QT 24 Apr 12, Don't try to deal with sin in a half-hearted manner

Num 31:1-6, 13-15 (NIV ) The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people."

3 So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the Lord's vengeance on them. 4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel." 5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

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13 Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army — the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds — who returned from the battle.

15 "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. 16 "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord's people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

NOTE: The Midianites, a nomadic tribe occupying the Arabian desert and the area south of Israel, had participated with Moab in seducing Israel to worship Baal, and to engage in sexual immorality. Additionally, Balaam is a Midianite, and he does not escape God's judgment for his participation in the plan to seduce Israel. Surprisingly, Moab is not judged here and will continue for many centuries, which also says that Moab's fear of Israel was unjustified. The Midianites are not large and it takes only 12,000 men to destroy the 5 clans. Balaam is killed in this battle.  At this point, Israel does not understand the danger of half measures and  spares the women and children.

It seems unfair to kill the women and boys. But actually, it is a misunderstanding of holiness. No one can stand before God without faith, we are all undeserving. If he is merciful to some, who are we to judge the creator? He has the right to do as he pleases with his creation. But God also understands what we do not, and that is, half-measures toward sin inevitably fail. We need to be serious with sin in our life and not play at the edges, because in the end, we will be burned.