Two weeks ago today, we hit send on a Daily called “Vengeance on the Midianites”. We wrote that it was man’s hardness and sin’s grip that leads to suffering. God permits but does not author reckless pain and destruction does not bring Him pleasure (Genesis 9:15). He is never reckless.
We said God is playing a long game the likes of which we cannot begin to imagine and that “long game” centers on saving as many souls as will come back to Him. He is doing so amidst the backdrop of human beings that are so often spiritually and desperately sick.
We said: “you can’t know God’s ways. But you can know His heart and His nature.”
Before sending that passage, we wrestled with whether to expound on one more topic, staring us in the face -- the Israelites had to slaughter children. We’re two pieces of married clay, and we felt we went right to the line of “defending the Potter”. We trust all of God’s ways and His heart. But, we still second-guessed whether we should have helped the Body of DH process what the Israelites did. We offered a prayer to the Lord: “if we get a passage ‘randomly’ assigned and that passage mentions the womb, or mentions birth...we’ll address the killing of children from Numbers.” You can imagine the surprise when we saw our assigned five verses: “Psalm 51:1-5”. Verse five says:
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
This passage covers a range of truths (we asked for and were granted permission to use the entire chapter). You can run Psalm 51 through the lens of your own life, through the lens of David’s life...through many lenses. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”, and all Scripture is amazingly connected. We just closed out Numbers, and so let’s run the Midianates through the lens of Psalm 51.
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?
+ How does verse 5 begin to instruct us about the condition of the Midianites, even though they were children? The Israelites many times “brought forth” children while praising the Most High God. The Midinates conversely brought forth children while cursing the Most High and making vows and sacrifices to idols and false gods. Might this have had a bearing on the depth of their spiritual sickness, even in youth?
+ What does verse 6 say about truth and wisdom?
+ Verse 10-13 covers a progression. What does the progression end with? Wicked nations are capable of repentance (see Ninevah). What do nations and peoples need in order to be in a position to receive God’s Spirit and His abundant mercy?
+ Read verse 17 again. Do you think the Midinate boys -- with demonic claims on their bloodlines and ancient codes of honor requiring they seek vengeance on the Israelites -- would have had trouble yielding these “sacrifices” to God?
+ What does this passage say to you about sin, the hardness of your heart, and the power of God’s Spirit?
[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?
+ Is there a sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?
+ What is my next step?