Moses Or God

[Dr. Shane]

Numbers 31:

12. And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

13. And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

14. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.

15. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

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

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

Was it a command of Moses to kill all the women and male children or was that the will of God? Perhaps this is something Moses learned in the palace of Egypt.

One thing for sure, if you want to get rid of an enemy nation for good, that is how things should be done.

[Ron Amnsn]

Some context:

Num 25:16-17

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them;

Num 31:1-2

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites;"

Num 31:7

So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

It sounds like it was God's idea to kill the women of Midian, who had earlier tempted Israel into idolatry and adultery. But it's not totally clear.

[Musicman1228]

It was God's requirement for His Kingdom Israel to be righteous and blameless before the Lord God. When God sent Israel into Canaan it was to possess the land, and for Israel to learn and practice righteousness as a demonstration of the love of God for His people. God knew that if He allowed any sin to continue in the Promised Land that He reserved for His people they would rebel and succumb to the will of the nations around them. Therefore, because the cup of iniquity of the nations that lived in Canaan was full to the brim God had Israel carry out the sentence of Death for all those nations that were beyond hope or help.

ANY sin of any kind would have destroyed the chance for Israel to eventually become the righteous nation that God desired and needed to fulfill His requirement in Num. 14:21.

God took Israel out of Egypt and made them His Covenant People BEFORE they had become righteous. He did this KNOWING that if they chose the right path, the path of life, His will for them would come true. God took Israel into the desert to teach them His ways so they would become His righteous nation. God also knew that they would choose the path of death, and He gave them two chances to redeem themselves; one after their release from captivity in Babylon and another at the end of the 490 year prophecy in Dan. 9:24 when Jesus came to teach them righteousness. They rejected both of these opportunities.

In the end of time God will raise up another Kingdom, this time cut out of the Holy Mountain without hands (without direct Divine intervention) (Dan. 2:44-45). But this time they will have to learn and show that they are righteous BEFORE He makes them His Kingdom. This Kingdom will shatter all of the kingdoms of the world into pieces; it is the stone which crushes the feet and toes of the image of Nebuchadnezzar and destroys all of the kingdoms that adhere to Satan and his ways.

[phkrause]

From my reading of the whole chapter from this version, http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9959, it seems that God commanded this.

[Dr. Shane]

It was God's requirement for His Kingdom Israel to be righteous and blameless before the Lord God. When God sent Israel into Canaan it was to possess the land, and for Israel to learn and practice righteousness as a demonstration of the love of God for His people. God knew that if He allowed any sin to continue in the Promised Land that He reserved for His people they would rebel and succumb to the will of the nations around them. Therefore, because the cup of iniquity of the nations that lived in Canaan was full to the brim God had Israel carry out the sentence of Death for all those nations that were beyond hope or help.

I don't see any Scripture to back up this commentary. Is this something Ellen White wrote?

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: Musicman1228

It was God's requirement for His Kingdom Israel to be righteous and blameless before the Lord God. When God sent Israel into Canaan it was to possess the land, and for Israel to learn and practice righteousness as a demonstration of the love of God for His people. God knew that if He allowed any sin to continue in the Promised Land that He reserved for His people they would rebel and succumb to the will of the nations around them. Therefore, because the cup of iniquity of the nations that lived in Canaan was full to the brim God had Israel carry out the sentence of Death for all those nations that were beyond hope or help.

I don't see any Scripture to back up this commentary. Is this something Ellen White wrote?

If I'm not mistaken Shane I think so. I remember when little I had heard this form quite a few ministers. Also believe that I've read this in EGWs Conflict Series, but am not sure. I'd have to search but wont be able to for a while, all my books are packed.

[skyblue888]

Therefore, because the cup of iniquity of the nations that lived in Canaan was full to the brim God had Israel carry out the sentence of Death for all those nations that were beyond hope or help.

Musicman

______________________

Yes this is true but the command to carry out the sentence of death for all those nations that were beyond hope or help was not God's perfect way. It was not God's will or way that Israel should fight with the sword in the first place but since they had rejected God's perfect way but still wanted Him in their lives, God gave them instructions accordingly.

sky