Numbers 31:15

[Donnie]

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? ... Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.--Numbers 31:15-19

I always thought that this was a rather immoral injunction; Kill all the babies, except for the virgin girls.
I don't think Moses had any honorable intentions for these lamentable girls who have just witnessed the slaughter of all their loved ones.

Perhaps there is a metaphorical message that I am missing here.

Donnie

 

[Davy]

Many of the things we read about in the bible of that era seam very savage and bloody. But that is the way it often was, especially with the demon worshiping child sacrificing pagan nations around them.

Remember, it was these very women with the consent of their men folk that lured the nation of Israel into sinful worship of Peor. These women, were the principal criminals and were not to be spared. When Moses said: "Have you spared all the women?" (Numbers 31:15) He was moved with a holy indignation at the sight of these wicked immoral women. That is why, "Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds." (Numbers 31:14)

Just think what would have happened if Moses had allowed the men of Israel to bring these pagan immoral women in to their homes? It would not have been long before they would have corrupted many and turned them to worshiping their pagan idols and god's. If this had happened, Jehovah, Almighty God would have punished them again and many more would have lost their lives.

So, looking at this from Moses' perspective, it was the right thing to do, to keep the worship of Jehovah pure and holy.

 

[jari]

World was back then : Kill or to be killed. There was no mercy from side of these people so Moses did right thing to command to kill them.
If you read earlier chapters of exodus how israelites tried to pass through lands to enter the promised land, many kings attacked them instead of letting them pass. Because there was no trust, it was, kill or be killed.
We just think its horrible thing to do when looking from todays world but for them it was the only choice.
And of course it was sad but it's the corruptness and hostility of humans that left them no choice but to destroy the enemy completely for their own safety.

 

[brakelite]

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? ... Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.--Numbers 31:15-19

I always thought that this was a rather immoral injunction; Kill all the babies, except for the virgin girls.
I don't think Moses had any honorable intentions for these lamentable girls who have just witnessed the slaughter of all their loved ones.

Perhaps there is a metaphorical message that I am missing here.

Donnie

This was no ordinary war, but rather the execution of a death sentence pronounced upon Midian by a holy God. Israel, as was only natural, were somewhat reluctant to carry out the sentence fully, but were reminded by Moses that the wages of sin is indeed death, and this must be a salutary lesson for us today. The Midianites had sought the corruption and ultimate destruction of Israel through a false prophet, Balaam. This particular form of opposition to God's people is purely of Satanic origin, and is to be repeated in these last days. God's abhorrence and intolerance to this evil and the judgement that is carried out upon the Midianites is to be repeated with regards Babylon the Great, who also is to seek the corruption and ultimate destruction of God's people through the deceptive teachings of s false prophet. The Midianites destruction is fully justified, and is a mere faint reflection of the destruction of sin and sinners at the end of time.

 

[faithfulservant]

The spiritual war Christians are now in began as a war in the natural, physical world. The war throughout the Old Testament, was a war waged by Satan to destroy the bloodline that would bring the Savior into the world.

Knowing that this battle has been waging from the very outset of humanity, we consider the dire, cataclysmic consequence of God not waging this battle to its fullest. The very salvation of the world hinged upon many of the physical battles of the Old Testament.

Even to the very end of that bloodline, Satan attempted to destroy the Salvation of the world. Consider what Jesus' family had to go through to evade slaughter. They fled to Egypt when Herod was killing all the babies when he heard there was a newborn King. Then they had to flee to to Galilee. All to evade slaughter at the hands of Satan and his influence over rulers.

Matthew 2
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Another thing we must understand about God: He is holy, righteous, just, and good. He actually loves people who hate Him! His Son endured the sin burden of the world and massive suffering for the sake of people who hate God.

Romans 5:6-8
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Knowing this, we must now consider the fact that God can control everything, if He chooses, but won't typically override someone's freewill. People still choose to do evil, and though He will intercede when called upon by His people, He does everything in His power to make good out of the freewill evil deeds of the world. That's how good God is.

Understanding God's eternality allows us to grasp that He saw the ending from the beginning. In fact, this world has likely played out a myriad of ways before God's omniscience in order to choreograph a world with as little freewill evil as possible. Again, knowing God is just, righteous, holy, and good, we know He will do His best to minimize the evil that is in this world (without taking away man's fundamental freewill).

