Pastor and 1st Lady Mims

Mims Chapel Church

Week 2, June 8

LESSON 2

Honoring a Shared Destiny

Lesson Text:

Numbers 32:1-11, 16-19; Joshua 1:12-18

Memory Verse
'And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?"
Numbers 32:7

Key Terms
Buffer zone • A neutral area serving to separate hostile forces or nations.

Estrange • To cause (someone) to be no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienate.
Negotiate • To obtain or bring about by discussion; to find a way over or through (an obstacle or difficult path).

Suggested Emphasis

Part of the preparation for the campaign to conquer Canaan was to marshal all of the Israelites to battle, but back during Moses' lifetime, the Israelites had already encountered some cracks in the tribal alliance. Two tribes had requested that they stay on the eastern side of the Jordan. "The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned vast numbers of livestock. So when they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideally suited for their flocks and herds, they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the other leaders of the community. They said, 'The LORD has conquered this whole area for the community of Israel, and it is ideally suited for all our livestock. If we have found favor with you, please let us have this land as our property instead of giving us land across the Jordan River— (Num. 32:1,2,4,5, NLT).

That portion of land east of Jordan, already having been conquered by the Israelites, was a great lure to the herdsmen of Reuben and Gad. The fertile plains they saw before their eyes eclipsed whatever hopes they once had in Canaan. This was an unexpected challenge to Moses' leadership; he had to negotiate the possibility of abandoning the intentions he had for the Israelites as a whole and allowing some of them to pursue a different course.

Emphasis 1

Negotiations with Reuben and Gad

In some sense, Moses had to consider allowing two tribes to estrange themselves from the goals and aspirations of the rest of the nation. He could not have felt encouraged by the prospects of this separation; it wasn't necessarily good even for the Reubenites and Gadites themselves. "It is difficult to embrace the idea of people choosing their own paths, especially when we feel they are choosing the status quo and not the bright hope of the future" (Brown, 2017, p. 36). In his negotiations with the two tribes, Moses argued that their request could seriously jeopardize the mission God had given the Israelites. "Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the LORD has given them?" (Num. 32:7, NLT). He compared their request to stay on the eastern side of Jordan with the majority report of the Israelite spies a generation ago. The report of the ten spies helped convince the people that they couldn't withstand the giants in the land, and that display of unbelief angered the Lord. God let that generation of Israelites die in the wilderness (Num. 32:8-11).

Emphasis 2

A Pledge to Help Their Brethren

After Moses shamed Reuben and Gad for trying to abandon their brethren, he extracted a compromise from the two tribes. "But they approached Moses and said, 'We simply want to build pens for our livestock and fortified towns for our wives and children. Then we will arm ourselves and lead our fellow Israelites into battle until we have brought them safely to their land. Meanwhile, our families will stay in the fortified towns we build here, so they will be safe from any attacks by the local people. We will not return to our homes until all the people of Israel have received their portions of land. But we do not claim any of the land on the other side of the Jordan. We would rather live here on the east side and accept this as our grant of land— (Num. 32:16-19, NLT).

Emphasis 3

Repercussions to Separation
From the Promised Land

When it neared time for Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan, he reminded the Reubenites and Gadites of their commitment to help. The two tribes were faithful to their promise. When Canaan was finally conquered, Joshua commended them when he released them to return home (Jos. 22:1-4). Yet, although those tribes discharged their duty, their choice to live outside of God's appointed land hurt them in the years to come. "These tribes became a sort of 'buffer zone' between the Jews in Canaan and the heathen nations like Moab and Ammon. Of course, their location made them extremely vulnerable to both military attack and ungodly influence; and both of these liabilities eventually brought about their downfall (1 Chron. 5:25-26)" (Wiers-be, 1993, p. 123). The Reubenites and the Gadites exchanged God's best for what they thought was better, but ultimately found alienation and exposure.

In our modern contexts, we don't fully appreciate the value of unity. As we pursue victorious Christian living, we will realize that there is often strength in numbers. We encourage one another through our fellowship. And because we are admonished to "think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works," we should not "neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near" (Heb. 10:24,25, NLT).

Missions Application Questions

What was the significance of Moses negotiating with the Reubenites and the Gadites?
Should we try to prevent members of our local church from leaving?
Why do you think unity in the body of Christ is so important to God?

World Missions Prayer Points

Let us pray to consider the consequences of favoring individual preferences over the will of God.
Let us pray to do what we say we will do to fulfill our word.
Let us pray to understand the importance of unity in the Christian journey.