Numbers 30-31; Psalm 38:13-22

Numbers 30 - Vows Made by Women

• A man's vow stands
• The vow of a young woman, still in her father's house, stands, if her father approves
• The vow of a married woman stands, unless her husband hears of it and disapproves.
• If he approves of her vow by keeping silent, he bears part of the guilt if she breaks the vow.

Numbers 31
1-12 - War against Midian

• God commissions 12,000 men (1,000 from each tribe) to "execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian," to include the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets
• They kill "every male" as well as the 5 kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba
• They kill Balaam, son of Beor (the prophet)
• They take all the spoil, including women and children, and bring them back to the camp

13-24 - Return from the War

• Moses angry because they spared the wicked women who had led their own people astray (Chapter 25) -- "on Balaam's advice." Apparently Balaam, after his cursings turned into blessings, was complicit in the fornication that followed.
  
• They're ordered to kill all the male children and sexually active women, but spare the virgins
• They're ordered to undergo purification of themselves and their captives
• Goods are to be purified with either fire or water

25-48 - Disposition of Captives and Booty

• Divide booty equally between warriors and the rest of the congregation
• One item of every 500 (.2%) of warriors to be given to Eleazar the priest as tribute to the LORD
• One item of every 500 (.2%) of Israelites to be given to the Levites
• Booty: 675,000 sheep; 72,000 oxen; 61,000 donkeys; 32,000 women
• Army commanders brought valuable spoils - gold and jewelry -- to Moses, with value of 16,750 shekels. (The troops had taken plunder for themselves.)
• Moses brings it into the tabernacle
  

Psalm 38:13-22
21-22 - "Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me; make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation." Even at the end of the psalm, his distress is not relieved.