numbers 31 and 32

Read Numbers 31 and 32 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for today’s chapters are:

Num 31:1-12 {s} Defeat of Midian
Num 31:13-20 {s} Kill the women and male children, be purified on the 3rd, 7th days
Num 31:21-24 {s} Purification of metals + 7th day to come into the camp
Num 31:25-54 {p} The division of the plunder
Num 32:1-4 {s} The country on the east side of the Jordan, a land for livestock
Num 32:5-15 {s} Reuben + Gad: do not take us over the Jordan; Moses’ rebuke
Num 32:16-19 {p} We will cross over armed with Israel to cause them to inherit
Num 32:20-42 {p} Reuben, Gad, half Manasseh inherit east of the Jordan

And the strong themes:

Num 29:1-40 {sx9+p} Offerings for the fall feast days
Num 30:1-16 {p} The law concerning vows
Num 31:1-54 {sx3+p} Victory for Israel over Midian
Num 32:1-42 {s+s+p+p} Reuben + Gad, half Manasseh inherit the east side of the Jordan

The chiastic structure reveals something about the purpose of the war with Midian:

1a) Num 30:1-16 {p} The law concerning vows;

1b) Num 31:1-8, One thousand from each tribe prevailed over Midian;

1c) Num 31:9-12 {s} Israel took the women and children of Midian captive, and took spoil and booty;

1d) Num 31:13, Moses met them outside the camp;

1e) Num 31:14-15, Moses was angry with the officers and captains: Why were the women of Midian kept alive?;

central axis) Num 31:16, These were the women who enticed Israel re: Baal of Peor, by the counsel of Balaam;

2e) Num 31:17-18, Kill the women and male children, keep the female children who are virgins for yourselves;

2d) Num 31:19-24 {s+s} Remain outside the camp seven days and purify the plunder and yourselves;

2c) Num 31:25-47, Division of the plunder of Midian;

2b) Num 31:48-54 {p} Not a man missing of those who went to war + memorial offering of the victory over Midian;

2a) Num 32:1-42 {s+s+p+p} Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh vow to cross over armed before Israel.

The repeated theme in these chapters is that there is a warfare that is the LORD’s warfare. Moses was commanded by the LORD to take vengeance on the Midianites (Num 31:2). Moses even told the children of Israel, that they were to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian (Num 31:3).

“And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.” Num 31:7

The country which was east of the Jordan, the kingdoms of the Amorites, was the country which the LORD defeated before the congregation of Israel (Num 32:4). Because Caleb and Joshua were willing to enter the land armed for war 38 years previously, and encouraged the children of Israel to enter the land armed for war, Moses said of them that they had wholly followed the LORD (Num 32:12). When Moses thought that Reuben and Gad wanted to opt out of the warfare needed to possess the land, he warned them that they would be turning away from following the LORD (Num 32:15).

Then Moses said to them, “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD … But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out.” Num 32:20-23

In fact it would be sin for Reuben and Gad to not cross over armed with Israel, to drive out, not Israel’s enemies, but the LORD’s enemies from before Him!

Now the LORD has reconciled the world to Himself, in the blood of Messiah Yeshua our Lord, but enemies to the LORD remain, who are not flesh and blood, but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:10-18). God has given us armor and weapons, which are sharper than any two edged sword, and has already defeated His enemies before Him! But we must gird up, and cross over, and do battle, and not shrink back from following Him!