M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
31 Eternal One (to Moses): 1-2 It’s finally time for the Israelites to make the Midianites suffer for the trouble they caused back at Peor and then you will leave this world and join your ancestors.
The Israelites took Midianite women as wives and consequently started worshiping their gods. Some 24,000 Israelites died in that judgment. Moses is now told to pick up where the priest Phinehas left off and kill the Midianites.
Moses (to the Israelites): 3-5 Get yourselves ready for war. From among your men, select 1,000 from each of Israel’s tribes. Arm them, and send them out to fulfill God’s desire to make the Midianites pay for their treachery.
So it was that 12,000 Israelite men went off to war. 6 Moses sent the zealous priest Phinehas (Priest Eleazar’s son) with each tribe’s contribution toward the army of 1,000 men, too, carrying the holy vessels and trumpets to sound the alarm. 7 At the direction of God through Moses, the Israelites fought fiercely. By the time it was over, they had managed to kill every single Midianite male. 8 They killed all five of Midian’s kings (Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba), and they even executed Balaam (Beor’s son) too.
This is a surprising note about Balaam. He honored the Lord and would only speak blessing over Israel (22–24). Here and later (Joshua 13:22; 24:9–10), Balaam is cast as an enemy of God’s people (also 2 Peter 2:15; Revelation 2:14).
9-11 They captured Midian’s women and children and everything of value—livestock, luxury items, whatever seemed good—to bring back with them, and they burned what was left of the cities and camps. 12 The victorious Israelites headed back to present these prisoners, animals, and things to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all of the Israelites who had gathered at their camp on the Moabite plains, just across the Jordan River, east of Jericho.
13 Moses, Priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the community went out to meet them, just outside the settlement. But instead of commending them for their bravery and success, 14 in his anger, Moses berated the men who just a little while earlier were commanding battalions of hundreds or thousands of soldiers.
Moses: 15 What were you thinking that you would allow these women to live? 16 They are the ones, on the advice of that instigator Balaam, who are responsible for seducing our men by leading Israelites to reject the Eternal at Peor. They brought down on us that punishing plague that killed so many of the people of the Eternal One. 17 Now you must slaughter every last boy in this Midianite group and kill every woman who has ever slept with a man. 18 As for the virgins, you can take them, as you desire. 19-20 According to the purity laws, you must stay outside the boundaries of the camp for seven days. Anyone who has killed or otherwise touched a corpse, remember to wash up on the third and seventh days as prescribed. Every piece of clothing—cloth, leather, or goat’s hide—and every wooden object on your person must be purified too. This applies to you and your prisoners.
Because of the details concerning priestly matters of ritual process and purity, Eleazar the priest explains how the Lord commanded they should proceed. They have been in contact with corpses, blood, and pagan objects, and it is essential that they cleanse themselves properly as members of this holy congregation.
21 Then Eleazar stepped forward and took it from there.
Priest Eleazar (to the soldiers): It is a law that God made clear to us through Moses. 22-23 Whatever you wear or have with you that is not flammable—all metals such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead—shall be cleansed by fire. To fully purify such objects, wash them in the water for ritual impurity too. But anything that cannot stand fire, wash with the water. 24 On the seventh day, strip and wash what you’re wearing. After that, you shall be considered pure and may return to the camp.
25 The Eternal One told Moses how to divide the spoils.
Eternal One: 26 Get Priest Eleazar and the heads of the extended families of the group to help you inventory everything the soldiers brought back with them from Midian, prisoners and possessions. 27 Then divide it in half. One part will go to the men who went to war, and the other to the people who stayed here. 28 Out of the warriors’ half, take a portion as a gift to Me. For every 500 items of any kind—persons or animals—set one aside for God 29 by giving it to Eleazar the priest (who will make the actual offering to Me). 30 Out of the general population’s half, take one out of every 50 of any particular item—persons or animals—and give it to the Levites who are in charge of maintaining God’s special tent.