So... With all this being considered, let's look at a couple of things God's sovereignty ordains (outside of man's freewill): He places you where you are in space and time, and He numbers the days you will live (emphasis mine):

Acts 17:26-28
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

So, knowing God's will is to minimize the freewill evil, and knowing that God's sovereignty ordains the time period in which you walk the earth and the geographic boundaries in which people dwell, we should be able to surmise that the people whom God commanded to be taken out and killed to the last were, in fact, some of the most evil beings that would ever walk the earth. The kind of evil that would have destroyed the bloodline of the Savior of the world. That kind of evil makes Hitler look like Little Bo-Peep.

There are currently almost 7 Billion people in the world right now. Had Satan succeeded in destroying the bloodline of Jesus, none of them would have the opportunity at salvation. Think of all the souls throughout the last 2,000 years.

As it is, however, everyone has the chance to come to a saving knowledge of Christ, if they choose to turn from the evil in their heart and seek His ways.

 

[Chad]

Numbers 31:13-24

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 enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, 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.

19 “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. 20 Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.”

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the LORD gave Moses: 22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead 23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Commentary on Numbers 31:13-18

The sword of war should spare women and children; but the sword of justice should know no distinction, but that of guilty or not guilty. This war was the execution of a righteous sentence upon a guilty nation, in which the women were the worst criminals. The female children were spared, who, being brought up among the Israelites, would not tempt them to idolatry. The whole history shows the hatefulness of sin, and the guilt of tempting others; it teaches us to avoid all occasions of evil, and to give no quarter to inward lusts. The women and children were not kept for sinful purposes, but for slaves, a custom every where practised in former times, as to captives. In the course of providence, when famine and plagues visit a nation for sin, children suffer in the common calamity. In this case parents are punished in their children; and for children dying before actual sin, full provision is made as to their eternal happiness, by the mercy of God in Christ.

Commentary on Numbers 31:19-24

The Israelites had to purify themselves according to the law, and to abide without the camp seven days, though they had not contracted any moral guilt, the war being just and lawful, and commanded by God. Thus God would preserve in their minds a dread and detestation of shedding blood. The spoil had been used by Midianites, and being now come into the possession of Israelites, it was fit that it should be purified.

 

[Donnie]

Many of the things we read about in the bible of that era seam very savage and bloody. But that is the way it often was, especially with the demon worshiping child sacrificing pagan nations around them.

Remember, it was these very women with the consent of their men folk that lured the nation of Israel into sinful worship of Peor. These women, were the principal criminals and were not to be spared. When Moses said: "Have you spared all the women?" (Numbers 31:15) He was moved with a holy indignation at the sight of these wicked immoral women. That is why, "Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds." (Numbers 31:14)

Just think what would have happened if Moses had allowed the men of Israel to bring these pagan immoral women in to their homes? It would not have been long before they would have corrupted many and turned them to worshiping their pagan idols and god's. If this had happened, Jehovah, Almighty God would have punished them again and many more would have lost their lives.

So, looking at this from Moses' perspective, it was the right thing to do, to keep the worship of Jehovah pure and holy.

I see, so you are fine with the murder of children, because they were 'immoral' even though they were still virgins?

Good God!

 

[Donnie]

This was no ordinary war, but rather the execution of a death sentence pronounced upon Midian by a holy God. Israel, as was only natural, were somewhat reluctant to carry out the sentence fully, but were reminded by Moses that the wages of sin is indeed death, and this must be a salutary lesson for us today. The Midianites had sought the corruption and ultimate destruction of Israel through a false prophet, Balaam. This particular form of opposition to God's people is purely of Satanic origin, and is to be repeated in these last days. God's abhorrence and intolerance to this evil and the judgement that is carried out upon the Midianites is to be repeated with regards Babylon the Great, who also is to seek the corruption and ultimate destruction of God's people through the deceptive teachings of s false prophet. The Midianites destruction is fully justified, and is a mere faint reflection of the destruction of sin and sinners at the end of time.

I see, so you are fine with the wholesale slaughter and rape of children.

Good God!

 

[Donnie]

Numbers 31:13-24

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 enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, 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.

19 “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. 20 Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.”

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the LORD gave Moses: 22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead 23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Commentary on Numbers 31:13-18

The sword of war should spare women and children; but the sword of justice should know no distinction, but that of guilty or not guilty. This war was the execution of a righteous sentence upon a guilty nation, in which the women were the worst criminals. The female children were spared, who, being brought up among the Israelites, would not tempt them to idolatry. The whole history shows the hatefulness of sin, and the guilt of tempting others; it teaches us to avoid all occasions of evil, and to give no quarter to inward lusts. The women and children were not kept for sinful purposes, but for slaves, a custom every where practised in former times, as to captives. In the course of providence, when famine and plagues visit a nation for sin, children suffer in the common calamity. In this case parents are punished in their children; and for children dying before actual sin, full provision is made as to their eternal happiness, by the mercy of God in Christ.

