Saturday, Nov. 23
Numbers Chapters 32 and 33 Click here to read
As Numbers winds down we continue our “review” time with a reminder of the 40-year journey.
One new thing in today’s passage is the request of two of the tribes, Gadites and Reubenites, to not cross the Jordan River with the rest of Israel, but to stay where they are. It is good grazing land, they say, and works well for both their herds and their families.
At first Moses and God see this as an act of rebellion, but relent when the two tribes commit to fight in the conquest of the Promised Land. They will leave their women and children behind in fortified cities, and only return once the land is secured.
It can be tempting to back away from sacrifice that directly benefits others but not ourselves. In this act, the Gadites and Reubenites present a model of unity and mutual support.