God's Certain Justice

Text Numbers 31:1-24 Time 28/04/13 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

On Friday at our children's club, during the question time, one of the girls asked why there was so much fighting in the Bible. We had been talking about Saul and his battle with the Ammonites. Here again years before Saul, in Numbers 31, we read of a battle, this time against the Midianites. Why are there so many battles in the Old Testament? There are various reasons for the fact. One is that in order for Messiah to come God was creating a nation for himself, a nation that would live in a certain land at a certain time. Few nations are founded without some form of fighting at some point. There is also the fact that many in the nations in that part of the world were godless and corrupt and had so trespassed on God's goodwill that they became ripe for destruction and it was the people of God who God appointed to be his instruments of justice against them.
Certainly in this chapter what happens is that God determines to bring justice on the Midianites and he determines to do that through his people under Moses. Indeed this was to be one of Moses' last significant acts of leadership. He did not lead the army into battle but he directed operations behind the lines.
What the chapter reminds us of is the sure justice of God. Here it is against one people at one time. It reminds us, however, that one day all the nations of all time will be brought before him to be judged and justice will be done. Such a thought is encouraging in one way. We know what terrible crimes have been committed by different nations down the years. Think of things like the crimes of the Nazi regime under Hitler, the wiping out of the aboriginals in Australia, the Armenian genocide of the twenties, etc, etc, quite apart from all the individual injustices people have suffered. All those injustices will be dealt with. On the other hand, there is something fear inducing about such a thought. What about me? Will I be able to stand on that great day?
It is good to think about God's justice then and we see it presented to us here in this chapter. The chapter really follows on from Chapter 25 where we read about how
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods.
It becomes clear that not only Moabite women but Midianite ones too were involved. At the end of Chapter 25 we read these words
The LORD said to Moses, Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them. They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.
Chapter 31 is where we see Israel obeying that call. This act of vengeance and judgement comes in three or four parts and it is good to look at each and think about God's justice and judgement, especially his final judgement. So let's think about fours things
1. Consider mobilisation for judgement
First we read in verses 1-5 that
The LORD said to Moses, Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people. (He will die). So Moses said to the people, Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the LORD's vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel. So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel.
It is called vengeance. It is the Lord's vengeance. We are told in the New Testament not to take vengeance but to leave room for God's wrath. He will avenge. What has to happen first here is that people need to be selected for the battle. Israel had been given a strategy for doing this, where the numbers would be whittled down by asking various questions such as whether anyone was afraid to fight and excluding newly marrieds and others. Finally, the number was down to 1000 from each tribe. These men were then mustered or deployed. These numbers are no doubt deliberately small in order that all the glory might be the Lord's.
Writing to the Corinthians in one place Paul reminds them that they will judge angels. The suggestion seems to be that in some way believers are going to be involved in the judgement. We do not know exactly how but we will be involved. In order for that happen we first have to be selected as believers and then when Jesus comes again we will actually have to be deployed for the task.
So, if you like, the mobilisation for judgement has begun. We never think about it like this but each time a person is converted so another person is recruited to God's army, an army that seeks to win people to Christ on earth and that in heaven will judge the angels and others.
2. Consider the judgement itself
Next, in verses 6-10, we read how
Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signalling.
We do not know exactly what Phinehas, the hero of Chapter 25, took out to the field but it all suggested that this was very much a holy war.
They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man. Presumably this means every man in the battle. We read later of the Midianites and so either this was only one branch of the tribe or not all of them went out to battle. Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba - the five kings of Midian. Interestingly, we read that They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. He was the one who sought to curse Israel and unable to do that recommended the more subtle strategy of enticing the men into the beds of the women of Moab and Midian.
We read that
The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.
Here we learn that sin will be punished. It had begun with the people of God in Chapter 25 and now it extends to all. Here it is all very decisive and universal. So it will be when the judgement day comes. No-one will escape at that time. Unlike here absolutely no-one will be spared. Judgement will come on all at the hands of God's people. What a warning to those who remain in unbelief.
3. Consider amassing the plunder after judgement
The two other things we read about in the chapter are the plunder and the purification.
In verses 11-17 we read that
They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the army - the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds - who returned from the battle. Have you allowed all the women to live? he asked them. They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
It may sound rather harsh but it is only following what is set out in Deuteronomy 20. The virgins are spared because, unlike Balaam and the Midianite women, they are innocent of seducing Israel. God is utterly fair.
This is how it will be at the judgement then. The wicked will certainly be judged and the righteous will plunder them. What blessings will be ours in that day. All the earth's riches will be ours. The meek will inherit the earth.
4. Consider undergoing purification after judgement
The final thing here is in 19-24
Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood. Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, This is what is required by the law that the LORD gave Moses: Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.
Both in Numbers and in Leviticus careful rituals are prescribed for cleansing after a battle. Both the soldiers and their captives had to be cleansed. No doubt it all taught Israel that they were not perfect themselves but in need of cleansing also. The plunder had to be cleansed too. When God comes to judge this world everything will literally pass through the ire and only what is holy will survive. In 1 Corinthians 3:13, 14 Paul says of preachers
If anyone builds on this foundation Christ using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work.
So even the judges will be cleansed and indeed all that is spared then.
We should think often of the judgement. It will be here sooner than we realise. What a day it will be. Then justice will be done, God's justice, a justice that is prefigured here in Numbers 31.
There is an oft quoted statement about God's justice by Thomas Guthrie. He says
Slow goes the hand of justice, like the shadow on the sundial; ever moving, yet slowly creeping on, with a motion all but imperceptible. Still stand in awe. The hand of justice has not stopped, although imperceptible it steadily advances; by and by it reaches the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth hour. And now the bell strikes. Then unless you have fled to Christ, the blow which was so slow to fall, shall descend over the head of impenitence with accumulated force.”
Perhaps I can finish by reading to you these sobering words from Revelation 19
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgements. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants. And again they shouted: Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever. The 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: Amen, Hallelujah! Then a voice came from the throne, saying: Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small! Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.) Then the angel said to me, Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! And he added, These are the true words of God. …
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron sceptre. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small. Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.