For the Win
Read This Week: Numbers 31
Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead, and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.” – Numbers 31:21-23 NIV
Numbers 31 is a challenging chapter in the Bible. It tells of God’s command to Israel to execute judgment against the Midianites, whom we remember from earlier in our study as a people who had deliberately enticed Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality, resulting in devastating consequences for the nation (Numbers 25).
While this chapter is not always easy to understand immediately, it offers wisdom and insight into God’s holiness, the seriousness of sin, and the importance of wholehearted obedience. To fully understand this section, we must remember what happened earlier. The Midianites were not innocent bystanders. Through the counsel of Balaam, they intentionally lured Israel into idol worship and illicit sin. Their strategy was not just military, it was spiritual. They sought to corrupt God’s people from within.
As a result, thousands of Israelites died under God’s judgment. The attack on Israel’s faith proved more detrimental than any physical battle. Our time this week records the Lord’s response to that deliberate corruption and reveals the truth that spiritual compromise often causes more damage than external opposition. It reminds us that we can spend enormous energy protecting ourselves from visible threats while ignoring the subtle influences that slowly erode our values, convictions, and relationship with Jesus.
One of the strongest messages here is one we’ve seen multiple times before — God takes sin seriously. Modern culture often treats wrongdoing as a mistake, a weakness, or merely a personal choice. Scripture consistently presents sin as something more serious because it damages our relationship with God and harms others. The Midianites’ actions were not merely political maneuvering. They intentionally led people away from God, showing that spiritual corruption is not harmless. What begins as a compromise often grows into oppression and harmful patterns.
In practical terms, this means paying attention to influences that shape our hearts: entertainment that normalizes destructive behavior, relationships that continually pull us away from our convictions, habits that weaken our spiritual life, and attitudes that make disobedience seem acceptable. The most dangerous threats are often the ones we stop noticing.
Conversely, a significant portion of the passage focuses on cleansing and purification after the battle. Even those who obeyed God’s command were required to undergo purification rituals. This teaches an important truth that God’s people are called to pursue holiness continually. The principle applies today in a spiritual sense. Life exposes us to many influences, experiences, and struggles that affect our hearts. Regular spiritual examination is necessary. We need times of prayer, repentance, reflection, and renewal. Healthy believers do not assume they are immune to spiritual drift. They continually return to God for renewal.
The chapter ends with the Israelite soldiers bringing offerings to God. Remarkably, they recognized that their success was not solely the result of military skill or human strength. They acknowledged God’s hand in their victory. This is a lesson many of us need. When we succeed, it is easy to focus on our effort, intelligence, discipline, or talent. While hard work matters, Scripture reminds us that every good gift ultimately comes from the Father. Gratitude protects us from pride. The Lord owns the victory. It is God for the win. The more successful we become, the more intentional we must be about remembering the source of our blessings.
SUNDAY PODCAST
This Week with God: Numbers 31
The Message: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/20260607message.wav
Worship Songs:
Give Me Your Eyes
Testimony
Remember when someone talked you into doing something that you really didn’t want to do?
You did it anyway, and afterward you regretted it. It was a mess. And you said to yourself, “I’m never doing that again.”
For me, growing up, I had a lot of those moments.
I really didn’t have the best attitude because what I would always say was, “Well, if they can do it, I can do it.”
Now my wife was completely different.
She would see people doing things that weren’t good, and she’d say, “Oh, I’m never doing that.”
She had a lot more wisdom than I did growing up.
While I was failing, she was winning.
And so this brings us to our series, God Always Wins.
1. Inspire People for Good
Be the kind of person who helps others move toward God, not away from Him.
2. Clean Up Your Messes
When wrong things are exposed, deal with them. Don’t ignore them, excuse them, or leave them unaddressed.
3. Be Grateful to God
Everything we have comes from Him. When God blesses us, our response should be gratitude, worship, and generosity.
Numbers 31 – Influence
Opening Questions
Who is influencing your life right now?
What voices are shaping your decisions?
What pulls your attention away from God?
Have you ever noticed that what we spend time around eventually influences us?
What Is Happening in This Chapter?
In Numbers 31, God sends Israel to deal with the Midianites. This was not just about a battle. Earlier, the Midianites had influenced Israel to turn away from God. They made compromise look attractive and drew God’s people into choices that hurt their relationship with Him.
