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Scripture Reading: Num. 31:13-54
In this message we will continue to consider the overcoming of the Midianites by the children of Israel.
According to 31:13-24, both the captives and the spoil had to be purged and purified.
Moses commanded that every male among the little ones and every woman who had been married should be killed (vv. 13-18). If we do not have a spiritual view of the situation, we might think that this command was cruel and inhuman. But if we do have a spiritual view, realizing that the Midianites typify the filthiness of the lust of the flesh, we will admit that Moses' command was proper.
Verse 19 says, "Encamp outside the camp seven days; whoever of you has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day." Those who had killed someone and those who had touched a slain person had become defiled and needed to be purified. This purification took place on the third day and again on the seventh day. In typology, the third day signifies resurrection, and the seventh day signifies completion.
The people were required to purify every garment, every article of skin, all work of goats' hair, and every article of wood (v. 20). These things were purified with water, since they could not pass through fire.
All the metal — gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead — were to be purged by passing through fire and then purified with the water for impurity. Whatever could not stand the fire was to be purified by passing through water.
"You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean; and afterward you shall come into the camp" (v. 24). This washing of their clothes signifies the washing of our behavior and of all that we are.
All these matters concerning the purging and purifying of the captives and the spoil show us that everything related to God must be clean, having been purged, purified, or washed. We must keep this principle in touching things which are related to God. Whatever has been defiled, contaminated, by death must be purged or purified or washed.
In 31:25-47 we have the distributing of the plunder, both of man and of cattle.
"Take the sum of the plunder that was taken, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers' houses of the assembly; and divide the plunder into two parts, between those who engage in battle and went out to the war and all the assembly" (vv. 26-27). Here we see something marvelous: the fighters received half of the plunder, and the other half was given to those who stayed behind and who probably prayed for the ones who went out to war.
"Levy for Jehovah a tribute from the men of battle who went out to the war, one out of five hundred, of the persons and of the oxen and of the asses and of the flocks" (v. 28). This tribute was to be a kind of memorial before God.
"Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering of Jehovah" (v. 29). Because Eleazar the priest was one with Jehovah, whatever was given to Jehovah as a tribute by the fighters went to Eleazar the priest. What was given to Eleazar became a heave offering. This signifies that the tribute was put into ascension for a memorial before Jehovah and that this eventually became the high priest's portion.
"From the half of the sons of Israel you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah" (v. 30). Thus, the high priest received his portion, and the Levites received their portion. This was according to Moses' wisdom, which he received from God.
The distribution of the plunder included all kinds of persons among the Israelites. This distribution covered those who went to war and those who stayed back. It also covered the high priest and the Levites. Regarding the distribution of the plunder, there is no record of any opinion or proposal. The people received their portion without expressing any opinion and without making any proposal.
Verses 48 through 54 speak of the offering to Jehovah by the officers of the army.
The officers and the captains said to Moses, "Your servants have taken the sum of the men of the battle who are under our authority, and there is not a man missing from us" (v. 49). This was the reason the officers brought an offering to Jehovah. The officers were not required to make such an offering; they did this voluntarily out of their own initiative.
"We have brought Jehovah's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make propitiation for ourselves before Jehovah" (v. 50). This indicates that the officers were sensitive and knowledgeable, knowing their condition before God. They realized that there was something concerning them which was not right or fitting and that they needed to make propitiation for themselves before God so that their situation with God could be appeased. This propitiation was made with articles of gold.
Moses and Eleazar the priest received from the officers the articles of gold as the heave offering offered to God and brought them into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the sons of Israel before Jehovah (vv. 51-54). Their offering was a heave offering, something in ascension.
In 31:13-54 we see a beautiful picture of one accord. The situation among the different categories of people was peaceful, pleasant, and harmonious. Also, the situation of the people with God was peaceful. The entire situation was pleasant because they were all in one accord.
