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More Numbers commentaries
Numbers 29:1-40
The feast of tabernacles
Numbers 30:1-16
The difference between vows and oaths
Numbers 31:1-24
God’s judgment on the Midianites
Numbers 31:25-54
Division of the “spoils” from the war.
Numbers 32:1-15
The loyality of people to each other.
Numbers 32:16-42
“Be sure your sin will find you out.”
Numbers 33:1-56
The Wilderness journeys
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“Be sure your sin will find you out.”
Numbers 32:16–42
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
James Calvert was a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands. When he and his fellow missionaries landed on the island, the captain of the ship that brought them tried to get them to turn back. “You will die, the men with you will die, if you stay here.” he cried … More
The Israelites had been camped in the plains of Moab, across from Jericho. From this position they were ready to enter the Promised Land. The tribes of Reuben and Gad went to Moses and tried to assure him they had no desire to shirk their responsibility of conquering the land west of the Jordan. Only after Canaan had been conquered and the other tribes had been secured would they return to the Trans-Jordan territory and settle down (vv. 16-19). However, first they would like to provide pens for their livestock and make fortification to protect their wives and children. Moses agreed to this plan but said if they failed to carry out their promises, their sin would find them out (v. 23) and they would lose the land they requested. Since Moses would not live much longer he outlined all these arrangements and pledges to Eleazar and Joshua.
The nation lingered long enough for the two and a half tribes to move into their land, defeat the enemies that remained, and get their families and flocks settled. But we can’t help wondering if these Transjordanic tribes made a good choice or not. They were outside the land of promise and separated from the rest of the nation.
Some people are like the older generation of Jews that perished in their wandering and never entered the land. Others are like the ten spies who visited the land and saw all it had to offer but failed to enter in. The Trans-Jordanic tribes entered the land but didn’t stay there. They preferred to live on the border and raise their cattle. God wants His people to enter the land, claim the victory, and enjoy the blessings. And if there was a motto in the land of self, it would be: “Don’t rock the boat.” Don’t make people uncomfortable, don’t stir things up. And it’s an easy land to live in but a hard land to leave. The rewards may be few, the satisfaction may be gone, we won’t be fulfilling our true Christian duty, but you know what? “We’ll be comfortable."
Application
Reuben and Gad promised to keep working with the others until everyone’s land was conquered. I must not let myself get so comfortable that I fail to see the need of helping others.
Numbers 32:16-42 (English Standard Version)
Then they came near to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east." So Moses said to them, "If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD for the war, and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him and the land is subdued before the LORD; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what you have promised." And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord orders." So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. And Moses said to them, "If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the LORD, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan." And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, "What the LORD has said to your servants, we will do. We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan." And Moses gave to them, to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land and its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country. And the people of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. And the people of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names were changed), and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvoth- jair. And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
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