After the sin of making the golden calf, God refused to go with the Israelites. But Moses appealed to God. “If your presence will not go with us do not send us from here. The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:15. God changed His mind!
# 43 2026 Dev. Numbers 32. AChange of Plan! Read all of chapter thirty-two first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Nu.32 Three tribes want to change the plan of God to give Canaan proper to the Israelites.
Vs.1-5. “The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for 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.”’ That land was not the land that God had sworn to give to the descendants of Abraham.
Vs.6-15 Moses reacted very negatively to the idea, and compared them to the eight spy’s forty years past, who discouraged the Israelites to enter the land. They were afraid, did not trust God and refused to fight for the land. That cost them forty years of wandering in the desert until everyone, 20 years old and older died, except Joshua and Caleb who were faithful. “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 was afraid of this idea. How easy it is to be afraid when the Spirit moves us. What consequences could we have avoided? Thankfully, the Spirit does not give up on us, praise God!
Vs.16-19 “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 arm ourselves for battle and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place.’”
Vs.20-27 “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.” That still holds today, we may be sure our sins will find us out! Moses treated this as a conditional covenantal arrangement. The three tribes; “…We your servants, we will do as our Lord commands.”
Vs. 28-32 “Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelites tribes.” If they keep the commitment to fight, give them the land they want, but if not, they will only receive what is allotted to them in Canaan proper.
Vs.33-42 “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.” It does not appear that Moses consulted God, as he had done so often. It was a practical arrangement with the large herds out of the way and women and children safe. God, apparently, did agree with this, He used the leaders to make that decision. That is what goes on today, the Holy Spirit moves people, church leaders, and other officials to make decisions that are good and equitable. Regressive decisions, religious or political, that are harmful are not from the Spirit of God.
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