31 Moses and Priest Eleazar did as the Eternal One commanded Moses, 32 and even after they had killed the boys and a lot of the women, the war booty was substantial. There were 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 oxen, 34 61,000 donkeys, 35 and 32,000 virgin women. 36 From the half that was for the warriors, there were 337,500 sheep 37 (675 for the Eternal), 38 36,000 large oxen (72 for the Eternal), 39 30,500 donkeys (61 for the Eternal), 40 and 16,000 people (32 for the Eternal). 41 Moses handed God’s portion over to the keeping of Eleazar the priest as the Eternal had commanded Moses. 42-46 The general community received the same amounts: 337,500 sheep, 36,000 large oxen, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 people. 47 Out of the general community’s half, Moses took one out of every 50 of any particular item—persons or animals—and gave it to the Levites, the ones who were in charge of maintaining God’s tent just as he had been told by the Eternal One. 48 Then the military officers of all ranks approached Moses with yet more stuff.
Officers (to Moses): 49 Each of us, who loyally answer your call to serve, has counted up the people in our battalions. We are happy to report that not a single person is missing. 50 Yet to cover any sins we may have committed before the Eternal, we wish to present to you all the articles of value we found in Midian—objects of gold, jewelry of all kinds (armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and pendants).
51-52 Moses and Eleazar the priest received from the commanders and officers these pieces of gold fashioned into all shapes and sizes. Collectively, the officers’ offering to the Eternal equaled 420 pounds. 53 The soldiers had also raided things for themselves. 54 But Moses and Eleazar set up the gold objects from the officers inside the congregation tent to commemorate the Israelites’ actions before the Eternal One Himself.
Psalm 75
For the worship leader. A song of Asaph to the tune “Do Not Destroy.”[a]
1 We thank You, O True God.
Our souls are overflowing with thanks! Your name is near;
Your people remember and tell of Your marvelous works and wonders.
2 You say, “At the time that I choose,
I will judge and do so fairly.
3 When the earth and everyone living upon it spin into chaos,
I am the One who stabilizes and supports it.”[b]
[pause][c]
4 “I discipline the arrogant by telling them, ‘No more bragging.’
I discipline the wicked by saying, ‘Do not raise your horn to demonstrate your power.[d]
5 Do not thrust your horn into the air, issuing a challenge,
and never speak with insolence when you address Me.’”
6 There is no one on earth who can raise up another to grant honor,
not from the east or the west, not from the desert.
There is no one. God is the only One.
7 God is the only Judge.
He is the only One who can ruin or redeem a man.
8 For the Eternal holds a full cup of wine in His hand—
a chalice well stirred and foaming full of wrath.
He pours the cup out,
and all wicked people of the earth drink it up—every drop of it!
9 But I will tell of His great deeds forever.
I will sing praises to Jacob’s True God.
10 I will cut off the horns of strength raised by the wicked,
but I will lift up the horns of strength of the righteous.
Psalm 76
For the worship leader. A song of Asaph accompanied by strings.
This song of Asaph praises Jerusalem as God’s earthly home and celebrates His victory there over enemies, where in the end “He squashes the arrogant spirit of the rulers.”
1 The One known in Judah is the True God;
in Israel, His name is great.
2 He has made Salem[e] His home;
indeed, He rests in Zion.
3 There He destroyed the instruments of war:
flaming arrows, shields, and swords.
[pause][f]
4 You rise and shine like the dawn.
You are more majestic than the mountains where game runs wild.
5 The strong-hearted enemies were plundered;
they were buried in slumber.
Even the noble warriors
could not raise a hand to stop You.
6 O True God of Jacob, with just Your rebuke
both horse and rider fell into a deep sleep.
7 You are feared; yes, You.
And who can stand before You when Your anger flares?
8 You decreed judgment from the heavens.
The earth heard it and was petrified with fear, completely still,
9 When the True God arose for judgment
to deliver all the meek of the earth.
[pause]
10 For the wrath of man will end in praise of You,
and whatever wrath is left You will wrap around Yourself like a belt.
11 Make vows to the Eternal your God,
and do all you promised;
Let all the nations around you bring gifts
to the God who arouses fear and awe.
12 He squashes the arrogant spirit of the rulers
and inspires fear in the hearts of the kings of the earth.
