to continue---Moabites were the occupants of this land and Midianites, being nomadic, traversed in this land for portions of the year. Just as the Edomites were a mix of Ishmaelites and Esauites, Moab and Midian must have been mixed together and/or mixed with Ishmaelites and/or Esauites, too. All of these peoples from Ishmael, Midian, Esau, and Moab were related to the Israelites. But yet, they did not follow after Abraham and Jacob concerning faith in YHWH.
AS a result of the victory of this war, Israel had plundered the dwellings of the Midianites and taken all of the valuable jewelry, gold objects, herds of livestock and other materials that would be valuable to them as they entered the land.
God required a portion of this plunder to be given as a tithe to the Levites and as a heave offering to the LORD (which was not burnt on the altar, but offered to Him and then possessed by the priests. Even a portion of the children were given as a tithe, perhaps to be servants of the Levites and priests. The remaining children (all female) were then absorbed into the life of the Israelites as servants, slaves, or "adopted" by a family as if a child from them.
The men who had gone to war and killed others were required to separate from the congregation for 7 days and go through ceremonial cleansing of their bodies, clothing, weapons, etc. All of the plunder was also to be cleansed first with fire, if the material could be refined by fire, and then by water, or only by water if fire would consume the item. All this was done according to the word of the LORD so that the people would be cleansed from the taking of life and damages of war. Even though God had sent them to war and it was not sinful for them to kill the Midianites, God most likely wanted the Israelites to understand that the shedding of blood and taking of life is a big deal. Perhaps God wanted to prevent them from developing a blood-thirsty attitude but to have an obedient and reverent one instead.
AS a result of the victory of this war, Israel had plundered the dwellings of the Midianites and taken all of the valuable jewelry, gold objects, herds of livestock and other materials that would be valuable to them as they entered the land.
God required a portion of this plunder to be given as a tithe to the Levites and as a heave offering to the LORD (which was not burnt on the altar, but offered to Him and then possessed by the priests. Even a portion of the children were given as a tithe, perhaps to be servants of the Levites and priests. The remaining children (all female) were then absorbed into the life of the Israelites as servants, slaves, or "adopted" by a family as if a child from them.
The men who had gone to war and killed others were required to separate from the congregation for 7 days and go through ceremonial cleansing of their bodies, clothing, weapons, etc. All of the plunder was also to be cleansed first with fire, if the material could be refined by fire, and then by water, or only by water if fire would consume the item. All this was done according to the word of the LORD so that the people would be cleansed from the taking of life and damages of war. Even though God had sent them to war and it was not sinful for them to kill the Midianites, God most likely wanted the Israelites to understand that the shedding of blood and taking of life is a big deal. Perhaps God wanted to prevent them from developing a blood-thirsty attitude but to have an obedient and reverent one instead.
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