What we forsake for Christ is our faith

Numbers 31:48-54 (ESV)
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses [49] and said to Moses, "Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us. [50] And we have brought the LORD's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD." [51] And Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold, all crafted articles. [52] And all the gold of the contribution that they presented to the LORD, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels. [53] (The men in the army had each taken plunder for himself.) [54] And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, as a memorial for the people of Israel before the LORD.

There is not a man missing from us. This is an amazing statement as it means that not a single man died from among the army of Israel in this battle that utterly destroyed the cities of Midian. In a war as large as this, one would expect casualties from both sides. But God preserved Israel's army, and not one of them was missing. When we fight in God's war, we can be sure that not one of our hairs will be lost, as Christ said. Surely they may kill our body, but they can never kill our soul, and we know that we will be raised from the dead. Let us not fear man, for God will preserve us, in this life, and definitely in the next. Let us fight the good and noble fight, for we know that not one sparrow falls to the ground without the Father's permission. When we are doing His will, we know that God's favour is upon us. Let us trust in God as we battle that He will preserve us. Let us remember that this is a spiritual war, and though they may slay our flesh, we know that our God's Spirit is with our spirit, and we have eternal life. Jesus Christ is our fortress and our shield. Let us not fear:
Psalm 91:5-10 (ESV)
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, [6] nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. [7] A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. [8] You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. [9] Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place- the Most High, who is my refuge- [10] no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

This verse also reminds us that Christ will preserve His people, that none of them may be ultimately lost to eternal death. Read:
John 10:27-30 (ESV)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. [30] I and the Father are one."
As long as we are in God's hand, no one can snatch us out of God's hand. No matter how hard the devil, the world and even our own flesh may try, we will never perish into eternal death. Not a man will be missing from those listed in the Lamb's book of life. Though the Christian sin and God's favour leaves them for a season, He will never forsake them forever. It is the Father, who is greater than all, who has hand-picked us from among sinners to be Christ's forever. Christ feeds eternal life to us, and gives us the Holy Spirit for our thirst, as a Shepherd feeds his sheep and leads them to still waters. It is Christ who died fighting the wolves, that none of us may be lost. Just as God fought for Israel that none of their men may be perish, Christ fights the battle for us. And we fight with Him, believing the eternal security of our souls we have in Jesus Christ. This is why Christ tells us to fight without fear, for our souls are eternally safe in Him. And this gives us the courage, no matter what they may do against us in this life.

To make atonement for ourselves before the LORD. These soldiers realized this one thing while they were slaughtering these Midianites, and while considering how God slew none of their own. They thought within themselves, 'We have sinned as much as these people. We gave into their temptations, and we have also sinned against God as much as them. Our fathers all perished in the wilderness because they sinned against the Lord. We are their children. We deserve to die as much as these Midianites. We are not more righteous. They are receiving God's wrath, while we are receiving mercy. How can this lovingkindness be?' Therefore they desired to offer God a gift as atonement. Israel ought to have been consumed by the holy fire of God's wrath, but while God chastised them, God showed compassion and never utterly destroyed them. They realize they had favour over the Midianites, and realized they were not righteous. And we know as Christians why God had mercy upon Israel, though they had sinned against Him. Is it because Israel sinned LESS? By no means. Is it because God saw something less hateful in Israel than Midian? It can't be, for God shows no partiality in His judgment. Then why? It is because of the atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross. Silver and gold cannot appease the just wrath and vengeance of God, but God had laid on Christ all the sins of Israel, that He may become their propitiation through His shed blood. This same mercy have we all received as believers in Christ. God has preserved all of us, that none of us are missing, because God for our sake destroyed His beloved Son. God forsook His Son for a while, that He may preserve us for an eternity. Let us always thank God and His Son.

The soldiers brought as atonement the gold articles and jewelry that they each found from the battle. Perhaps these had taken the gold initially for themselves to keep, as verse 53 states again. But having seen God's mercy and favour upon them, seeing how God destroyed Midian completely yet did not utterly destroy Israel likewise, they decided to give it all away to the Lord. This is the response of the ones who have been saved by Jesus Christ's blood. All the gain we thought we had in the world, we count it a loss, and we forsake all to the Lord as an offering, that we may know Him who die for us. When we realize all the gain that we had in the world we received only because of Jesus' death, we forsake them to have more of Christ. All the gold we have we count as nothing but dung, that Christ alone may be our gold. David said God's lovingkindness was to him better than life. This is exactly what these soldiers were saying by this act. They realized God's mercy and lovingkindness was better than petty gold that perishes. Let us have the like faith, and offer up our lives as a burnt sacrifice because we know Christ's lovingkindness is more worthy. Paul thought his own righteousness according to law was his gold, but when he knew Christ, he gave them all away to know the Son of God:
Philippians 3:5-9 (KJV)
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; [6] Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. [7] But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. [8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, [9] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

16,750 shekels. The gold that was offered was accepted by God through the hands of Moses and Eleazar. This gold signifies the faith of the saints offered to God through Jesus Christ. What we forsake for Jesus shows our faith and the value of our faith. They which forsake their house, family, friends, and even their own lives for Jesus Christ, show how much more they trust in Jesus Christ than the things of this world. That which we forsake for Jesus becomes as gold that is preserved as a memorial before the Lord. Remember when Mary came to Christ and broke the bottle of ointment on Christ's feet. Judas and other disciples complained of it being wasteful. But Christ made it a memorial:
Matthew 26:12-13 (KJV)
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. [13] Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
Likewise perhaps what the soldiers gave away appeared as a waste for some, but God accepted it as a memorial for their faith. God doesn't think our breaking of expensive jars of perfume as waste. But it instead becomes a perpetual offering unto Him. Even our lives must be broken at the feet of Christ. What is more precious than our own lives? If we offer our lives to Jesus many Judases will mumble and complain that we have wasted our valuable lives for nothing. But God knows our hearts, and He knows we did not waste it, but we had offered it unto Him. And thus it shall be a continual memorial, precious in His sight. Nothing forsaken for Christ is wasted in God's sight.

Memorial for the people of Israel. The gold was to be a memorial FOR the people of Israel. Israel were to look at the gold, and remember what the soldiers had sacrificed because of their love for the grace of God. We believers also can see the cloud of witnesses who have forsaken their own lives and what they had, and be challenged to do the same: Abraham forsook his son, Moses forsook Egypt, Jonathan forsook the throne for David, the prophets forsook the praise of men only to be killed and persecuted, that they may gain the praise of God. Most of all our Lord Jesus Christ forsook equality with God and His own life for us. These all forsook because of God's love, and their own love to God and His plans. These ought to challenge us and encourage us to forsake, even our own lives, for the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's look up to Peter and the Apostles who forsook worldly business; let's look to Paul who forsook honour and a place among his own people that he may turn to Gentiles; let's look to the martyrs who all forsook deliverance from death that they may testify Christ with their death. Let us look unto the cloud of memorials which command us to forsake all things for God. Let us pray that we may be amazed at Christ's love and His grace, that we may see God's glory, so that we may forsake all worldly glory for His. Glory be to God.