Day 70, Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Numbers 31
Vengeance and Rewards
Balancing the scales
Most people don’t like to think or talk about God’s vengeance. However, many who have seen or experienced injustice or extreme wickedness have said, “Why doesn’t God do something about this?” They wanted someone to balance the scales by exercising revenge or removing evil. Be encouraged! When the time is right, the LORD will avenge us of all wrongs. See 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7
How should we understand God’s vengeance?
God is extremely patient, but he retaliates for wrongs done against his people (not just Jewish people, but all those with whom he has a relationship). His wrath is seen more in the Old Testament because of its longer time span. God may be severe, but he’s not mean.
Moses wrote,
I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he (Deuteronomy 32:3-4, NIV).
God exercises his vengeance because of his faithful love, holiness, and justice!
In his love and mercy, he waited 400 years for the Canaanites (also called Amorites, Genesis 15:16) to turn from their evil ways, but they wouldn’t. They were sexually immoral, violent, and they even offered their children as burnt sacrifices to their gods. [Yes, you read that right.]
God was faithful to Israel. He heard the cries of his people as the masters lashed their whips on them to force obedience. He retaliated against Pharaoh. He mocked their Egyptian gods by ruining Egypt with ten plagues.
God loved Israel. In the desert, he protected, provided, and made a promise to her (a covenant). He would bless her if she kept his commands and the conditions of the covenant. However, God’s vengeance would come upon her if she broke it (Leviticus 26:24).
The LORD was angry with the Israelites for prostituting themselves. They bowed before a foreign god and engaged in prostitution as part of their ritual! This was the Baal of Peor incident, a violation of their covenant. He killed 24,000 Israelites with a plague before Phinehas, the high priest’s son, took action. He killed an Israelite man and a Moabite woman, who brazenly paraded before the Israelite community and entered a tent to have sex.
In today’s Bible reading, God orders the destruction of the Midianites. Israel did wrong, but so did they. The LORD instructs Moses to take 12,000 soldiers and utterly destroy the Midianites. God is jealous of his relationship with the Israelites, and he takes revenge on those who try to harm his people (Nahum 1:2)
The army, however, kills the men but spares all the women and children. When Moses discovers their incomplete obedience, he tells the soldiers to kill all the boys and kill all the women who had sexual relationships with men. Why? Later, Moses would give God’s reasons for these drastic actions:
When the LORD your God has delivered [powerful nations] over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you (Deuteronomy 7:2-4, NIV).
Should we take vengeance on our enemies?
No. The Bible says,
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” said the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35a, Proverbs 25:21).
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21, NIV)
What are we to do then if someone harms us? Seek legal justice, if possible. God has appointed our governing officials to punish the evil-doers (Romans 13:1-4). However, if there are no legal recourses, we’re to leave vengeance to God.
Are we then to do nothing? No, while waiting for God to work we can do some things to improve our lives.
Eradicate personal evil and live holy
Allowing evil influence is a recipe for disaster. Do we confess our sins to the LORD but leave pornographic material lying around? Do we protect ourselves from sexual material on television, movies, computers, and mobile devices? Are we flirtatious, or do we remove ourselves from compromising situations with the opposite sex?
Warning for unbelievers and rebellious believers
Fear God’s wrath! The writer of the book of Hebrews says,
How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” [Deuteronomy 32:35] and again, “The Lord will judge his people” [Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14]. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:29-31, NIV).
Rewards for obeying God
When the Israelite army fought against the Midianites, all 12,000 soldiers returned home. In gratitude, they gave a special offering over and above what was required. Soldiers in Israel’s army shared in the spoils of war 50/50 with the congregation. In thankfulness for their victories, the LORD required 1/500th of what they took in spoils. Because there were fewer soldiers than the total Israelite population, they were well-compensated. How well do we compensate our soldiers?
We Christians are soldiers in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). Are there compensations for us? The LORD blesses those who are faithful. “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10, NIV).
1. Israel had over 601,000 ready to fight. When the LORD is fighting for them (or us), he does not need big numbers to defeat the enemy.
2. the Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 6:1-11 instructs us not to take our fellow believers to court. Instead, we should try to handle it personally, and if unsuccessful, make our appeal to the church, Matthew 18:15-17)
Discussion
How should we understand God’s vengeance, and what is it based upon? When is it exercised?
Should we seek vengeance ourselves? Why or why not? What should we do when we suffer injustice?
Who will God reward?
.Focus Verse
Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (NIV) “I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”
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Looking Ahead: We have seen that the LORD is very patient, but eventually he takes vengeance upon those who are wicked and unfaithful. How do we Keep Our Commitments to the LORD to experience his blessings? Join us for our Next Lesson.
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