The issue was influence.
Who would Israel listen to?
Who would shape their hearts?
God knew that if His people continued under that influence, they would continue moving farther away from Him.
What Does This Mean for Us?
We are all being influenced by something. Friends influence us. Family influences us. Social media influences us. Television influences us. Our schedules influence us. Even good things can begin pulling us away from what God is asking us to do.
The enemy rarely says, “Stop following God.”
Instead, he distracts.
“Skip church this week.”
“You can pray later.”
“Bible study can wait.”
“You’re too busy.”
Little by little, priorities begin to shift.
How Do We Make Changes?
The first step is recognizing the influence.
Ask God:
“Father, what is shaping my decisions?”
“What has more influence in my life than it should?”
Once God shows us, we can begin making different choices. We spend more time with what strengthens our walk with Him and less time with what pulls us away.
Change usually happens one decision at a time.
Moses’ Example
Moses was nearing the end of his life, yet he remained faithful to what God asked him to do. He did not allow fear, distractions, or weariness to keep him from following God’s instructions. Moses continued serving, leading, teaching, and preparing the next generation. His life reminds us that faithfulness is not about how much time we have left, but about continuing to walk with God and fulfill what He places before us each day.
Moses also reminds us that everyone is influencing someone. The Midianites influenced people away from God, while Moses spent his life pointing people toward God. That leaves us with an important question: What kind of influence are we leaving behind?
Jesus and Influence
Jesus was surrounded by voices trying to pull Him away from His Father’s will, yet He continually chose His Father’s voice above every other voice. He shows us what it looks like to stay close to God in a world full of competing influences.
As followers of Jesus, we are called not only to guard the influences in our own lives but also to be a godly influence in the lives of others. Our words, actions, attitudes, and choices can point people toward Jesus.
Numbers 31 reminds us that influence matters. Whatever we consistently listen to will eventually shape our thinking, our choices, and our direction. God lovingly calls us to stay close to Him because He knows that the voices we follow today will affect where we end up tomorrow.
May we choose to be people who are influenced by God’s Word, led by His Spirit, and used by Him to influence others for His glory.
Prayer you can pray
Father God, thank You for loving us enough to show us what influences our hearts. Help us recognize the voices, habits, and distractions that pull us away from You. Give us wisdom to choose what draws us closer to You and strength to follow where You lead. Help us be a godly influence to our families, friends, and everyone You place in our path. May our lives point others to Jesus. Thank You for helping us finish well and for always guiding us back to Your heart. Thank you again Father God, Jesus and Holy Spirit amen. Love you ❤️️
Numbers Chapter 31 Verse 21-23
21. And Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses:
22. Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the 10, and the lead,
23. Everything that can stand fire, you shall make go through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified with the water of impurity; and all that cannot stand fire [such as fabrics] you shall pass through water.
~Purification For God~
My Story:
There were many times in my life that I did not remain faithful or win with God. I wasn’t about the Father’s work but rather about doing what I wanted to do and when I wanted to do it. That attitude and behavior got me nowhere in life. My behavior was not pleasing to God and I was too blind by the world’s way to see what a good life serving God is all about. There were many struggles and trials that I will call the “Fires of Life.” Those trials and tribulations separated me from God and kept me active in sin. I needed a complete spiritual overhaul, of my mind, body and spirit to lead a fruitful, pure and pleasant life for God. The influences of life and others were hindering my interactions and spiritual connection to God. I was drowning in the “waters” of the world!
Today, I’ve given my life to Jesus and that is made all the difference. I no longer walk through the “fires of life” or am drowning in the “waters” of the world because God cleanses and purifies me. The fires of life do not navigate my life with God but rather destroys all the roots of sin! Any residue left is cleansed by the water gifted from God that replenishes my broken spirit with grace and mercy and washes away any residue left behind. Just as fire purifies precious metals, it shapes my faith. It makes me stronger, pure and more like Jesus. I embrace the refining process and am so grateful to embrace a new spiritual overhaul each and everyday with God. It’s a daily renewal spent refining my assets given by God. In doing so, any cracks or broken pieces are healed and my soul is soothed. Thank you God that when the waiting seems hard and the journey may feel like I’m going against the wind, I know today that you are preparing me for something greater. You are a good, good Father! I love you God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit! ❤️