SERIES F --- WILDERNESS WANDERINGS

BIBLE STUDY LESSON 10

WEALTH DISTRIBUTED

THE BATTLE AGAINST MIDIAN
From Numbers 31

“Before you die, you must punish the Midianites for leading your people into idolatry, the Lord told Moses. So Moses gave orders to his people concerning the plan for battle. The Lord demands that we punish Midian, Moses told them. Arm a thousand men from each tribe for battle. Before long, twelve thousand armed men came forth to fight against Midian. Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest led the troops as Moses sent them forth. Phinehas took with him some of the sacred vessels from the tabernacle and trumpets to sound the alarm. So they went to war against Midian, as the Lord had told them to do and they killed every male Midianite. Among them were the five kings of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor. But the warriors of Israel captured the women and children of Midian, along with cattle, flocks and other prizes.

Then they burned the villages and cities of Midian and brought the captives and spoils of war to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the people of Israel, who were camped there on the plains of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho. But when Moses and Eleazar and the leaders of the people went forth to meet the returning army, Moses was angry with the officers and leaders. Why have you brought these women back alive? he demanded. Don’t you realize that these are the very ones who listened to Balaam’s advice and caused our people to turn against the Lord to worship idols at Peor and brought the great plague upon the people? You must destroy every male child and every woman who has had relations with a man, but you may spare the young girls. All of you who have killed a person or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days purify yourselves and your captives, as well as all the captured goods made of animal skins, goats’ hair or wood. Eleazar the priest gave the men of war special orders concerning some of the captured goods. The Lord has given this commandment to Moses, he said.

The metal objects you have taken (things made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin and lead) must pass through the fire to purify them. Then they must be cleansed ceremonially with purification water. Objects which cannot go through fire must be cleansed ceremonially with purification water alone. On the seventh day, while you are living outside the camp, wash your clothes and be ceremonially purified and then you may return to the camp. The Lord gave further instructions to Moses concerning the goods and people captured from the Midianites. You, Eleazar the priest and the tribal leaders will divide the spoils of battle into two parts, the Lord commanded. One part is for the warriors who fought the Midianites and the other part is for the people who were at home. But the Lord’s portion, presented to Eleazar the priest, shall be one part in five hundred, taken from the warriors’ spoils. The Lord’s portion, presented to the Levites, shall be one part in fifty, taken from the half of the spoils to be given to the people. Moses and Eleazar did what the Lord commanded. Here is a list of the spoils and the way they were divided:

SHEEP: 675,000 total.
• 337,500 for the warriors, of which 675 were given to the Lord for Eleazar’s use.
• 337,500 for the people, of which 6,750 were given to the Lord for the Levites’ use.
OXEN: 72,000 total.
• 36,000 for the warriors, of which 72 were given to the Lord for Eleazar’s use.
• 36,000 for the people, of which 720 were given to the Lord for the Levites’ use.
DONKEYS: 61,000 total.
• 30,500 for the warriors, of which 61 were given to the Lord for Eleazar’s use.
• 30,500 for the people, of which 610 were given to the Lord for the Levites’ use.
YOUNG GIRLS: 32,000 total.
• 16,000 for the warriors, of which 32 were given to the Lord to help Eleazar the priest.
• 16,000 for the people, of which 320 were given to the Lord to help the Levites.

When the spoils of battle had been divided, the officers came to Moses. We have counted our men who went to battle and have found that everyone has returned safely, they reported. Because of this, we want to present a thank offering to the Lord. Here are some of the gold articles, bracelets, anklets, rings, earrings and necklaces. We want to present them to the Lord to make atonement for ourselves before Him. When Moses and Eleazar counted the value of the gold which the officers gave, they found it was worth about three hundred thousand dollars or about sixteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty shekels of gold. This offering was brought into the tabernacle and kept there before the Lord as a memorial for the people of Israel.”

COMMENTARY

BATTLE AND BOOTY: HOW THE ISRAELITES HANDLED THE SPOILS OF BATTLE:
The Israelites had been warned again and again not to put another god ahead of the Lord God. They had been warned not to make idols or graven images. Thus when the Midianite women tempted the Israelite men to sin by marrying them, they brought their idols into the Israelite household and taught the men to worship them. Moses became enraged about this and soon raised an army against Midian. All Midianite men and boys were killed, so that no male would rise up later to avenge their relatives. The wives were killed too, so they would never again lead Israelites into sin. Wives were also considered a kind of “used property” and were therefore not wanted by their captors. Only young girls, herds and booty were spared. The young girls probably became slaves to weave, spin and tend flocks. After the battle, anyone who had touched a dead body or killed someone had to go through a week of purification rites for himself and his captives. The booty had to be purified as well. All garments, skins, goats’ hair articles, wooden items and those made of metal were included. On the third and seventh day of the week, everything was sprinkled with the “water of impurity.” That was water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer, cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet thread. Metals were passed through a fire. On the last day the soldiers washed their clothes and re-entered the camp. The booty was then distributed. Some of it went to the soldiers and some to the people. A part went to the Levites and a part was given to God.

TEST YOURSELF

1.) Who led the troops against the Midianites?
            A) Phinehas
            B) Joseph
            C) Eleazar
            D) Moses

2.) How many Midianite kings did the Israelites kill?
            A) One
            B) Five
            C) None
            D) Three

3.) What prophet did the Israelites kill during the battle against the Midianites?
            A) Elijah
            B) Jeremiah
            C) Balaam
            D) Elisha

4.) How long did the people who had killed or touched dead bodies have to remain outside the camp?
            A) Seven days
            B) One day
            C) Three days
            D) Five days

5.) What did the metal objects have to be passed through to purify them?
            A) Fire and water
            B) Milk
            C) Honey
            D) Sand