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 do not like to think or talk about God’s vengeance. However, those who have seen or experienced injustice or extreme wickedness often cry out, Why doesn’t God do something about this? They want someone to balance the scales by exercising revenge or removing evil. When the time is right, the LORD will avenge us of wrongs.
How should we understand God’s vengeance?
God’s vengeance is found in many places throughout the Scriptures. It is more prominent in the Old Testament portion of the Bible—thousands of years are recorded there versus a mere one hundred years in the New Testament. God may be severe, but he is not mean.
Moses writes,
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’s vengeance is based on 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 would not. They were sexually immoral, violent, and even offered their own children as burnt sacrifices to their gods.
God was faithful to Israel. He heard the cries of his people as they were lashed by the whips of their masters. He retaliated against Pharaoh and their confidence in 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 will bless her if she keeps his commands and the conditions of the covenant. However, if she breaks it, God’s vengeance will come upon her (Leviticus 26:24).The LORD was angry with the Israelites for prostituting themselves before a foreign god and violating his covenant in the Baal of Peor’s incident. Therefore, 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.
Israel did wrong, but so did the Midianites. In his wrath, God takes vengeance. The LORD instructs Moses to take 12,000 soldiers and utterly destroy the Midianites. God is jealous of his relationship with the Israelites. 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 upon 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,” [Deuteronomy 32:35a] says the Lord. [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). If there are no legal recourses, however, we are to leave vengeance to God.
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
Not a man of the 12,000 Israelite troops was killed. In gratitude, they gave a special offering over and above what was required. Soldiers in Israel’s army were to share in the spoils of war 50/50 with the congregation. In thankfulness for their victories, they were to give an offering to the LORD, 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 6:1-18).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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