Monday, October 18, 2010

Israel Battles Midianites

A search of Numbers 31:1-24 (KJV):

God commanded Moses to arm one thousand of the children of Israel from each tribe for a total of twelve thousand to go to war against the Midianites (31:1-5). After the war, Moses was then to gather to his people (31:2). "And Moses sent them to war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword" (31:6-8).

"And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire. And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts. And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho" (31:9-12)

"And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them [outside] the camp. And Moses was [angry] with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle" (31:13,14).

"And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves" (31:15-18).

"And do ye abide [outside] the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person , and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day. And purify all you raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood" (31:19,20).

"And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses; Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron the tin, and the lead, Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water. And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp" (31:21-24).

No comments:

Post a Comment