The loyality of people to each other.
July 9, 2020
Commentary
’The Israelites had been camped in the plains of Moab. From this position, they were ready to enter the Promised Land. Up to this point, all the tribes of Israel had fought together, traveled together, and sometimes had sinned together. But now things were changing as two of the tribes, Reuben and Gad (later half of the tribe of Manasseh would be included) asked permission to settle on the eastern side of Jordan (vv. 1-5). This was an area stretching from the Dead Sea in the south to the Sea of Galilee in the North. These two tribes had been blessed with large herds and flocks and it seemed desirable to remain on this side of the Jordan because of the suitable pasture land. The leaders of these tribes requested from Moses that they be allowed to settle there because of their needs and because the land had been conquered and was ready for occupation.
Moses’ initial reaction to Reuben and Gad’s request was unfavorable because he assumed they had selfish motives and were trying to avoid helping the others fight for the land across the river (vv. 6-15). He used the example of their fathers whom he said had done the very same thing when they listened to the report of the spies and lost heart about the conquest. This had caused the Lord to be angry (v. 10), and as a result caused that generation to die in the wilderness. Now, Moses said, they wanted to repeat the sin of their fathers and bring God’s anger on Israel again. Even worse, He might just abandon the nation and let them die in the wilderness. To Moses, it was a terrible sin for any of the tribes to retreat from conflict and fail to do their part in conquering the land.
Application
It is so easy to judge the motives of others and come to wrong conclusions. In my dealing with people, I must be very careful in judging motives. To falsely accuse them is sin and can hurt them as well as the cause of Christ.
Numbers 32:1– 15 (NET)
1 Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle, 2 the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the Lord subdued before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.” 5 So they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross the Jordan River.”
6 Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you remain here? 7 Why do you frustrate the intent of the Israelites to cross over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 When they went up to the Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they frustrated the intent of the Israelites so that they did not enter the land that the Lord had given them. 10 So the anger of the Lord was kindled that day, and he swore, 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old and upward who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 13 So the Lord’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before the Lord was finished. 14 Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the Lord against the Israelites. 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.”
Illustration: An elderly man on the beach with a magic lamp
An elderly man on the beach found a magic lamp. He picked it up and a genie appeared. “Because you have freed me,” the genie said, “I will grant you a wish.” The man thought for a moment and then responded, “My brother and I had a fight 30 years ago and he hasn’t spoken to me since. I wish that he’ll finally forgive me.” There was a thunderclap, and the genie declared, “Your wish has been granted. You know,” the genie continued, “most men would have asked for wealth or fame. But you only wanted the love of your brother. Is it because you are old and dying?” “No way!” the man cried. “But my brother is, and he’s worth about $60 million.” (Source Unknown).