Of all the battles that Israel would fight on their way to, and inside, Canaan, I would argue that few held the psychological weight of the battle against Midian in Numbers 31.
The reasons aren’t especially obvious; after all, on the surface, it appears to be just another clash between Israel and a nation that is very inconveniently standing in their way. Even the command is unsurprising: Kill every last one of them (Numbers 31:2).
But there’s two backdrops to this that are worth mentioning. One is the issue of Balaam. As readers of the Book of Numbers know, Balaam spent three chapters trying to curse Israel, when all he could do was bless them instead (Numbers 22-23). When that didn’t work, he led them into sexual immorality instead (Numbers 24; 31:16).
The curse that resulted from this immorality and idolatry cost hundreds of Israelites their lives — 24,000, to be exact (Numbers 25:9). That’s more than the entire tribe of Simeon (Numbers 26:12-14) and almost as many people as the town of Greenville, TX, that I live in.
I can’t imagine a population center like that wiped off the map. Even if it was Israel’s own fault for bowing down to the idols, it was Midian’s (and Balaam’s) fault for teaching them the instruction guide. I would want vengeance; most likely, Israel wanted it, too.
The second level of emotion in this battle has to do with Moses.
For the last forty years, his identity is as an Israelite. The first forty years of his life were as a son in Pharoah’s household.
But those middle forty years were as a shepherd in Midian. That means the people he’s now facing off against were not just a faceless name, but sons and grandsons of people he may very well have interacted with. Furthermore, his wife Zipporah was a Midianite, and his father-in-law Jethro was a priest in Midian.
Does that cloud his judgment a little? Possibly. Some have speculated that Moses’ wrath in this chapter—his outburst in Numbers 31:14-20 is especially pointed—stems from his personal connection to those people.
Or, it could simply be that he understood the toll a paganistic nation like the Midianites could take on Israel. God tells Moses that he’ll die soon after this battle; before he goes, the last thing he wants to make sure of is that Midian won’t be a temptation to Israel anymore.
Whichever way you look at it, Numbers 31 reveals a side of Moses that is not often seen. The destruction of Midian is total. All five kings are slain, cities burned, camps are destroyed, and they even took captives and spoil for good measure. It seems that they have followed God’s command to the letter.
The fact that Moses is not only not happy with the result, but enraged at their failure to kill the women, too, hints at something deeper. Whether it’s personal or spiritual, there’s no doubt that Moses wanted the outcome of this battle to secure the future of his people.