Numbers 31:1-2. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward thou shalt be gathered unto thy people.” MIDIAN. The fourth son of Abraham and Keturah was the progenitor of an Arabian tribe that lived mainly on the north part of the Arabian Peninsula. The area around Sinai was where they pastured their flocks. They dominated the area as they were the largest tribe and were heavily engaged in commercial trade. Joseph was sold to them and in turn they sold him in Egypt.
When Moses fled Egypt around 400 years later, he went to Midian and became a servant, and later, a son- in-law to the priest of Midian, Jethro. The Midianites were friendly to Israelites as they journeyed from Egypt, only as long as they stayed on the fringes of their land. But when they passed the southern end of Edom and turned north into the land of Midian, they joined with Balak the king of Moab to conspire against Israel.
Balaam had been sent for to curse Israel, but was forbidden by God to do so. However, he stayed among the Midianites and enticed them into mixing with the Israelites in sexual orgies connected with the worship of Baal. This was “The doctrine of Balaam.” This counsel of Balaam worked and the apostate, Balaam, initiated the apostasy of Israel resulting in 24,000 of them perishing.
1000 men from each tribe of Israel were called to military service. Under the leadership of Phinehas, the Midianites were routed, their cities burned, five kings destroyed and the nation completely defeated. Balaam also was killed in this war receiving the “wages of his unrighteousness.” The whole country of Midian was divided between Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh.
250 years passed before Midian regained power and formed an alliance with the Amalekites and warred against Israel in the time of the Judges. There is now no evidence of the Midianites in the Middle East although some Arabian groups may have stemmed from that group.
When a nation or group of people, set out to destroy God’s people, they are fighting against God. To leave vestiges of them out of pity is to save that which is set on destroying that which is of God. To try to not offend a doctrine or a people that is anti-Christ and anti-God and anti-Bible, in order to maintain a friendship, is not right. It is sin. God wanted a people for His name. He wanted Israel to be a kingdom of priests. He wanted them to dwell alone. He wanted Israel to choose to love and serve Him. But Balaam and the Midianites promoted both moral and spiritual compromise. Israel fell under that influence and was attracted to the immoral ways of that nation. They had to be stopped or the whole work of God would have suffered. May we too, never allow any group or doctrine to undermine what God has clearly given us in His Word.
“O Righteous God: I believe there are those that want to promote the doctrine of Balaam in our day. Give me the clearness of thought and a listening ear, to be able to detect when that subtlety arises. May we be preserved from anything that undermines the work and purposes of God. Amen.”