The Compromise

Studies in Numbers

III The Finale

C The Configuration

1 The Compromise, Text: 32:1-42

Title: Keeping the Fellowship

INTRODUCTION

The question settled here is whether we will support our brethren or leave them in the lurch. The promised land lay on the far side of the Jordan river. The tribes had to cross it in order to enter and conquer the Canaanites. The tribes were still on the east side of the Jordan and had to go an conquer all the enemies on the west side. Reuben and Gad like that land and it supported their needs so they wanted to stay there and care for their abundance of animals. Were they thinking of the other tribes? Probably not. Then they were called out by Moses. Let us think about how this reminder affects us today as we insider their assignment, agreement, and arming.

I THE ASSIGNMENT

In our opening verses 1-14 they politely come to Moses and make their request. The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.” Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. The Lord’s anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone. “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.” Moses rehearses their history. Forty years of wandering in a wilderness because they were disobedient and cowardly, not trusting the Lord. The people are now led by Joshua and Caleb the two survivors of the previous generation because they wanted to obey the Lord. Moses rebuke is based on the fact that this request of the Reubenites and Gadites is almost identical to the initial refusal to enter the land of promise forty years earlier. It is completely understandable that they would choose this land. Keil reports, Ancient Gilead still shows numerous traces of great fertility, even in its present desolation, covered over as it is with hundreds of ruins of old towns and hamlets. As compared with the country to the west of the Jordan, its general character is that of an upland pasture, undulating and thickly timbered. The Arabs say you can not find a country like Gilead. Parenthetically, I refer you to the account of Caleb in Joshua 14, It lis an inspiring story to me because I am now 83. Israel is going up to battle the Canaanites for the land and Caleb says, So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.

II THE AGREEMENT

The assignment and the rebuke to Gad and Reuben leads to an agreement in verses 16-30. Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. But we will will be quick to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance. We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.” Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him— then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord. “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.” The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands. Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says.” Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession. But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.” Moses grants their request only if they fulfill their promise. This is a marvelous illustration of conflict resolution that we could use today in our personal lives, our churches, and among nations. If you don’t agree with my plan, what is the thing you would most like to change. In this case it is participation in the conquest. It could be anything depending on the circumstances. The point is that they come to an agreement acceptable to the parties. All too often in our personal, national and ecclesiastical experiences we refuse to deal and to compromise. The Gadites and Reubenites agree to fulfill their responsibility to the national interest.

III ARMING

In verses 31-42, we see the result which is the tribes organized for battle. The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said. We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan. Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them. The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt. The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them the settlements of Jair. And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself. So they secured their territory, and helped their brethren. However, like Lot when leaving Abraham, choosing to move to Sodom, they made a bad choice. Gad fared better than Reuben, but the Reubenites, in fact, under the influence of their wild neighbors, gradually lost touch with their brethren and fell away from the religion of Jehovah. The comment in Lange’s commentary is especially apropos. “It is a parable of the degeneration of life. — Earthly choice rules and heavenly faith is hazarded for the sake of a temporal advantage. Men have their will because they insist upon it. They do not consult the prophet, but make terms with him, that they may gain their end. But as they place themselves, so they have to live, not on the soil of the promised land, no integral part of Israel.” Yes, they armed physically, but spiritually their defenses crumbled. In subtle ways it reminds me of today’s culture in which people care more about their physical health and welfare, and less about their spiritual health and destiny. But as Paul says in Ephesians 6, we must put on the whole armor of God that we may stand. This includes the Helmet of Salvation, the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, and the sword of the Spirit.

CONCLUSION

We need to ask ourselves whether we are putting others first in the Body of Christ. Are we putting aside our own interests for the sake of the kingdom of God, and are we making choices that will advance or retard our spiritual development? This is keeping the fellowship.