Commentary on Numbers 31:19-24

The Israelites had to purify themselves according to the law, and to abide without the camp seven days, though they had not contracted any moral guilt, the war being just and lawful, and commanded by God. Thus God would preserve in their minds a dread and detestation of shedding blood. The spoil had been used by Midianites, and being now come into the possession of Israelites, it was fit that it should be purified.

I see, so you are OK with mass-murder as long as there are theological grievances to be rectified.

You are also fine with the rape of young women who have just witnessed the murder of everyone they loved.

Mon Dieu!

 

[Kit Carson]

I see, so you are OK with mass-murder as long as there are theological grievances to be rectified.

You are also fine with the rape of young women who have just witnessed the murder of everyone they loved.

Mon Dieu!

They were not kept for rape or sin. I agree with the Matthew Henry's commentary.

Look at the world today and learn the lesson of tolerance and permissiveness. For example the drug gangs that kill innocent people just because they are on their turf and all manner of crime and sin and how our world tolerates it.

I myself would have no problem with just wiping them all out. But I live under the laws of man and it is up to God to decide these things.

Also consider in those days there were no welfare departments, no institutions and so on to care for those with no support , so the women they kept were to be useful as slaves and or be indoctrinated into the life of the Jewish people.

Nope, these things are used by many Atheist to fight the belief in God and show how insane he supposedly is.

I suppose I am insane too as I have the same mindset about much of the crime and sin tolerated today. I would have no issues wiping it all out.

The tolerance of all the things we have today, shows the other side of the example of constant tolerance for all sin. We end up supporting the ones who commit the sin, in this age of grace.

But God is the same now as he has always been, there will be consequences for it all.

Kit

 

[brakelite]

I see, so you are fine with the wholesale slaughter and rape of children.

Good God!

Rape is nowehere mentioned or suggested. But because you asked, no. I am not fine with the wholesale slaughter and rape of children. Nor am I fine with the slaughter of anyone, for whatever reason. But unfortunately, such actions against the guilty are necessary to protect the innocent.
What I am fine with is your last comment. Yes, God is good.

 

[Donnie]

They were not kept for rape or sin.

You have got to be kidding me!

Let's read this little nugget of celestial wisdom again, shall we?

"31:17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

31:18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."

So what quality, dear Kit, in your opinion, separates these virgins from the non-virgins? Their crocheting skills?

The author of Numbers spells it out: " keep [them] alive for yourselves".
That isn't a metaphor. It means what is says.

What do you think these desert people, with their God of war egging them on, are going to do to these lamentable girls?

This tale is as old as time; kill all the men, and take the women for yourselves.

Vae victis.

Your reluctance to acknowledge the bloody (pun intended) obvious illustrates quite accurately how far otherwise reasonable people will go to defend their misapprehensions.

Perhaps you should reach out, pierce the thin veil of the sheltering sky, and take repose.

Donnie

 

[faithfulservant]

You have got to be kidding me!

Let's read this little nugget of celestial wisdom again, shall we?

"31:17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

31:18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."

So what quality, dear Kit, in your opinion, separates these virgins from the non-virgins? Their crocheting skills?

The author of Numbers spells it out: " keep [them] alive for yourselves".
That isn't a metaphor. It means what is says.

What do you think these desert people, with their God of war egging them on, are going to do to these lamentable girls?

This tale is as old as time; kill all the men, and take the women for yourselves.

Vae victis.

Your reluctance to acknowledge the bloody (pun intended) obvious illustrates quite accurately how far otherwise reasonable people will go to defend their misapprehensions.

Perhaps you should reach out, pierce the thin veil of the sheltering sky, and take repose.

Donnie

You misunderstand, and mischaracterize, what actually became of those females. Judaic bloodlines run through men, not women. Because of that, those women would become part of their community without compromising the bloodlines (remember, the battle over the bloodline of Jesus was about the salvation of the world).

Those women would have been treated as any wife would, and not as prostitutes or sex slaves. In fact, they would not have gone near them until they were done mourning for their husbands. For a barbaric, tribal era, that's a remarkably fine way of treating women from another tribe.

Deuteronomy 21:10-14
10 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, 12 and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13 And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.

