A) INTRODUCTION.

B) HISTORY.

 

 

A)INTRODUCTION

 

 

Midian was a son of Abraham by his concubine (1Ch. 1:32) Keturah (Gen. 25:2).  According to Genesis 25:6, any children conceived by Abraham’s concubines were sent away to another region to the “east” in order to keep them away from the inheritor (Isaac) of Abraham’s riches.

 

In regards to Keturah the concubine, Biblical tradition has Abraham marring her after the death of Sarah and after the marriage of Isaac to Rebekah, because of Abraham’s feeling of loneliness after Sarah’s death.  You decide.

 

The Midianite people dominated the territory which included portions of the Sinai Peninsula “east” of the Red Sea around the 12th through the 10th centuries B.C.  Today, the former territory of Midian would be located in portions of western Saudi Arabia, southern Jordan, southern Israel, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula.

 

 

B) HISTORY

 

 

The first recorded history of the tribe of Midian is a defeat suffered “in the field of Moab,” Genesis 36:35 & First Chronicles 1:46, at the hands of Hadad, king of Edom.  They were also the merchantmen (Bedouins at this point in time) that were headed to Egypt of which Joseph was sold to (Gen. 37:28) by his brothers.

 

They next appear when Moses flees from Egypt and finds refuge in the house of his future father-in-law Jethro (Exo. 2:21), who dwelt in the land of Midian (Exo. 2:15), making Jethro and Moses’ wife both Midianites.  However, they may also be considered to be Kenites according to Judges 1:16.  It was in the land of Midian that Moses received his commission (Exo. 4:19) to go back to Egypt and free the Israelites from slavery.

 

What some people tend to miss is that it was a Midianite (“Hobab,” Num. 10:29) who actually helped guide the Israelites in the wilderness of Midian (“thou mayest be to us instead of eyes,” Num. 10:31) and not Moses being that familiar with the wilderness, even though he most likely tended sheep in some portions of the wilderness.

 

At some point the friendly relations between Israel and Midian faded away.  Most likely when Midian began to worship the Moon god -- from which Islam is rooted in -- Midian began to be considered as Arabs {Note:  Not all Arabs are Muslims).  When next we find them they are allied with Moab (Num. 22:4-7) in the calling of Balaam to pronouce a curse upon Israel.

 

Apparently, Israel did not learn their lesson of not being joined to non-worshipers of the True God, for we next find an Israelite (“Zimri,” Num. 25:14) with “Cozbi, the daughter of Zur.”  Zur was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.”  Number 25:15.  Because of this, “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest,” Numbers 25:11, slue these lovers, and God told Moses to “Vex the Midianites, and smite them,” Numbers 25:17; 31:2, the other reasons being, “For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and the matter of Cozbi” Number 25:18.  “Peor” was the mountain in the land of Moab where Balaam was last guided by Balak (third time; third height) in order to curse Israel (Num. 23:28).

 

The Midianites continued to “vexed” throughout their history between them and Israel (see Psa. 83:9; Isa. 9:4; 10:26; Hab. 3:7).  The greatest recording of this “vexing” is accomplished by Gideon in the Book of Judges, Chapters 7 & 8.

 

 

C) MIDIAN TODAY

 

 

Bringing Midian up to today, Arabs today still practice circumcision (Exo. 4:25) and the Bedouin nomads still ware golden ornaments (Jud. 8:24).  Nor do Arabs eat pork as listed in Leviticus, the Eleventh Chapter, and Deuteronomy, the Fourteenth Chapter.  Also, the people of Midian are mentioned in the “Qur’an,” where the name appears as “Madyan” in Arabic.