5x5x5 bible reading 7/26/2013 Numbers 32
Andy Yang
Numbers 32
New International Version (NIV)
Audio Link:
http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Num.32
The Transjordan Tribes
32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— 4 the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5 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.”
6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.
14 “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. 15 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.”
16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17 But we will arm ourselves for battle[a] and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance. 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”
20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him— 22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.
23 “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. 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands. 26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says.”
28 Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. 29 He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession. 30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.”
31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said. 32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.”
33 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.
34 The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. 37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39 The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.[b] 42 And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.
Footnotes:
- Numbers 32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves
- Numbers 32:41 Or them the settlements of Jair
Andy Yang
Numbers 32 Outline
- The Reubenites and Gadites wanted the land of Jazer and Gilead for their livestock (Numbers 32:1-5)
- Moses rebuked the Reubenites and Gadites (Numbers 32:6-15)
- The Reubenites and Gadies promised not to return until they have help every Israelites receive the inheritance (Numbers 32:16-19)
- Moses agreed to give Jazer and Gilead to the Reubenites and Gadites if they keep their promise (Numbers 32:20-33)
- The Reubenites and Gadites rebuilt the cities (Numbers 32:34-38)
- The half tribe of Manasseh conquered the Amorites and took over Gilead (Numbers 32:39-42)
Numbers 32 Summary
The Reubenites and Gadites requested Moses to give them the lands of Jazer and Gilead after seeing that these lands were good for raising livestock. The Reubenites and Gadites had many livestock. Moses rebuked their requests and reminded them about the 10 spies who brought back bad report and discouraged the entire community of the Israelites so that everyone 20 years old or more did not get to enter into the land of Canaan.
But the Reubenites and Gadites promised to go and fight against the Canaanites along with the other Israelites after settling in the lands. Therefore, Moses agreed to give the lands of Jazer and Gilead. Moses instructed Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun to not give them possessions the land of Jazer and Gilead if they did not go into the land of Canaan to fight the enemies along with other Israelites.
The Reubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh inherited the kingdom of Sihon and Og. The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth, Shophan, Jaazer, Jogbehah, Bethnimrah, and Bethharan. The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kirjathaim, Nebo, and Baalmeon, and Shibmah. The descendants of Makir attacked the Amorites and took possession of Gilead. Jair captured the settlements of the Amorites and renamed it to Havvoth Jair. Nobah captured Kenath and renamed it to Nobah.
Numbers 32 Bible Study
1. Keep your promise
In Numbers 32:23, Moses warned the Reubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh that they will be punished if they did not keep their promise in going into Canaan to fight the enemies along with the Israelites. We must always do what we promise so that people will trust in us. If you don’t do what you say, you have sinned because you lied. All sinners will be punished either while on earth or in the after life (Revelation 21:8). No matter whether it is a small or big promise, you must keep it. If you promise someone something to get a good outcome but don’t intend to do it, you are lying and you have sinned. If you did not keep your promise, you should ask for God’s forgiveness and repent (Numbers 30:2; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5; Psalm 89:34; Matthew 5:37; Leviticus 5:4-6).