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16 Behold, these caused the Israelites by the counsel of Balaam to trespass and act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so a [smiting] plague came among the congregation of the Lord. 17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who is not a virgin. 18 But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves.
Numbers 31:16 - 18
AMP - 16 Behold, these caused the Israelites by the counsel of Balaam to trespass and act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so a [smiting] plague came among the congregation of the Lord. 17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who is not a virgin.
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Unlike our society, which views violence against women and children as more egregious than against men, sin and corruption has no such measurement. I believe the Lord see sin as Sin no matter it's source. We see this throughout the bible, including the nation of Israel itself (Korah, Dathan and Abiram Numbers 16). In the old testament, God had created a people through Abraham and was continuing to keep them pure so that they could produce the line of Jesus. I think that the infecting source of temptation to worship other gods was even stronger with the women of the time, (see Solomon as an example) and that children brought up in a belief system will not likely leave it in whole but may infuse part of their beliefs with The Law.
This was a holy war. In Numbers 31:15,"And Moses said to them: Have you kept all the women alive?" The women were worshipers of Balaam. The people were not to be tempted to turn to other gods. These women had participated in influencing Israel to sin. Therefore, the judgement was to kill them. Israel was to have no other gods.
In Genesis 15:12-16 that the LORD God promised Abraham certain things. One was that his offspring would be servants in Egypt till the time when they would be Judged. Then He promised they would return to the land promised to Abraham. In Gen 15:16 it describes the time when the iniquity of the Amorites would come to it's full, and that was time for judgment. God had given them 400 years time to repent and at the end it was judgment time. So the Israelites would be God's severe instrument to judge everything that breathed. Including women and Children, animals and all that breathed. It was God's justice that this happened and all He does is perfect. This judgment described here is also the unquestionable Judgment of God and He lays the responsibility on these women that were used to be a stumbling block to the Jews engaging in fornication. (Rev 2:14)
I wonder if the reason is more practical. I see sense in God's issuing these commands. First, the covenant people were faced with intractable enemies. Slaying those who were actual or potential combatants among the enemy removed direct threats. Also, slaying the women who had personal and/or maternal affection for the enemy eliminated the cultural memory of the religious and cultural differences. Second, the covenant people were few. The preservation of young virgins for adoption into the People would lead to an increase in the rate of population growth and genetic diversity. Their virgin state would ensure that ensuing maternal ties would bind them to the People.
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