Overview of Day 76: War Against Midian (Bible in a Year)
Father Mike Schmitz reads and reflects on Numbers 31, Deuteronomy 30, and Psalm 116. The episode presents the difficult narrative of Israel’s divinely commanded warfare against Midian, Moses’ call to repentance and the promise of restoration in Deuteronomy, and a psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance that Father Mike connects to the Eucharist and priestly/liturgical life. He emphasizes reading Scripture in context, the painful but pastoral reasons behind the hard commands, and practical spiritual lessons about removing what steals our hearts from God.
Passages Read
- Numbers 31 — The Lord commands vengeance on Midian: 12,000 armed men (1,000 from each tribe) attack, kill the Midianite men and kings (including Balaam), take captive women and children, burn cities, and bring spoils to Moses and Eleazar. Moses orders execution of women who have known men sexually, spares virgin girls, prescribes purification rites, and directs division of the spoil and tribute to the Lord and to the Levites. (Large spoil counts are recorded.)
- Deuteronomy 30 — Moses’ final exhortation: when Israel returns to God, He will restore and gather them, circumcise hearts, bless them; the law is near and attainable; Moses sets before them life and death — “Choose life.”
- Psalm 116 — A thanksgiving psalm for deliverance from death: “I will lift up the chalice of salvation,” praise and vows of thanksgiving. Father Mike highlights its liturgical significance (the Eucharist).
Main themes and takeaways
- Scripture in context: Difficult passages (like Numbers 31) must be read alongside the broader revelation (Deuteronomy 30, later wisdom literature) to grasp God’s overall will for life, mercy, and restoration.
- Why the harsh command? Father Mike frames the violence as a corrective measure addressing Israel’s repeated apostasies (Baal of Peor episode, influence of Midian/Balaam). It’s presented not as God’s delight in destruction but as a tragic consequence of Israel’s weakness and need to remove corrupting influences before entering the Promised Land.
- Moral and pastoral application: The episode urges believers to identify and decisively remove the “things” (habits, relationships, influences) that steal the heart from God, analogous to how Israel had to purge corrupting influences to be faithful.
- Liturgical connection: Psalm 116 ties personal deliverance to communal worship; “lift up the chalice of salvation” is linked to the Eucharist and the vocation of all baptized persons as “kingdom priests.”
Notable quotes & lines
- “Choose life that you and your descendants may live.” (Deut 30 paraphrase)
- “I will lift up the chalice of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116)
- “The word is very near to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it.” (Deut 30)
- Pastoral summary line: the warfare is “not good” in itself but commanded because of the people’s weakness — the point is to remove what will lead Israel away from God.
Key details (practical / ritual notes)
- Purification after battle: stay outside camp seven days; purify on the third and seventh days; garments and articles treated by fire or water depending on material; wash clothes on the seventh day.
- Division of spoil & tribute: half to the warriors, half to the congregation; portions and levies taken for the Lord and Levites (specific counts and tribute recorded in the narrative).
- Liturgical tie: Psalm 116 language (“chalice,” “sacrifice of thanksgiving”) relates directly to the Eucharist (Greek “Eucharistia” = thanksgiving).
Practical action items / spiritual application
- Examine your life for influences, attachments, or tolerances that gradually divert your heart from God; be willing to remove them decisively.
- Read hard biblical passages in context (pair difficult narratives with passages that clarify God’s ultimate will, e.g., Deut 30).
- Participate intentionally in the Eucharist and see Psalm 116’s thanksgiving language as a model for sacramental gratitude.
- When struggling with troubling texts or life situations, persist in prayer and trust that God reveals his heart more fully over time.
Contextual and pastoral notes
- Father Mike stresses that biblical warfare narratives are historically and theologically complex and often provoke discomfort; that discomfort is appropriate and can prompt honest spiritual reflection.
- The command against Midian is presented as a tragic necessity tied to Israel’s failure to remain faithful; it is not to be taken as God’s delight in death.
- Psalm 116 is especially important to priests and to all baptized believers as a scriptural expression of Eucharistic thanksgiving.
Father Mike closes with encouragement to keep reading, praying, and participating in the life of the Church despite encountering difficult passages. He prays for listeners and invites them to return for the next day’s reading.