Introduction
One of the many ways that skeptics and atheists try to discredit the Bible is by supposedly showing how God, in certain circumstances, was supposedly immoral. They will almost always point to the book of Deuteronomy to make their case. Other times, Numbers 31 will often be cited to argue that a God that would allow the elimination of an entire group of people like the Midianites is not worthy of worship or praise. As Christians, how do we respond to these critiques, and are God’s actions in these circumstances defensible? The following article will explore God’s specific actions within the passage of Numbers 31 towards the Midianites, and I hope to provide a charitable way to respond to the skeptic’s claims that God is somehow guilty of Genocide, deeming Him immoral.
What is it about Numbers 31 that gets skeptics and atheists into a frenzy and motivates them to discredit the Christian faith? Specifically, in Numbers 31:13-18 we find Moses furious at the Israelite military leaders since they have let the Midianite females live. For context, I have provided the passage as follows…
13 Moses, the priest Eleazar, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses became furious with the officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who were returning from the military campaign. 15 “Have you let every female live?” he asked them. 16 “Yet they are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness against the Lord in the Peor incident, so that the plague came against the Lord’s community. 17 So now, kill every male among the dependents and kill every woman who has gone to bed with a man, 18 but keep alive for yourselves all the young females who have not gone to bed with a man.
Commentary
One of the most important rules concerning interpreting scripture is never reading a particular verse in isolation. This is why context matters so much and why students of the Bible should be reading chapters rather than a few selected verses. One might wonder what the big deal is with Moses simply getting angry that some lives were spared. Shouldn’t he have been a little more gracious and merciful? In the first part of verse 31, we see the Lord commanding Moses to send Israelite men to war to enact vengeance and wage war over the Midianites. This imperative was not without reason. In Numbers 25, we learn about the Baal of Peor incident involving Israelite men and Midianite women. The women enticed the men of Israel to indulge in sexual sin and perversion by worshiping their god, Baal. This ultimately led the Israelites to break the first, second, and seventh commandments, betraying the Lord God of Israel. Israel was to be a holy nation set apart for God’s purposes under theocratic rule. As one commentator put it, “Moses, however, was angry with his military leaders and dismayed that the Israelite warriors returned with so many women among the spoils of war. He protested their actions, decrying the fact that it was primarily the Midianite women who had followed Balaam’s counsel by leading the Israelite men into idolatry and adultery, both of which were punishable by death. So, he gave orders to slay all of the males, even the young boys, and any of the women who had engaged in sexual relations with a man.”[1] God had set apart the Israelites to be a holy nation living under His theocratic rule. This was a calling to ritual purity and obedience to God’s commands through Moses. Following God in obedience would result in His many blessings and protection. Moses was fearful that letting the Men, young boys, and women who engaged in the sexual seduction of men during the Baal of Peor Incident would ultimately contaminate the ritual purity of the Israelites by introducing idolatrous rituals and acts, ultimately cursing and bringing God’s righteous judgment on the Israelites. God also, in his act of justice against the Midianites, extended an act of mercy by sparing the virgin women who did not engage in any of the acts at the Baal of Peor incident. These virgin women could be positively influenced, ultimately resulting in them being absorbed into Israelite families. Integrating the Midianite virgin women eventually led to them being trained and educated in the ways of the Lord.[2]
Conclusion
In conclusion, I hope that this brief explanation of God’s acts in Numbers 31 has provided a thoughtful way of responding when skeptics claim that God’s actions were immoral and that he is responsible for genocide among the Midianites. In presenting this information to the skeptic or critic, remember that as Christians, we are ambassadors of Christ and that our responses and dialogues with non-believers are to be charitable, reflecting the love of Christ first and foremost. The purpose of apologetics is not to win arguments or to sound pridefully more intelligent than the person you are conversing with. Ultimately, it points people to the Gospel and a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, ultimately bringing them to the cross.
[1] R. Dennis Cole, Numbers, vol. 3B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 498.
[2] It should be noted that the Israelite men did not rape the Midianite virgin women, contrary to what critics will say. Despite rape being a custom of ancient Near Eastern warfare, the Israelites were utterly forbidden to engage in such acts. Sex, as God designed it, was to be within the confines of a marriage commitment, a theme that can be seen many times through Mosaic Law. I recommend Paul Copan’s book Is God a Moral Monster: Making Sense of the Old Testament God for a thoughtful take on this and other critiques of God in the Old Testament by skeptics and critics.
