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Scripture Reading: Num. 32:1-42
In this message we will begin to consider the prearrangement of the distribution of the good land (32:1-42; 33:50—36:13).
The last five chapters of Numbers, the best portion of the book, cover the prearrangement of the good land. This prearrangement typifies the sharing of the enjoyment of the rich Christ.
The good land was on both sides of the river Jordan, on the east and on the west. The land west of the Jordan is better than the land east of the Jordan. Numbers 32:1-42 concerns the land east of the Jordan.
The request of the two tribes, Reuben and Gad (vv. 1-5), was not wrong, but neither was it right. Their desire was to receive what God had promised, according to their choice as the best, not according to God's choice as the best. The desire to receive what God had promised was not wrong. However, they were not right in wanting to receive this according to their choice as the best. Eventually, their land was the first part of the land of Israel to be taken over by the Gentile invaders from the east. The tribes of Reuben and Gad suffered, and this suffering was related to their having their own choice.
In spiritual matters it is terrible to do things according to our choice. Whatever is according to our choice will not turn out to be profitable. We may think that our choice is the best, but it is actually the worst. Therefore, in spiritual matters we should try not to act according to our choice. It is much better for us to leave matters in the hand of the Lord and let Him do according to His choice.
The two tribes made their request because of what they had (a very great multitude of cattle — v. 1) and because of what they saw (a land good for livestock — v. 4). This was the reason for their choice.
Self-choice, even in the church life, comes from two things — considering what we have and need and considering how a particular situation or opportunity that we see in front of us fits in with our needs. This should not be our situation in the church life or in the service of the Lord. Both in the church life and in the Lord's work, we need to resist the temptation to have our self-choice for the purpose of taking care of our own welfare.
We need to learn the lesson of not considering what we have or what is in front of us but leaving our future in the hand of the Lord. We should not try to have our own choice in the church life or in the Lord's service. If you insist on having your own choice, be prepared to suffer as a result. Our choice is not the best selection. We are shortsighted and somewhat selfish, so it is difficult for us to be pure in motive, desire, intention, goal, and purpose. We should be willing to give up our choice and tell the Lord that we do not have any choice of our own.
The land requested by Reuben and Gad could be reached without crossing the river Jordan. Without crossing the Jordan signifies without having the old man dealt with and buried. Only after we have had the old man dealt with and buried are we in a position to talk about possessing the good land for our enjoyment.
Reuben and Gad did not receive the promise of the good land with the body of the children of Israel. This signifies receiving the enjoyment of Christ separately, without the Body of Christ.
In verses 6 through 15 we have the rebuking and warning of Moses.
"Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben, Shall your brothers go to the war while you stay here?" (v. 6). Here Moses was rebuking them for their selfishness. Moses seemed to be saying, "You are considering the welfare of your tribes. What about the other tribes? If the other tribes follow your pattern, every tribe will have its own choice, and we will not have a way to distribute the land."
In verses 7 through 15 Moses warned Reuben and Gad with the pitiful story of Kadesh-barnea, a story of unbelief. In verse 7 he said to them, "Why will you discourage the heart of the sons of Israel from going over into the land which Jehovah has given them?" Moses might have thought that they were afraid of the giants in the land and that this fear would have discouraged all the other tribes.
In verses 16 through 19 we have the promise of the two tribes, who had reasons for their choice. Those who have their own choice will always have much to say to justify their choice.
"They approached him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones" (v. 16). They were concerned for their livestock and their little ones, but they did not seem to think about the livestock and little ones of the other tribes.
"We ourselves will be ready and armed to go before the sons of Israel, until we have brought them to their place" (v. 17a). This word indicates that they thought of themselves as quite capable, able to bring all the people to their place. In their self-confidence they dared to make such a promise. Instead of saying, "until we have brought them to their place," they should have said, "until the Lord has brought them to their place."
"We will not return to our homes until the sons of Israel have inherited each his inheritance" (v. 18). This sounds fair, but it was nevertheless their own choice and therefore was not the best arrangement.
"We will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east" (v. 19). This promise seems fair and reasonable.
Verses 20 through 42 speak of the permission of Moses.
Moses was moved by the word of Reuben and Gad and agreed with their promise (vv. 20-22). This proves that Moses was not a dictator but that he was willing to accept others' reasonable proposals and opinions.
Moses' permission was given with the condition that every armed man of theirs would pass over the Jordan before Jehovah, until He had driven His enemies from before Him and the land was subdued before Him. Then, after that, they would return and be free of obligation to Jehovah and to Israel (vv. 21-22). Reuben and Gad had said, "until we have brought them to their place," but Moses said, "until He [Jehovah] has driven out His enemies from before Him and the land is subdued before Jehovah." This would be due to Him, not to Reuben and Gad.
In verse 22 Moses uses the word obligation. Whenever we have our own choice, we will owe something for our choice and will be under some kind of obligation. In serving the Lord, we need to learn never to be obligated in this way. We need to learn not to have our own choice and thereby not to be obligated to God and to His people.
In verse 24 we see that Moses allowed them to build cities for their little ones and folds for their sheep.
Moses gave command to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the sons of Israel concerning the two tribes, regarding their keeping their promise to Moses (vv. 28-32). These two tribes were obligated to remember their promise and to fulfill it.
According to verses 33 through 42, Moses gave to the two tribes and to the half-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 and its cities with their territories.
It may seem that in this chapter a good settlement was made concerning the request of the two tribes, Reuben and Gad. Actually, this situation was not pleasant, for these tribes were standing for themselves.
This may also be our situation in our married life and church life. Often in making a choice a brother will care not for his wife but for himself. He may say that he is for his wife, but deep in his heart he is for himself. Likewise, as the elders from various churches are having fellowship, the elders of each church may stand for themselves and their interests, not for the other churches, with each elder claiming that his concern is for the Lord's purpose and the building up of the Body. These illustrations show us that it is difficult for us not to have our own choice. It is a terrible thing to have our self-choice. Instead of having our own choice, we should leave the matter to the Lord.
If in the Lord's recovery our standing is that we will not have our own choice but leave the choice to the Lord, there will not be any problems among us. However, if we have our own choice, there will eventually be problems and suffering. Let us learn not to follow Reuben and Gad, but to follow the other tribes who allowed the Lord to make the choice for them. Let us wait for the lot and not have our own choice.
