One major last task that Moses was to fulfil before he was to meet “the last enemy”, which is death (1 Corinthians 15:26), was to fulfil the divine command to punish Midian (Numbers 25:16-18). The Israelites were wrong in getting entangled with the Midianites at the Baal of Peor scandal (Numbers 25), but the Midianites were also wrong in following Balaam’s counsel and trying to destroy Israel (Numbers 31:16). We remember that those who curse Israel, God will curse, and it is now time for God to punish Midian.

Thus, this was a holy war commanded by God – an Israelite army of one thousand from each tribe (Numbers 31:3-5), as well as Phinehas, the priest (Numbers 31:6). The holy objects that Phinehas took with him represented the Lord’s presence with the troops, and Numbers 31 goes on the describe the actual battle with brevity (Numbers 31:7). The battle was a victory for Israel and the Israelite soldiers return triumphantly.

However, Moses was not overjoyed. He was angry (Numbers 31:14). He was angry that they had kept the Midianite women and children alive, because their presence will only give more opportunity for sin, sin that had almost destroyed Israel. Moses therefore ordered that all the male children, and Midianite women be destroyed, leaving only the young virgin girls alive. They may be assimilated into the Israelite community by marrying Israelite men or being the servants.

Following this, Numbers 31 described the ritual purification that the soldiers who had been defiled by coming into contact with dead bodies had to undergo before returning to camp. The rest of Numbers 31 describes the distribution of the spoils of war.

Dear brothers and sisters, what we see here is an expression of a holy relationship with the Lord. God’s intention was to provide a spiritually and physically secure home for His people, so that they may flourish without being destroyed by idolatry and other ways of their neighbours. The Midianites were such a threat, and God had to separate Israel from them. The week long purification for the Israelite soldiers was a reminder of their setting apart to fight the ward for God, as well as a reminder that in Canaan that there too were unclean sinners who could tempt and defile the Israelites.

Does it then mean that we can engage in holy wars with people of different religion? In the Old Testament, Israel’s holy wars were unique because they were a theocracy acting on the basis of direct revelation from God. For us, who are living in the New Covenant, we continue to live holy lives and to be set apart. However, what is different is that Jesus Christ has saved us from the sins that would make us unacceptable to God. Therefore, instead of fighting physical wars, we are fighting a war to exemplify Christ’s self-sacrificing love. Because of God’s love for us, we are called His children through the blood of Christ. Because God first loved us, we can love others. We must love our neighbours as ourselves, and through our love show the holiness of our God.

The British satirist, Jonathan Swift, once said that we have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another. As disciples of Christ, let us not just lead holy lives, but also lives that love.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to love, and help us to lead holy lives as you desire us to be. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.