THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The Moabites and Midianites, who were wicked and barbarous nations, occupied the promised land intended for the descendants of Israel. With war looming and their defeat imminent—knowing they could not withstand the Israelite army—they resorted to sorcery and other nefarious tactics in a desperate attempt to repel their adversaries. However, despite their efforts, they could not harm Israel, for God Himself shielded them, even compelling the false prophet Balaam to bless Israel instead of cursing them as intended. Facing dire circumstances and realizing their schemes had failed, the Moabites and Midianites concluded that the only way to undermine Israel would be to provoke their God, their Protector. Without His divine assistance, they resolved to engage in battle.
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Understanding the allure of the female form and the vulnerability of youth to temptation, they sent for immoral women to seduce the Israelite men—women whose beauty could easily entice those susceptible to carnal desires. Gradually, this led the men away from their devotion to God. As a result, the Israelites fell into both sexual immorality and spiritual apostasy, as indicated in Scripture: "And Israel clung to Baal-peor" (Num. 25:3). Moreover, God spoke through the prophet saying, "You yourselves are on the side of the harlots" (Hos. 4:14). The Lawgiver was justly angered by these actions, and the Israelites faced consequences; they were swiftly afflicted with calamities, and fornicators suffered destruction at the hands of their own kin. Following this, God ordered Moses to wage war against the Midianites, commanding him to avenge the Israelites before he would return to his own people.