23 A message about Tyre:
For a period under David and Solomon, the Israelites live in harmony with their neighbors. But jealousy and envy are frequently under the surface. The people of Israel occupy a key location that becomes a battleground for domination by world powers because of its important trade routes. At some point, every single one of Israel’s neighbors attacks and abuses this little nation. This oracle has to do primarily with the city of Tyre, a port on the Phoenician coast famous for the people’s advanced technologies and skills in shipbuilding, sailing, and trading. But those who sail across the Mediterranean so easily are getting ready to face hard times.
Cry out in anguish, you who travel the Mediterranean from east to west!
Cry out, Tarshishian ships, because Tyre is no more.
It is devastated—no houses, no harbor—nothing is left.
The people from Cyprus have witnessed it.
2 Grieve quietly, you people along the coast,
you merchants of Sidon, who cross the sea.
3 You go through great waters in boats filled with the grain of Shihor;
the harvest of the Nile was Tyre’s revenue;
She was the marketplace of the nations.
4 Shame runs deep for Sidon since the sea has said,
“I bore and raised no sons or daughters as my own.”
5 Egypt will be terribly upset, too,
when they learn about Tyre’s destruction.
6 So you who live along the coast,
make for Tarshish, and bewail your fate.
7 One wonders: could this really be the same city?
It was so jubilant, so magnificent, so commanding for its trade.
Is this the city that’s been around longer than memory
and her citizens have traveled to exotic, faraway places?
8 Tyre’s merchants and traders were princes and nobles,
respected everywhere around the world.
Who did this to Tyre,
a city that awards honor with crowns?
9 The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has determined,
Tyre should be destroyed, wrecked, and disgraced
To spoil the foolish arrogance of all glory and
to show how insignificant earthly honors are.
10 People of Tarshish, you should traverse your land as if it were the Nile.
With Tyre out of the way, there’s nothing to stop you anymore.
11 God’s power extends across the sea;
He has terrified the nations,
turning Canaan loose against them to demolish their fortresses.
12 Eternal One: The celebration is over, downtrodden virgin daughter of Sidon.
There’s nothing left of you to take pride in.
Go ahead, pack up and move to Cyprus.
But you still won’t find rest.
13 Just look at the land of the Chaldeans in southern Mesopotamia. There are no such people anymore. The Assyrians came along, took it over, and left it for the desert animals; they built their siege machines, stripped its palaces, and determined that it should be ruined.
14 Cry out in anguish, ships of Tarshish
because your fortress is no more.
15 Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years—the lifespan of a king. After that Tyre’s fate will be like the song of the prostitute:
16 “O forgotten woman, yesterday’s prostitute,
take up a harp, and walk about the city.
Play it well, and sing your melodies,
so you will be remembered.”
17 When 70 years have passed, the Eternal will visit Tyre, and she’ll return to her wicked ways—selling herself to all the countries of the world. 18 But everything Tyre earns—her profit, her goods—won’t be stored or saved: all will be devoted to the Eternal; her stocks will supply all the food and fine clothing needed by those who serve in the presence of the Eternal One.
1 We want to tell you about the One who was from the beginning. We have seen Him with our own eyes, heard Him with our own ears, and touched Him with our own hands. This One is the manifestation of the life-giving Voice, 2 and He showed us real life, eternal life. We have seen it all, and we can’t keep what we witnessed quiet—we have to share it with you. We are inviting you to experience eternal life through the One who was with the Father and came down to us. 3 What we saw and heard we pass on to you so that you, too, will be connected with us intimately and become family. Our family is united by our connection with the Father and His Son Jesus, the Anointed One; 4 and we write all this because retelling this story fulfills our[a] joy.
5 What we are telling you now is the very message we heard from Him: God is pure light, undimmed by darkness of any kind. 6 If we say we have an intimate connection with the Father but we continue stumbling around in darkness, then we are lying because we do not live according to truth. 7 If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son. His blood purifies us from all our sins. 8 If we go around bragging, “We have no sin,” then we are fooling ourselves and are strangers to the truth. 9 But if we own up to our sins, God shows that He is faithful and just by forgiving us of our sins and purifying us from the pollution of all the bad things we have done. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” then we depict God as a liar and show that we have not let His word find its way into our hearts.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.