Numbers 32:1-15 – A Request
Reuben and Gad ask that the land which they have recently conquered, might be assigned to them for their inheritance. They have a great multitude of cattle, above the rest of the tribes, and want land in proportion to their large herds.
At first glance this seems like a really bad idea to Moses, and he rebukes them. It seems to come from a contempt of the land of promise and a distrust of the power of God to dispossess the Canaanites, as if a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. There seems also to be covetousness of this good cattle land in it. It also looks like they don’t care what becomes of Israel, as long as they themselves are well provided for. This request could also have bad consequences. The people might have panicked and started thinking that they are few enough, when they are all there, to deal with the Canaanites, so how can they hope to win if they drop two and a half tribes (above a fifth of their strength) on this side of the Jordan. It is also a bad precedent; if they must have the land granted them as soon as it is conquered, other tribes might make the same claim, and so the orderly dividing of the land would become a mess.
Moses shows them what he sees to be evil and selfish in this idea. It is wrong for any of God’s people to be unconcerned about the difficulties of their brothers and sisters, whether public or personal. Moses reminds them of the fatal consequences of the unbelief of their fathers, when they were just ready to enter Canaan, as they themselves now are. He warns them they are in danger of bringing wrath upon the whole congregation, and hurrying them all back again into the wilderness.
Question
- What do Reuben and Gad ask for?
- What does Moses say about this idea?
Prayer Points
- Pray for those struggling with difficulty in the congregation.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.