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More Numbers commentaries
Numbers 28:1-31
The laws concerning offerings.
Numbers 29:1-40
The feast of tabernacles
Numbers 30:1-16
The difference between vows and oaths
Numbers 31:1-24
God’s judgment on the Midianites
Numbers 31:25-54
Division of the “spoils” from the war.
Numbers 32:1-15
The loyality of people to each other.
Numbers 32:16-42
“Be sure your sin will find you out.”
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Division of the “spoils” from the war.
Numbers 31:25–54
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, “Does this hurt? How about this?” If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, w … More
This section of Scripture deals with the confiscated spoils from the war, and it is truly amazing (vv. 25-54). All captives and goods were to be divided according to a strict formula. Moses told the soldiers not to keep for themselves all the booty they had taken, but to give a portion of it to God and another portion to the people who had not gone to war (vv. 26-27). This included over 800,000 animals (vv. 32-34) and 16,750 shekels (v. 52) in gold, worth several million dollars in the current United States economy. Some four centuries later David would establish this as a permanent rule of war (I Sam. 30:24-25).
From this example, we should be reminded that the money we earn is not ours alone. Everything we possess comes directly or indirectly from God, and ultimately belongs to Him. We should return a portion to Him and a portion to those in need. In addition to the above, the soldiers took 16,000 virgin women out of 32,000 and gave 32 over to the Lord (vv. 35, 40). These 32 women may have functioned as slaves to the priests (I Sam. 2:22). When the officers counted their men after the battle, they discovered that not one soldier had been lost. Only the Lord could have performed such a miracle. The commanders of the troops were so grateful for this miraculous deliverance that they brought a freewill offering of gold to the Lord. Immediately they thanked God.
After going through tough times, we should be quick to thank God for delivering us and protecting us. It is one thing to bring offerings to God because we have to or because it is our duty, but quite another thing that we do so because we love Him and appreciate what He has done for us.
Application
Lord, help me to be a person who gives joyfully and not one who gives out of obligation.
Numbers 31:25-54 (English Standard Version)
The LORD said to Moses, "Take the count 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 congregation, and divide the plunder into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation. And levy for the LORD a tribute from the men of war who went out to battle, one out of five hundred, of the people and of the oxen and of the donkeys and of the flocks. Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to the LORD. And from the people of Israel's half you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the people, of the oxen, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep guard over the tabernacle of the LORD." And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. Now the plunder remaining of the spoil that the army took was 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 persons in all, women who had not known man by lying with him. And the half, the portion of those who had gone out in the army, numbered 337,500 sheep, and the LORD's tribute of sheep was 675. The cattle were 36,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 72. The donkeys were 30,500, of which the LORD's tribute was 61. The persons were 16,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 32 persons. And Moses gave the tribute, which was the contribution for the LORD, to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses. From the people of Israel's half, which Moses separated from that of the men who had served in the army-- now the congregation's half was 337,500 sheep, 36,000 cattle, and 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 persons-- from the people of Israel's half Moses took one of every 50, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites who kept guard over the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses and said to Moses, "Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us. And we have brought the LORD's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD." And Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold, all crafted articles. And all the gold of the contribution that they presented to the LORD, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels. (The men in the army had each taken plunder for himself.) And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, as a memorial for the people of Israel before the LORD.
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