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The Book of Numbers 0006 - Lesson 1

Scripture Passage: 
Numbers 31:1-54

Chapter 31

War with the Midianites

  1. THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE LORD (Numbers 31:1-2)
    1. Avenge the Children of Israel (Numbers 31:2).
      1. Of the Midianites
      2. Because of the incident of Numbers 25:6-9
        1. The sin (Numbers 25:6)
        2. The work of Phinehas (Numbers 25:7-8)
        3. The plague (Numbers 25:9)
    2. Afterward Shalt Thou Be Gathered Unto Thy People (Numbers 31:2).
      1. This is speaking of Moses soul and not his body.
      2. There were people who were gathered unto their people before they were buried.  (i.e., Jacob died in Genesis 49:33 and was not buried until Genesis 50:13)
      3. Consider the ending of the gathering unto the people (Genesis 49:10).
  2. THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM MOSES (Numbers 31:3-6)
    1. The Purpose of the Battle (Numbers 31:3)
      1. Arm yourselves unto the war.
      2. Go out against Midian.
      3. Avenge the LORD of Midian.
        1. Notice the two ways this has been worded.
        2. “Avenge the children of Israel” (Numbers 31:2).
        3. “Avenge the LORD” (Numbers 31:3).
        4. Messing with Israel is messing with the Lord (Zechariah 2:8; Matthew 25:31-46).
    2. The Personnel for the Battle (Numbers 31:4-6)
      1. Out of every tribe (Numbers 31:4-5)
        1. A thousand from every tribe
        2. Twelve thousand armed for war
      2. Of the priests (Numbers 31:6)
        1. Phinehas
        2. With the holy instruments and trumpets to blow
  3. THE WAR AGAINST THE MIDIANITES (Numbers 31:7-11)
    1. The Slain (Numbers 31:7-8)
      1. The males (Numbers 31:7)
      2. The kings of Midian (Numbers 31:8)
        1. Evi which means unjust
        2. Rekem which means vain pictures
        3. Zur which means stone that besieges
        4. Hur which means liberty
        5. Reba which means fourth
      3. Balaam (Numbers 31:8)
    2. The Captives and Spoil (Numbers 31:9,11)
      1. All the women of Midian
      2. The little ones
      3. The cattle
      4. The flocks
      5. Their goods
    3. The Cities (Numbers 31:10)
      1. They burnt all the cities with fire.
      2. They burnt all the goodly castles with fire.
  4. THE RETURN FROM BATTLE (Numbers 31:12-24)
    1. The Presentation before Moses (Numbers 31:12-13)
      1. The captives, the prey and the spoil brought to the camp
      2. Moses, Eleazar and the princes go out to meet them.
    2. The Correction by Moses (Numbers 31:14-18)
      1. The anger of Moses (Numbers 31:14)
      2. The reason for Moses’ anger (Numbers 31:15-16)
        1. The women kept alive (Numbers 31:15)
        2. The source of Israel’s problem (Numbers 31:16)
      3. The instruction given by Moses (Numbers 31:17-18)
        1. Kill every male among the little ones (Numbers 31:17).
        2. Kill every woman that hath known man (Numbers 31:17).
        3. Keep alive all the women children that have not know man (Numbers 31:18).
    3. The Purification Process (Numbers 31:19-23)
      1. The purification of the soldiers and the captives (Numbers 31:19)
        1. Purified on the third day
        2. Purified on the seventh day
      2. The purification of other items (Numbers 31:20)
        1. The raiment
        2. All that is made of skins
        3. All work of goats hair
        4. All things made of wood
      3. The purification of the spoil (Numbers 31:21-23)
        1. Sent through the fire and the water of separation (Numbers 31:21-23)
          1. The gold
          2. The silver
          3. The brass
          4. The iron
          5. The tin
          6. The lead
        2. Sent through the water of separation (Numbers 31:23)
          1. All that does not abide the fire
          2. Shall go through the water
  5. THE DIVIDING OF THE SPOIL (Numbers 31:25-47)
    1. The Portions for the People (Numbers 31:25-27)
      1. Take the sum of the prey (Numbers 31:25-26).
        1. Of man
        2. Of beast
      2. Divide the prey into two parts (Numbers 31:27).
        1. Some to the men of war
        2. Some to the congregation
    2. The Portions for the Lord (Numbers 31:28-31)
      1. Of the men of war (Numbers 31:28-29)
        1. One soul of five hundred (Numbers 31:28)
          1. Of the persons
          2. Of the beeves
          3. Of the asses
          4. Of the sheep
        2. Give it unto Eleazar for an heave offering (Numbers 31:29).
      2. Of the children of Israel (Numbers 31:30-31)
        1. One portion of fifty (Numbers 31:30)
          1. Of the persons
          2. Of the beeves
          3. Of the asses
          4. Of the flocks
          5. Of all manner of beasts
        2. Give them unto the Levites (Numbers 31:30-31).
    3. The Total Spoil from the War (Numbers 31:32-35)
      1. 675,000 sheep
      2. 72,000 beeves
      3. 61,000 asses
      4. 32,000 persons
    4. The Spoil for the Men of War (Numbers 31:36-41)
      1. The sheep
        1. The original total – 337,500
        2. The Lord’s tribute – 675
        3. The remainder for the men of war – 336,825
      2. The beeves
        1. The original total – 36,000
        2. The Lord’s tribute – 72
        3. The remainder for the men of war – 35,928
      3. The asses
        1. The original total – 30,500
        2. The Lord’s tribute – 61
        3. The remainder for the men of war – 30,439
      4. The persons
        1. The original total – 16,000
        2. The Lord’s tribute – 32
        3. The remainder for the men of war – 15,968
    5. The Spoil for the Children of Israel (Numbers 31:42-47)
      1. The sheep
        1. The original total – 337,500
        2. The Levites’ portion – 6,750
        3. The remainder for the children of Israel – 330,750
      2. The beeves
        1. The original total – 36,000
        2. The Levites’ portion – 720
        3. The remainder for the children of Israel – 35,280
      3. The asses
        1. The original total – 30,500
        2. The Levites’ portion – 610
        3. The remainder for the children of Israel – 29,890
      4. The persons
        1. The original total – 16,000
        2. The Levites’ portion – 320
        3. The remainder for the children of Israel – 15,680
  6. THE OFFERING OF THE ARMED MEN (Numbers 31:48-54)
    1. The Ranking Officials Approach Moses (Numbers 31:48).
      1. The officers which were over thousands
      2. The captains of thousands
      3. The captains of hundreds
    2. The Thankfulness for God’s Protection (Numbers 31:49)
      1. Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war under our charge.
      2. There lacketh not one man.
    3. The Offering Given to the Lord (Numbers 31:50-54)
      1. The reason for the offering (Numbers 31:50-51)
      2. The amount of the offering (Numbers 31:52-53)
        1. 16,750 shekels
        2. Approximately 440 pounds of gold
      3. The memorial of the offering (Numbers 31:54)
  7. THE CONTAINMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
    1. The War
      1. The war with Midian
      2. Compares to the battle of the Christian life
    2. The Presentation
      1. The presentation before Moses
      2. Compares to our presentation before the Lord
    3. The Offering
      1. The offering of the ranking officers
      2. Compares to our casting of crowns at the feet of the Saviour
Andrew Ray

Daily Proverb

Proverbs 26:12

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.