And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian(Num. 31:1-3).
The right of vengeance belongs to God and God alone. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Rom. 12:19). This concept is almost universally taught from pulpits today as a call to self-control and is often paired with Jesus' admonition from the Sermon on the Mount to turn the other cheek. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matt. 5:39). This is a valuable lesson, and one that we all should heed, but we must be careful not to read more into it than God intended. Just because He has not granted us the right to seek it ourselves does not mean that God has taken vengeance off the table. And just because we, with our limited understanding of our fellow man, have been instructed to turn the other cheek does not mean that we have the right to expect God to do likewise.
The details of God’s vengeance upon the Midianites are chilling. First, every adult male fell in battle (Num. 31:7), then, God ordered the slaughter of the majority of the captured women and children, leaving as the only survivors, girls too young to have had carnal relations with men. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him (31:17). There are no standards available to us by which we can judge this acceptable. If this were to be carried out by a human regime today, we would rightly view these actions as war crimes of the highest order, murderous and indefensible. But this was not carried out by imperfect men following their own agenda; this was put into motion by our perfect, all-knowing God. And we are not being asked to judge, but rather to accept. But how?
The first thing we must do is quit trying to rationalize or defend God’s actions, either to ourselves or others. He is God, Creator of all, and He needs no defense. All life is His to do with as He will (Job 1:21), and all His actions are just and right. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He (Deut. 32:4). Just because we don’t—and might not ever—understand why He has done something doesn’t mean we have the right to question the integrity of what He has done. When we attempt to justify the actions of God and search for ways to prove that He is worthy of our love and respect, we deny our faith. We follow Him because He is the Lord. No other explanation is needed.
I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things(Is. 45:5-7).
Thought For TodayAs with His mercy and love, God’s vengeance cannot be compared to its worldly counterpart.
Word Studies30:2 bind his soul = to abstain from something; 30:3 bond = promises; 30:4 hold his peace at = say nothing to; 30:5 disallow = forbid; 30:7 hold his peace at = said nothing; 30:9 their souls = themselves; 30:13 void = invalid.
Christ Portrayed:By Moses, who judged Israel's actions and passed sentence (Num. 31:1-17). In righteousness He doth judge (Rev. 19:11; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 1:14-15).
Pray For Staff:Jennifer Palafox • Government Official: Rep.Dan Goldman (NY), Sen. Tim Kaine (VA) • Country: South Africa (48,375,645) • Major Languages: Isizulu, Isixhosa, Afrikaans, English • Religious Freedom • 36.6% Protestant; 7.1% Catholic; 1.5% Muslim; 36% Other Christian; 2.3% Other; 1.4% Unspecified; 15.1% None • Prayer Suggestion: Rejoice over and pray for those who share the Good News (Nah. 1:15).
Optional Reading:Luke 13