Numbers 31-34: From Vengeance to the Wilderness

by, Shirley Harvey

Hebrews 10:30: “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord.  Our Holy God is the only One who is justified to take vengeance on anyone.  Truly, we see that God hates sin, because in reality all sin is against the One and Holy God.  Our own feelings of “justified vengeance” will always be the product of our own selfish agenda flowing from our sinful hearts.  God orchestrated His Vengeance, as defined in this passage.  They were sinners in the hands of an angry God.  Moses was God’s instrument to change the path of His People to bring about His Plan.  With God, there is no unrighteous judgment.

Just as God has a plan for my life, all too often I ask Him for more immediate answers to prayer, while failing to acknowledge, then give thanks for the many countless blessings He has already given me.

And so I wander . . . My paths are not always straight. I realize my life journey has taken me many places.  At times it was places I should not have visited — times of doubt, unbelief, guilt, and worry — most of all not trusting God to direct my path.  At times I have grumbled and complained in my wilderness.  Maybe I should revisit my life journey and recall the stops along the way.  After all, Moses kept a travel log.  Each stop along the way had a purpose and a reason and significance.  Hopefully, I will learn to remember those lessons that God has taught me and continue to try to follow the path He has set before me.  I am comforted by the fact that I can never wander so very far away that I cannot find my way back.  Why?  Because our God is a loving, forgiving, merciful God.  His Mercy is everlasting. 

We are in the refiner’s fire.  Gold is refined by intense heat.  The heat melts the ore, and the impurities come to the surface where the goldsmith can scoop it out.  The goldsmith knows when the gold is pure when he can see his own reflection in the gold.  These passages we are studying further emphasize that God is to be trusted — even in our darkest hours and times of trial.  No need to wander — God is with us always and guiding us, and refining us.  We need to stay the course, trust and obey.  

What is the purpose of these recordings in scripture? Timothy tells us that all scripture is inspired by God, so what are we supposed to learn from this passage? What is He telling you to do? Remember, God doesn’t waste anything in our lives. 

Lord, open my eyes that I might understand how you are calling me to follow You.