Num. 30-31 (31:12-24), Preparing to Enter the Land (3)

Again, in these chapters, we have a couple of interesting and valuable subjects.  Num. 30 is about making vows.  The first thing to note is that the basic rule of making vows (promises) is that you must be as good as your word: If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth (30:2). 

But what about the rest of the chapter?  Is a woman’s word not as good as a man’s?  Are women put down in that a man (father or husband) has the final say in her words?  The answer to both these questions is a resounding “no!”  The passage actually emphasizes the woman’s need to stand by her promises.  But the problem is that in the culture, the woman’s ability to fulfill her word was generally bound up in her father or husband who provided for her and protected her. 

This is not demeaning to women.  Rather, it speaks volumes about the value of family.  We may not understand this today because our society has become confused about the Creator’s plan for families.  The only thing that people seem to care about these days is the right of a woman to do this or that.  This passage reminds us of the responsibility of a man in his home. 

Num. 31 probably provides more perplexity for people today in understanding what was happening.  Again, just to set the stage, in our culture, when one country goes to war with another, the main point is to have no civilian casualties.  We’ve seen Israel raked over the coals on this, for the deaths of civilians who were, in essence, planted in the middle of military sites by some terrorist government.  I can tell you, the Russians and Chinese and pretty much anyone else in the world outside the “western” countries do not think this way. 

It was the same with the Romans, Alexander the Great, the Medes and Persians, the Babylonians, and every nation around Israel.  Not only did they kill non-military people, they also took slaves.  But there is a much more fundamental issue here.  It’s in Num. 31:3: Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian.  Israel was taking vengeance for the LORD!  And lest you think this was just a role for the “Chosen People,” remember that such nations as the Assyrians, Babylonians and so forth were also God’s servants to take vengeance, not only on sinful Israel but on other nations. 

This is also an issue for Israel when they crossed over into Canaan.  The Canaanites were to be annihilated because their wickedness had reached God’s limit (Gen. 15:16).  In God’s perspective, the battles were not just about populations.  They were about cultures.  Thus, Israel was permitted to take slaves, and then they were bound to treat those slaves in a lawful manner according to the Law of Moses.  The threat of death and bondage was God’s deterrent to keep nations from frivolous wars.