Vengeance & Justice (Numbers 31:1–2)
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
—Numbers 31:1–2
So, the picture I want us to see at the beginning of Numbers 31 is this: there is much we could discuss in this passage, but when we encounter vengeance here, what is most important to realize is that it is driven by—and ultimately belongs to—God. As Romans 12:19 says explicitly, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” God is the ultimate judge; he will bring final vindication. He will bring ultimate justice, and evil will not go unpunished.
We see this principle at various points throughout Scripture. It is a much larger discussion, but consider, for example, Romans 13. Immediately following Romans 12, God grants governing authorities the responsibility to execute justice, to punish wrongdoing, and to promote the good of society. In this way, there are institutions God has established to display his justice in the world. Ultimately, however, all justice, vengeance, and punishment belong to him.
This truth is crucial for our own lives, because we can easily be overcome by a desire for revenge when we are wronged. We may think, “What must I do to get back at that person?” Yet this is precisely where we must pause and remember: vengeance belongs to the Lord, and he will make all things right. He will bring judgment upon all who deserve it. Therefore, we must trust in him.
Where God has established authorities to administer justice, we should act within their proper sphere. If someone has wronged you—particularly in a way that violates the law—you should report it to the appropriate authorities and allow justice to proceed through those means. Even then, however, we must continue to look to God as the ultimate judge, especially in a world where human systems of justice are often imperfect.
So, place your hope in God—the one to whom vengeance belongs. Trust in him even when governments fail, when institutions disappoint. God will not fail. He will bring about justice in the end. We can be certain of this: when injustice surrounds us, when we feel its weight in our own lives, a day is coming when justice will be fully realized.
At the same time, Scripture commands us to pursue justice, to do what is right, and to show mercy as we walk humbly with God. To the extent that we have opportunities to promote just governance and righteous systems—in our communities, our nations, and the world—we should labor toward that end. Yet we do so with confidence in God, who alone has ultimate authority to bring justice to completion.
So, God, we pray with trust in you. We praise you for your perfect justice. As we ask that your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we pray that your justice would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. We pray for governments at every level—local, state, and national—that you would raise up just leaders and establish just laws. Where we have opportunity to influence leadership or legislation, help us to work for what is right, always keeping our eyes fixed on you, the just Judge, to whom all vengeance belongs.
And even as we pray this, we praise you for the gospel. Lord Jesus, we thank you for bearing the just judgment we deserve for our sin, so that we might receive your mercy. Help us, then, to do justice, to love mercy, and to extend that mercy even to those who wrong us.
A Prayer for the Gangai People
We also pray for the Gangai people of Nepal—more than forty-five thousand who do not yet know the mercy found in Jesus Christ. O God, we intercede for them: pour out your mercy upon them. Help us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you—the God of justice, to whom all vengeance belongs.
In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