Do you think the Midianites lived by such rules? Praise God we've never had to deal with what a Midianite or Moabite tribe would do to our families in the face of losing a war to them.

God works with people where they're at. The people living in that day and age were absolutely barbaric. The Mosaic laws were actually restrictive in nature. In other words, to say that someone should only knock the tooth out of someone who knocked the tooth out of someone restricts what people would typically have done to avenge themselves. Back then, if you knocked out someone's tooth, even by accident, they would probably have killed you on the spot. Do you understand?

Additionally, all of the things playing out back then were also natural examples of what would occur in the spiritual later. So, when the LORD deals harshly with a tribe that tempted His people to follow after other gods, it's a serious problem. Here is the New Testament spiritual warning of such a thing:

Matthew 18:5-6
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

That natural example in the Numbers, is a stark warning to reinforce how seriously God takes it when someone tries to draw one of His children into sin.

 

[Kit Carson]

You have got to be kidding me!

Let's read this little nugget of celestial wisdom again, shall we?

"31:17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

31:18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."

So what quality, dear Kit, in your opinion, separates these virgins from the non-virgins? Their crocheting skills?

The author of Numbers spells it out: " keep [them] alive for yourselves".
That isn't a metaphor. It means what is says.

What do you think these desert people, with their God of war egging them on, are going to do to these lamentable girls?

This tale is as old as time; kill all the men, and take the women for yourselves.

Vae victis.

Your reluctance to acknowledge the bloody (pun intended) obvious illustrates quite accurately how far otherwise reasonable people will go to defend their misapprehensions.

Perhaps you should reach out, pierce the thin veil of the sheltering sky, and take repose.

Donnie

Hey:

I took a repose today, but I think it is called a nap. I guess I just see the truth of things.

It was a time of violence. For more than one reason. Violence was sanctioned by God at that time to accomplish the means to push the extremely bad people out and in fact kill them. As for the women and children or young women saved, yes this was a tradition of the time , a way of life, there were many other ways of life with extreme violence also. What I see in this situation was the women became slaves and a part of the Jewish nation. Or that tribe, however you want to view it. Did some of them become wives or concubines later, most likely. This was also mans tradition of the time, not especially liked by God, but tolerated. This was changed by Christ when he walked the earth.

God hates sin, he hates worship of idols and he up front and straight up says, I am jealous of idol worship and you will not conduct this , for if you do I will punish you. God is God and it is his right and his will. Many have a problem with this and consider God evil. I do not and kinda like having a protector who only requires that I acknowledge him.

I have many of the same views of God today. I am not God and never profess to put words in his mouth, but with great respect honor the hate of sin, and crime and many things myself. I have no tolerance for those who over and over ignore kindness, compassion and good and with great rebellion and deliberate acts commit crimes and sin over and over and challenge others.

I am most of the time very easy going, but I really hate many things of the world and I think the lesson we can learn from God is to just look around at the world today. Turn on the news and see how many murders were committed today, how many women were raped and how many young teens pulled a gun in school. You see we have become so passive and so wiling to accept, that sin progresses and runs in the fast lane to more sin.

When I grew up and I was bad I got my tail warmed up. I would never have dreamed of acting up very much in school. I have watched the world become liberal and accepting and allow this and allow that and now it is a crime to even yell at a child. So the sin of violence and many other sins now are normal rather than the exception. Children are taught young how to sin and get away with it, how it is allowed. These children grow up to fill our jails and programs of society and we foot the cost of it all. And we fear for our lives if our car dies at night in the city.

We are told we will reap what we sow. Well we have put some rotten seeds in society and more than this with our modern ways, have added fertilizer to them. Anything and everything is cool. God does not exist and we want to do it our way.

Look around and see what this has grown on the tree. The fruit is rotten when it blooms, let alone when it ripens.

Today we have a program or some kind of social program for any and all things. Most all formed because of sin, laziness, crime, and the lack of belief in God. All these things we have now are the result of pushing God away.

Well let me sum it up, most will never understand, it takes a great understanding for this, but I do not see an evil God. I see a God who is God, who created all things and owns it. He requires very little of us and only asks for us to honor him and follow him. And you know his ways are kind, full of compassion, and if followed allow a society to live in peace and harmony. They are perfect rules but people will not follow them. Killing such as murder for money, lust, or crime is sin. Killing for the preservation of a lifestyle or in war or under command of a leader chosen by God is not a sin. It is purpose and survival for a greater good. So I see a very intelligent God, who tried and tried to teach men how to live and they ignored him.

