Page 281 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_03_MacArthur_Bible_March.qxd 8/8/03 14:44 Page 262

MARCH 17
before the LORD and before Israel; and this land
23
shall be your possession before the LORD. But
if you do not do so, then take note, you have
32:8 Thus your fathers did. Moses feared sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin
24
that if these two tribes were comfortably set- will find you out. Build cities for your little
tled, they would not join with the other 10 ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has
tribes in conquering Canaan, and that could proceeded out of your mouth.”
be the beginning of a general revolt against
entering the land.As the 10 spies had dissuad-
ed the people at Kadesh nearly 40 years earli-
er from conquering the land (vv. 9–13;
13:26–14:4), the refusal of these two tribes 32:23 your sin will find you out. The two
could cause the people to fail again (v. 15). tribes committed themselves to provide their
warriors for the conquest of the land. This
agreement satisfied Moses, although he
to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they added that nonparticipation would be sin and
discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, God would certainly find and judge the tribes
for their sin.
so that they did not go into the land which the
10
LORD had given them. So the LORD’s anger
was aroused on that day, and He swore an
11
oath, saying, ‘Surely none of the men who 25 And the children of Gad and the children
came up from Egypt, from twenty years old of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: “Your ser-
and above, shall see the land of which I swore vants will do as my lord commands. Our little
26
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our live-
have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb stock will be there in the cities of Gilead; but
27
12
the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and your servants will cross over, every man
Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly armed for war, before the LORD to battle, just
followed the LORD.’ So the LORD’s anger was as my lord says.”
13
aroused against Israel, and He made them 28 So Moses gave command concerning
wander in the wilderness forty years, until all them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son
the generation that had done evil in the sight of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of
14
of the LORD was gone. And look! You have the children of Israel. And Moses said to
29
risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful them: “If the children of Gad and the children
men, to increase still more the fierce anger of of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you,
the LORD against Israel. For if you turn away every man armed for battle before the LORD,
15
from following Him, He will once again leave and the land is subdued before you, then you
them in the wilderness, and you will destroy shall give them the land of Gilead as a posses-
30
all these people.” sion. But if they do not cross over armed with
16
Then they came near to him and said: “We you, they shall have possessions among you in
will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, the land of Canaan.”
17
and cities for our little ones, but we ourselves 31 Then the children of Gad and the children
will be armed, ready to go before the children of Reuben answered, saying: “As the LORD has
of Israel until we have brought them to their said to your servants, so we will do. We will
32
place; and our little ones will dwell in the for- cross over armed before the LORD into the
tified cities because of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, but the possession of our
18
land. We will not return to our homes until inheritance shall remain with us on this side of
every one of the children of Israel has re- the Jordan.”
ceived his inheritance. For we will not inher- 33 So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to
19
it with them on the other side of the Jordan the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of
and beyond, because our inheritance has fall- Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of
en to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.” Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom
20
Then Moses said to them: “If you do this of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities
thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD within the borders, the cities of the surround-
34
for the war, and all your armed men cross ing country. And the children of Gad built
21
over the Jordan before the LORD until He has Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, Atroth and
35
driven out His enemies from before Him, and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah, Beth
22
36
the land is subdued before the LORD, then Nimrah and Beth Haran, fortified cities, and
afterward you may return and be blameless folds for sheep. And the children of Reuben
37
262