Keep Seeking God's Will

Introduction

At first glance, the closing chapters of the book of Numbers seem anything but inspiring. A war against Midian, ruthless military orders, colossal plunder, then two tribes hesitating to cross the Jordan. And yet, as you read through Numbers 31 and 32, you discover one invitation running through both chapters: keep seeking God's will, all the way to the end, to the very last step.

The people are at the gates of the promised land. They have not yet entered it. And it is precisely there, at the border, that faithfulness is put to the test. These texts speak to your life today: in the fight against sin, in how you give to God, in the choices you make for your family and for your spiritual future.

Outline of the Article

1. Numbers 31: God's Judgment Against Midian

Chapter 31 opens with a difficult command: "Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites" (Numbers 31:2). Twelve thousand men, a thousand from each tribe, are sent into battle. The context goes back to Numbers 25: the women of Midian, driven by Balaam's scheme, had led Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry. Israel paid a price for it: twenty-four thousand dead under God's judgment (Numbers 25:9).

So this is not favoritism. God is just, there is no double standard. Later, Israel too would go into exile: the northern kingdom by Assyria, the southern kingdom by Babylon. When a people drifts away from God, it too becomes the object of judgment. What you take away from this: God is never partial.

2. Why This Judgment: The Context of Genesis 15

To understand this, you have to go back to the covenant with Abram in Genesis 15:13-16. God announces that his descendants will be strangers and slaves for four hundred years before returning to Canaan, "for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." In other words, God gave the peoples of the promised land four hundred years to turn to the true God. He is not in a hurry to judge. He waits. He grants a delay.

But this delay is not eternal. When the measure is full, judgment falls, and God can use a people like a sword. This case is exceptional in biblical history and cannot be applied to every war. Under the new covenant, no group and no individual can call themselves "the sword of God." Christ came to proclaim "the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:19). Your response today is to receive the insult, forgive, serve, love, and leave to God the vengeance that belongs to him (Romans 12:19).

3. Phinehas and the Sacred Objects: It Is God's Battle

Moses sends Phinehas the priest, son of Eleazar, with the warriors, not with a sword, but with the sacred objects and the trumpets of the sanctuary (Numbers 31:6). Phinehas is not a career soldier. His presence is a reminder of one thing: God is in the midst of this battle, he is the one leading it. The trumpets are not for making music but for giving signals.

You too face battles. The question is not first about your strength, but whether you let God lead. The twelve thousand fighters are symbolic: each tribe sends a thousand men, so that no one can say "this is our victory." It is God's victory.

4. Balaam Killed with the Kings of Midian

Among those listed as killed are the five kings of Midian and "Balaam, the son of Beor" (Numbers 31:8). Balaam had received a fortune from Balak, but his wealth did not save him. He himself had said, upon seeing Israel blessed: "Let me die the death of the righteous" (Numbers 23:10). That wish never came true. When you drift away from God, you cannot die righteous, even if you once wished for it. Consistency of life matters.

5. Purified Before Returning to the Camp

The fighters must stay outside the camp for seven days to be purified (Numbers 31:19-24). They had touched death. The blood had made them unclean. There is a requirement of holiness that does not disappear just because you have "completed the mission." In your Christian life, even battles won leave marks on you that need to be washed before the Lord.

6. Moses' Anger: Radically Cutting Off the Trap

When Moses sees that the warriors have spared the Midianite women, he becomes angry (Numbers 31:14-16). These women were exactly the ones who had led Israel into the idolatry of Baal of Peor. Letting them live would have let the temptation come right back into the camp.

Apply this principle: if you know your weakness, it is not enough to pray "Lord, help me resist." You also need to remove yourself from the source of temptation. Joseph did not ask for strength to say no to Potiphar's wife, he ran (Genesis 39:12). If alcohol is your weak spot, you do not sit down at the bar. If your phone makes you stumble, you turn it off or leave it in another room. It is often said that just one click can separate you from sin. Put distance between you and it, radically.

This cannot be done without the help of the Holy Spirit. Trying to master your flesh by sheer willpower always ends in failure: the more you bottle it up, the more you end up giving in all at once. Pray: "Lord, help me. Deliver me from all evil."

7. The Gold Offering: The Heart Before the Amount

The officers take a count: not one man is missing (Numbers 31:49). Overwhelmed by this protection, they bring 16,750 shekels of gold, about 190 kilograms, as a thank offering "to make atonement" for themselves before the Lord (Numbers 31:50). At today's value of gold, that is a staggering sum.

