything, be it a long life, a life free of suffering, or anything else. God desires our ultimate good, which is everlasting union with Him (2 Peter 3:8–10). Our ultimate good may not be realized in a long life or one devoid of pain and suffering. As strange as it may sound, the ultimate good of the Midianite males may not have come about without their being killed by the Israelites in warfare. This is “brass tacks” and gets to the root of whether one thinks that man was made in the image of God or whether one makes a god in the image of man. It is difficult to discuss these topics rationally because emotions often take over, and proclamations of “the innocence of children” grow loud. We sometimes hear things like “I could never believe in a God like that.” We are correct in the visceral reaction to children suffering and dying. At the same time, we must differentiate the cause and circumstance of the young Midianites’ deaths from current situations. Suffering today is not brought about by God’s people taking possession of their promised land against a morally depraved and militant people group. Also, we are profoundly incorrect when we start embracing notions like “if I were God, I certainly would not have done that.” God does not see human events as we do; He sees them as only God can. Thus, we have no basis by which to say that God would not have a humanly understandable, morally sufficient reason for commanding the death of children during the conquest of Canaan.GotQuestions.org Related Resource: What is the significance of Midian in the Bible?