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    So begins Israel’s taking of the Promised Land. In today’s reading, we see God’s command that the Israelites take vengeance on the Midianites who were responsible for leading some of the Israelites away from God’s commands.
    To our modern eyes, the actions against the Midianites seem harsh and intolerant. Some might even call such a war genocide, but consider that this war was direct by God himself. The actions of the Israelites against Midian, then, reflect the consequences of sin and being separated from God.
    In that way, one can look at the tales of conquest in the Old Testament as an image of what will happen in the end. We all, even those of us who have faith, want to believe that there should be universal mercy, but the Bible warns us repeatedly that the faithless will pay for their rejection on the last day. Mercy and grace are only found in faith, and faith can only come through hearing God’s word.
    That is why it is so important for us, as Christians, to take every opportunity that we have to share the Gospel with those around us that we know are not Christians. Every opportunity to hear the Word is an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to save another soul from the fate of the Midianites. To spread the Word is our greatest call as Christians, and it is a call we cannot ignore.
DLH