But it is not the amount that matters, it is the joy of giving. They brought it themselves, spontaneously, because they recognized that God had fought for them. Your offering to God should flow from that same movement: joy, gratitude, freedom. If you give reluctantly, it is better not to give at all, it has no meaning. Seek first to grasp how good God has been to you, and then you will want to give something back to him.

8. Numbers 32: Reuben and Gad, or the Trap of "That's Enough"

Chapter 32: the tribes of Reuben and Gad, who own a great deal of livestock, see that the land of Jazer and Gilead, east of the Jordan, is excellent for grazing. They ask: "Do not bring us over the Jordan" (Numbers 32:5). What they see is genuinely good. But what God is preparing on the other side is better.

This is the principle of the second best. Settling for something real and good, but that is not God's first will. You too may tell yourself: "I have been forgiven, I go to church, I pray, I read the Bible, that's plenty." Maybe. But maybe God is also preparing one more step for you, a deeper joy, a greater mission, if you agree to cross the Jordan rather than camp on its bank.

9. "You Are Discouraging Your Brothers"

Moses reacts strongly: "Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel...?" (Numbers 32:6-7). He recalls the episode of the spies at Kadesh Barnea, where the negative report of ten men undermined the faith of the whole people and led to forty years in the wilderness (Numbers 32:8-13).

Your words, your attitude, can discourage the brother standing next to you. A careless "eh, we'll never manage," a "we're only human, we can't do better," tossed off without thinking, can crush the momentum of someone who was actually trying to go further with God. Pay attention to what your words produce in others.

10. What Follows: 1 Chronicles 5, the Tragedy of the Eastern Tribes

Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh end up receiving the eastern bank, after promising to go fight alongside their brothers (Numbers 32:16-32). God allows it, but it truly was a second choice. The result can be read in 1 Chronicles 5:25-26: these tribes, too exposed to neighboring peoples, turned away from God and were the first to be carried into exile by Assyria. What God wanted was for the whole people to cross the Jordan so they would be protected by the river, shielded from outside influences. Remaining on the eastern bank left them weakened.

Key Takeaways

• God is patient but just. He grants time to repent (four hundred years for the Amorites), but his judgment eventually falls, even on his own people if they turn away.
• The fight against sin requires a radical break. Do not settle for praying to resist: physically remove yourself from what makes you fall. Like Joseph fleeing Potiphar's wife.
• The offering to God is measured by the heart, not the amount. It must be free, joyful, spontaneous. Without joy, it has no value.
• Beware of "that's enough." Settling for an apparent good can make you miss the better will God is preparing for you.
• Your words and attitude affect others. They can encourage or discourage your brother's faith.

Personal Application

1. What is the "Midianite woman" in my life today, the source of temptation I am keeping too little distance from?
2. Do I give to God (time, money, service) with joy, or under pressure and out of obligation? What does my heart reveal about how well I understand his goodness toward me?
3. Where have I said "that's enough, Lord, I'll stop here" when you wanted me to cross a Jordan?
4. Have my recent words encouraged or discouraged those trying to move forward with God?
5. Have I taken time this week to stand before God and ask, "What do you want me to do?", and to seek his will, not only for major decisions, but every day?

Verses Cited

• Numbers 31 (ESV)
• Numbers 32 (ESV)
• Numbers 25 (ESV), the affair of Baal of Peor
• Genesis 15:13-16 (ESV), the covenant with Abram
• Genesis 39:12 (ESV), Joseph flees
• Luke 4:19 (ESV), the year of the Lord's favor
• Romans 12:19 (ESV), vengeance belongs to God
• 1 Chronicles 5:23-26 (ESV), the exile of the eastern tribes

FAQ

Why does God command such harsh things in Numbers 31?

The judgment against Midian belongs to a unique context in biblical history. These peoples had been given four hundred years to turn to the true God (Genesis 15:16). It was also a response to Midian's spiritual attack on Israel in Numbers 25. This case cannot be applied today: under the new covenant, vengeance belongs to God alone, and your response is forgiveness and love.

Do I have to give a specific amount to the church?

The message of Numbers 31 is clear: it is the heart that matters, not the figure. A gift given out of obligation, without joy or gratitude, has no value before God. Take time to realize what God has done for you, then decide freely, in prayer, what you want to give back to him.

How do I know if I am settling for "second best"?

When you tell yourself inwardly, "that's enough, I don't need to go any further with God," that is often a sign. Take time in prayer to ask, "Lord, is there still a step you want me to take?" Continuing to seek his will is a daily task, not a box checked once and for all.