SCRIPTURE: NUMBERS 32
IMPORTANT VERSES:
THE TRANSJORDAN TRIBES (vs. 1-42)
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, “Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going 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 Eshcol 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 the men twenty years old or more who 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 Num, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly. The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert 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 fat hers 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 desert and you will be the cause of their destruction.”
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 are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will view in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his 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 will go armed 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 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, give tghem 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.”
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 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, Johbehah, 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 Havvoth Jair. And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.
THOUGHTS: (From Life Application Study Bible)
Three tribes (Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh) wanted to live east of the Jordan River (referred to as the Transjordan area) on land they had already conquered. Moses immediately assumed they had selfish motives and were trying to avoid helping the others fight for the land across the river. But Moses jumped to the wrong conclusion. In dealing with people, we must find out all the facts before making up our minds. we should not automatically assume that their motives are wrong even if their plans sound suspicious.
A simple fold for livestock had four roughly built stone walls, high enough to keep wild animals out. Sometimes the top of the wall was lined with thorns to further discourage predators ands thieves. The fold’s single entrance made it easier for a shepherd to guard his flock. Often several shepherds used a single fold and took turns guarding the entrance. Mingling the animals was no problem since each flock responded readily to its own shepherd’s voice. The three tribes who chose to remain east of the Jordan river wanted to build sheepfolds to protect their flocks and cities to protect their families before the men crossed the river to help the rest of the tribes conquer the Promised Land.
The land on the east side of the Jordan had been conquered. The hard work was done by all the tribes together. But the tribes of Reuben and God and the half-tribe of Manasseh did not stop after their land was cleared. They promised to keep working with the others until everyone’s land was conquered. After others have helped you, do you make excuses to escape helping them? Finish the whole job, even those parts that may not benefit you directly.