The Holy War
(Num. 31:1∼20)
Pastor Kim Tae Hoon
We are waging arduous and severe wars on earth even though we are not like Moses. God wants us to wage holy wars focused on salvation and glorification of the Lord instead of wasting our life on purposeless and meaningless wars. Lets see what a holy war is and how we can wage it.
1. It is fighting against the enemies of our community. God told Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. This message is His command for a community. The Midianites sin caused Gods burning anger because it instigated the Israelite community of faith to commit the sins of adultery and idolatry lest they go into the land of Canaan. The real enemies of a community lurk in them. Of course, there are many external enemies which persecute the community like the Amalekites. Yet God himself will defeat in his time these Amalekite attacks from those such as from our spouse, child, or our work place. Therefore, our vengeance should be focused on our Midianites, not the Amalekites. The Midianites refer to our sinful nature, ready to be tempted and commit the sins of adultery and idolatry. The leadership of a community needs to take the Medianites attack as seriously one because it shakes the foundation of a community. Which are you angry at more―private revealed sins or unrevealed ones that harm a community? What are your concealed sins that disturbed your community? What are you going to do to take vengeance on them for your community?
2. It is the war of faith. Moses immediately obeyed when God commanded him to wage a holy war. Moses commanded the Israelites to choose a thousand men from each tribe to send to the battle field, knowing that God wanted the Israelites to learn that the war they were going to wage would be a war of faith, not one of numbers or weapons. The war of faith calls a great deal of training and education. We need to meditate on the Word every day, share our life with our community, inquire of God, and obey His prescription through our community. God had Moses send Phinehas the priest, son of Eleazar to the place of war. The war of faith is about resisting worldly values and breaking the mindset of fixed ideas such as Wars depend on the number of soldiers or Happiness relies on money. Do you believe that God will embrace you, watching you repent of your sins that caused his judgment and share them with your community? About what do you need to inquire of your community and follow its prescription?
3. It is the war of purification. Moses was angry with the Israelite officers, seeing them return with the Midianite women as captives. If we let the Midianite women in us remain alive, we will destroy ourselves through adultery. Moses purified the circumstances of the Israelite army by killing all the Midianites except girls. Thus purifying the camp after the war is more important than the victory in a holy war. Despite all the plunder of victory and peoples praise, those who failed to purify themselves by keeping the seed of their Midianite women are actually the losers of a holy war. Those who repent of their sins through the Word are the winners, even though they might seem to be losers. What is your Midianite seed that you have to destroy from your plunder? What is the last war that you won through your repentance and thanksgiving even though you were defeated? Do you believe that true winners are those who purify themselves with Jesus blood? Heres a testimony from our community. 'My husband, a medical practitioner who earned lots of money had an affair with another woman and sired an illegitimate child. I desperately prayed that my husband would return to me after dumping his illegitimate wife and son. But my prayer was not focused on my husbands salvation. When my husband was diagnosed with a cancer, I was writing in self-pity rather than praying for his salvation. When I discovered that my husband had died, I realized that I had put him in place of God. Then I began to perceive Gods presence in my life. Everything was Gods work for salvation. I now accept that my husband is the one who gave my two daughters the great inheritance of God and our community.' What a great record of a holy war! Its the record of waging a war against the Medianites in us, purifying ourselves and our family with the cleansing water, and sharing the shining treasure of our trials with others in our community.
'The LORD said to Moses, 'Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.' (Num 31:1-20)
