We read this week that Israel is sent by God to “[a]venge the people of Israel on the Midianites” (Nu 31:2, ESV). Some have charged God with evil for having the Israelites kill even man, even children, and every woman that had known a man. Only the virgins were kept alive. Why did God have them keep the virgins alive? The answer is very straight forward, Moses said, “these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord.” (Nu 31:16, ESV) Canaanite religious practices were very sexual, and just about every member of society, once they reached a certain age, would be a part of that religious worship. Any girl who was a virgin was clearly someone who had not partaken in that vile form of false god worship. So, we see it is God who uses Israel to punish those who had worshiped false gods and defiled themselves with sexual immorality. Still, He shows mercy to those who had not partaken in sexual sin.
Some might argue that it was Israel’s idea and not God’s; however, Number 31:49 says, “there is not a man missing from us.” After the battle, not a single Israelite had been killed. This miracle is just one way God shows He was in control of the situation and what was happening was His will.
Map if the Area of the Midianites
Cities of Refuge
Another interesting thing we read this week about is the Cities of Refuge that God ordained for Israel. Just like God spared the virgin because they had not done wrong in worshiping the Canaanite gods sexually, the Cities of Refuge protected those that had not murdered. It is worth thinking about the fact that the person who would seek protection in a City of Refuge had to stay there “until the death of the high priest.” Now that Jesus, our high priest, has died, we are no longer trapped by shame and guilt.