The Fourth Book of Moses Called Numbers
Chapter 31
Abraham and Keturah Bible Lesson
Abraham and Keturah in the Bible Story
It's time for another wonderful story at your Daily Bread. We're
gonna start with a Daily Bread Crumb this time and it's gonna be a
little bit of background information on the region called the land of
Midian. First of all, who was Midian? Let's go back to when Sarah
died.
-
Genesis 25:2
Abraham took another wife after Sarah died named Keturah and their
4th of 5 sons was named Midian. He established of the land of
Midian.
-
Genesis 37:28
The merchantmen who Joseph's brothers sold him to, when they pulled
him up out of the pit were Midianites, and they in turn, sold
Joseph to the Ishmeelites for 20 pieces of silver, who in turn took
Joseph into Egypt and sold him to Potiphar.
-
Exodus 2:15
Midian was the land that Moses fled to from Pharaoh when Moses
killed the Egyptian who struck a Hebrew. Jethro was the priest of
Midian and Zipporah, the woman that Moses first married was
Jethro's daughter, a Midianite woman.
-
Numbers 22:4, 7
Midian conspired with Moab (Balak) to try and get Balaam to
curse Israel because the were afraid that Israel would conquer them
when they saw how Israel conquered the Amorites.
-
Numbers 25:6
Some of Israel went astray with the women of Moab and worshipped
their false gods at a place called Peor. (Remember that Moab and
Midian are comrades.) One of the children of Israel brought a
Midianite woman into the camp so all could see. Phinehas followed
them into a tent and pierced them through together with a javelin.
The devotion of Phinehas eased God's anger toward Israel and stopped
the plague that He started among them because of their whoredoms.
Abraham and Keturah Bible Lineage
Abraham and Keturah in the Bible Events
As you recall, after the plague, the Lord told Moses to destroy
Midian because of their trickery and their misleading of His people.
The Lord told Moses that the time had come to avenge His people of
Midian and after that, Moses would be gathered to his people.
Moses told the people, Get your weapons, we're going against the
Midianites to avenge the Lord. One thousand from each tribe will be
sent to the war. So each tribe sent 1,000 soldiers and there were
12,000 in all who were armed for battle. Moses sent them with
Phinehas (the son of Eleazar the priest) with the Holy instruments
and the trumpets in his hand.
Abraham and Keturah Bible Research
Abraham and Keturah in the Bible Details
They fought against the Midianites and they killed all the males.
They killed the 5 kings of Midian and also Balaam was killed with the
sword. The children of Israel took all the women of Midian and their
children captives and took all their cattle and flocks and goods. (Oh
brother, can you smell trouble?)
They burned all their cities and castles, then they took all their
loot and captives and animals and brought them to Moses and Eleazar
and the congregation at the camp at the plains of Moab by Jordan near
Jericho.
When Moses and Eleazar and the princes of the congregation went to
meet them outside the camp, Moses was furious with the returning
officers. He said to them, You saved all the women alive? They're the
reason the children of Israel trespassed against God at Peor and
caused the plague!
Abraham and Keturah Bible Punishment
Abraham and Keturah in the Bible Concerns
Now kill every male child and every woman who has known a man, but
all the women children who are pure, keep them alive. Then stay
outside the camp for 7 days. Whoever has killed anyone and whoever
has touched any dead, purify yourselves and your captives on the 3rd
day and on the 7th day. Purify your clothes and all that's made of
skins and anything made of goats' hair or wood.
Eleazar told the soldiers, This is the law the Lord commanded Moses.
Only the gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and lead, everything that can
withstand the fire, you will put it through the fire and it will be
clean.
It will be purified with the water of separation and all that can't
withstand the fire you will make go through the water. (You can read
about the water of separation and the laws of purification that are
mentioned here in Numbers,
Chapter 19. You will wash your clothes on the 7th day and you
will be clean and afterward, you may come into the camp.
Abraham and Keturah Bible Count
Abraham and Keturah in the Bible Discussion
The Lord told Moses to count the captives that were taken, both
people and animals, with Eleazar and the chief fathers of the
congregation, and divide them into two parts, half for the soldiers
and half for the congregation, and to collect a gift for the Lord
from the soldiers and from the children of Israel for the victory.
From the soldiers, 1 for each 500 souls, cattle, mules, and sheep was
given to Eleazar for an heave offering of the Lord. From the children
of Israel's half, 1 for each 50 persons, cattle, mules, flocks and
other animals were given to the Levites which maintained the
tabernacle of the Lord.
The loot brought back from Midian included:
- 675,000 sheep
- 72,000 cattle
- 61,000 mules
- 32,000 people
This is how it was divided and the tribute that was levied.
Soldier's Half
337,500 sheep
36,000 cattle
30,500 mules
16,000 persons
Lord's Tribute (taken from the soldier's half)
675 sheep
72 cattle
61 mules
32 persons
Israel's Half
337,500 sheep
36,000 cattle
30,500 mules
16,000 persons
Levite's Portion (taken from Israel's half)
6750 sheep
720 cattle
610 mules
320 persons
Abraham and Keturah Bible Summary
Abraham and Keturah in the Bible Conclusion
The officers of the army of Israel came to Moses and said, We've
counted all the men who went to war with us and we haven't lost a
single one. So we brought an offering to the Lord, what each man has
taken of gold, chains, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces to
make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.
Each man had taken spoil for himself and it all together weighed
16,750 shekels. That's approximately 733 pounds! Moses and Eleazar
took the gold and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation
for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
Pretty amazing that out of 12,000 soldiers, not one was lost in a
battle where so much was conquered, but our God is amazing and
there is nothing He can't do. Be sure to come back again and find out
what happens next when the children of Reuben and Gad have an unusual
request for Moses. You'll find it here at Daily Bread!
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