I also hate the sin of today. One of my prayers to God was once , I told him, you know, I know we will all have a purpose and a job in the next life. I would much rather not have sin, hate, crime, and all these things ,but if you need someone to help you fight them, I hereby volunteer.

I say when you fully accept God, realize God is God and there is nothing you can do about it, in time you do not wish to do anything about it, in fact your mind understands and also wishes all sin and crime to vanish. If that requires violence ......so be it. Punishment to fit the act is a great deterrent to further sin and violence. As a saying of man says, take the rotten apple out of the basket before it causes all of them to become rotten.

Kid yourself not, we are saved under grace. I and the most kind persons on this earth are still very small and full of sin compared to God. So we deserve many things as far as punishment. But God in his kindness gave us grace. But do not think if you do not accept him he is any different now than he ever was. His simple rules of morality are sure, final and expected to be followed.

If they were followed, we would live in peace, there would be no sin and no crime, and no need for the full measure of sin to become full and for the earth to end. But God has looked ahead and said, it will be.

No I do not consider God evil. I can see the truth and value of pushing sin and crime away. I see how he tried and tried to teach all. And how all ignored him. It is what we as men do, we want to do it our way.

The result is what you see in the world today. That is the great lesson to learn out of the old testament. Open your mind and see what it is telling all of humanity. It is a great lesson of life and time and it was Gods purpose to have this in his word to show us all what can and will happen when his laws are ignored.

Oh by the way, if I were a preacher, I would carry a six gun. I am kind, considerate, compassionate, with a sense of humor, but I hate sin and I hate crime. I have no problem with dealing with it. But I like many do have to live under the rules of society. But I do not have to like it. The things I just told you are the things God hates and was trying to prevent in the old testament. His purpose was to stop what we have today. But society grew, the earth became populated , and God was pushed away. Now look at our world.

Respectfully

Kit

 

[B-A-C]

Our God is a jealous God. He takes it very seriously, those who lead his children astray.

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

According to Jesus these men were not true Shepherds and the men who carried out the orders were not true sheep.

John 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
I always wondered why Jesus put a thief in charge of his ministries finances.He must have known Judas was a thief.
Was he trying to tell us something?That Israel was no Shepard and the sheep were in hiding?

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Job 4:18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly

Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

In the new testament it tells us that the law was received through angels,not God.

Acts 7:38 This Moses is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and to our ancestors. He received living truths to give to us (please note it says truths not truth).

Ok,so was it really God's will that these people be wiped out?

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Moses was listening to Angels and Jesus was listening to the Holy Spirit.I don't recall Jesus ever justifying following the instruction of Angels.

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

The new testament tells us that God winked at the ignorance that all men were burdened with before the good news.
There is a big difference between wink and slaughter.
Yes the times were barbaric but since God never changes either Moses was wrong or Jesus is.If there is a lesson to be gleaned from this it's don't trust those little voices in your head.If God puts no trust in his Angels neither should we.

 

[Chad]

From carm.org article

"And Moses said to them, “Have you spared all the women? 16 “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord. 17 “Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. 18 “But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves," (Numbers 31:15-18).​

The harsh command is what God told Moses to do. "Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites..." (Num. 31:2). But why would God order this and even have children killed?

In Numbers 24 the people of Israel had played the harlot with the daughters of Moab and served Baal, a false god. But this idolatry, though bad enough, was accompanied by the pagan and licentious practices of the pagan women who were seducing the people of God. This would ultimately result in the destruction of Israel as well as the destruction of the messianic line.

God is often so strong in the Old Testament, even ordering the killing of people so that he might ensure that the future messianic line would remain intact. The enemy, Satan, began his attempt to destroy God's people in the Garden of Eden, by also trying to corrupt the world (which led to Noah's Flood), by trying to destroy Israel with attacking armies, and by encouraging Israel to fall into idolatry by exposure to other cultures as well as intermarrying women from those cultures. The result of both the idolatry and the interbreeding would have been the failure of the prophecies that foretold of the coming Messiah which specified which family line the Messiah would come through. The Messiah, Jesus, would be the one who would die for the sins of the world and without that death there would be no atonement. Without the atonement, all people would be lost. So, God was ensuring the arrival of the Messiah via the destruction of the ungodly.

This is why God ordered the destruction of this nation. It was pagan, participated in vile and grotesque sins, was idolatrous, and was posing a serious threat to the national identity and sanctity of Israel.