The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 31:1-2a,
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites.'"
The result of this direction from the Lord was the death of the five kings of Midian, the pagan sorcerer Balaam, all the men and boys of Midian and all the women who were not virgins. The virgins were taken as servants into the Israelite households. The entire nation of Midian was wiped out in a genocidal conquest at the Lord's direction.
The question arises (and has in many places) as to how the Lord could direct the genocide of an entirre nation. Naturally, many answers have been put forward in the defense of the Lord's direction to Moses. It is one of those perfect questions for a debate in ethics. There are a number of times in Scripture where the Lord exercises his divine prerogatives (how about destroying the entire world in Noah's day?) that could be material for a debate.
I approach it this way for myself: the Lord's character is such that he is kind, faithful and just in all he does. That is exactly how the Lord reveals himself to us in the pages of Scripture, "I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight", Jeremiah 9:24. The full counsel of the Scriptures bears this out.
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites.'"
The result of this direction from the Lord was the death of the five kings of Midian, the pagan sorcerer Balaam, all the men and boys of Midian and all the women who were not virgins. The virgins were taken as servants into the Israelite households. The entire nation of Midian was wiped out in a genocidal conquest at the Lord's direction.
The question arises (and has in many places) as to how the Lord could direct the genocide of an entirre nation. Naturally, many answers have been put forward in the defense of the Lord's direction to Moses. It is one of those perfect questions for a debate in ethics. There are a number of times in Scripture where the Lord exercises his divine prerogatives (how about destroying the entire world in Noah's day?) that could be material for a debate.
I approach it this way for myself: the Lord's character is such that he is kind, faithful and just in all he does. That is exactly how the Lord reveals himself to us in the pages of Scripture, "I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight", Jeremiah 9:24. The full counsel of the Scriptures bears this out.
Keeping in mind the wickedness of a people who engaged in pagan idol worship that encompassed child sacrifice, fertility rituals that included the enticement of Israelite men away from their God and the like, far be it from me to question the Lord on his counsel, his judgments, his decisions. He is my Lord and he doesn't have to answer to my perceived ethical predispositions. In short, he doesn't check in with me first about what he does.
If I find myself "offended" by anything the Lord does, who needs to make the adjustment? Do I sit in judgment of my Lord? Far be it from me! And, by the way, I am never offended by my Lord. Quite the opposite. It is from him true morality, true ethics, true justice is found. No one else's opinion makes any difference.
Those who claim to know the Lord but hold a reservation over how he is revealed in the pages of Scripture at times, have yet to fully come to know the Lord. It seems to me there are many who harbor a fantasy of the Lord. Not knowing or studying the Scriptures thoroughly, they "imagine" what the Lord is like - after their own fashion, which leads to ethical questions about what we read in Scripture.
It is imperative we worship the Lord who is, not the Lord we invent!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If I find myself "offended" by anything the Lord does, who needs to make the adjustment? Do I sit in judgment of my Lord? Far be it from me! And, by the way, I am never offended by my Lord. Quite the opposite. It is from him true morality, true ethics, true justice is found. No one else's opinion makes any difference.
Those who claim to know the Lord but hold a reservation over how he is revealed in the pages of Scripture at times, have yet to fully come to know the Lord. It seems to me there are many who harbor a fantasy of the Lord. Not knowing or studying the Scriptures thoroughly, they "imagine" what the Lord is like - after their own fashion, which leads to ethical questions about what we read in Scripture.
It is imperative we worship the Lord who is, not the Lord we invent!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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