King James Version
The Book of Numbers
Chapter 32
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Commentary
Numbers 32
1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; The request for the land this side of Jordan
would have been a valid request, except there is still war to see to.
Also, this is not the land that God did promise the Israelites. The Reubenites and the Gadites
seem to have had no intention to go over and fight against the
inhabitants of the Promised Land. It seems that the request, at this
time, would rekindle the wrath of God, and that the remaining generation
would be subject to such wrath. They offer conditions which are satisfactory to him 16 And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: Num 32:1-42 (KJV) It seems that everybody did get what was asked for. It was negotiated that if the Reubenites and the Gadites did help to possess the Land of Promise, Canaan, that
they could come back to this land and it shall belong to them for an
inheritance. If they do not help to fight, and decide to remain here,
they will not keep this land and will go over to Canaan
to possess land from there instead. What a deal! So, if they do not
fight, they still get land, but not the land that they first chose. If
they do help fight, they do get the land that they have asked for, as an
inheritance. Let’s
not forget that this is a new generation of People from the time when
the 12 spies went over to evaluate the land. Only 2 of the full 12 will
be left alive to possess the land of promise, and that is Calab and Joshua. The 2 remaining, Calab and Joshua, will be the only two from that generation permitted by God to go over to Canaan, because they were the only two who had wholly followed the Lord. This don’t mean that Calab and Joshua are perfect… not even Moses was without blame. This means that Calab
and Joshua did wholly follow the Lord. They did go over for the purpose
of bringing back a good report, only to confirm that the land is
everything that God said it was. The
10 who did not wholly follow the Lord were required to spend the rest
of their years in the wilderness, and only the ones who were 20 years
old or younger were permitted to go. The entire Israel nation had to wait for the generation to pass so that they could go over to their Land of Promise. To
wholly follow the Lord means that we ought not to add or take away from
His instruction. If we fall short, we will be prompted to try again. If
we rebel, we will be punished. All of the punishments from God resulted
in improvement. That is the point. It is not for revenge. It is not to
correct what has already been done. It is to ensure that there is a
better “next time” or that similar circumstances are not repeated. This
is our example for our lives, to correct those in your care, and not to
avenge or pointlessly smite. There is a natural current of reward for
those who are obedient. This reward is harmony, to be in accord with the
common goal. There are numerous benefits as a result of obedience and
wholly following God. These are results. God is good in that He will go
farther than the natural results of obedience, He will reward us. He has
promised us this and that if we do this and that. This promotes
alliance. This promotes unity. This is not all that God offers. God is
One for promises, rewards, AND results! Sunday, December 27, 2009 1:45pm
2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 Even the country which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
7 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them?
8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.
9 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them.
10 And the Lord'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord.
13 And the Lord'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed.
14 And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel.
15 For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
17 But
we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until
we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell
in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18 We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
19 For
we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward;
because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.
20 And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war,
21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
22 And the land be subdued before the Lord: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.
23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
27 But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith.
28 So
concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son
of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:
29 And
Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben
will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
32 We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.
33 And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the 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, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
36 And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.
37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
38 And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.
39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.
40 And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.
41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.
42 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
