"Repeat Offender?"

Scripture Passage

Numbers 32:1-33:56

Scripture Focus

“Your ancestors did the same thing…” (Numbers 32:8 NLT)

Observation

It’s history within history. The tribes of Rueben and Gad have come to Moses and Eleazar to request the privilege of settling in the fertile grazing lands of the Transjordan (“across the Jordan”). The story, of course, is recorded so that generations down the road, all Israel will know that Rueben and Gad legitimately possess the territory they inhabit—something like a proper title deed to the land.

But in response to their request, Moses appeals to history. “You’re just like your fathers,” he says (in essence). “They refused to take Canaan by faith, letting down the whole nation, and now you’re bailing on your brethren, too!”

The leaders of the tribes explain and assure that such is not the case—that they are fully willing to send their fighting men with the rest of the Israelites into Canaan to help possess the land. Their request really does boil down to pragmatism—the land they inhabit simply suits their livelihood better than the land across the Jordan. But the conversation raises a couple of interesting points.

First (as someone has said), the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. In that sense, Moses raised a valid concern. Friend, if someone’s always been a hothead in the past, it’s most likely they’ll be a hothead in the future! Ladies, if he’s hit you once…—well, my counsel is, all the apologies in the world wouldn’t convince me that anything would be different the next time.

However, the beauty of this passage *is* that you can be different from your history! You can become, in Christ, the exception to the rule. The tribes of Reuben and Gad had no slack history of their own—only that of their ancestors. But they were not irretrievably compelled to follow in the faithless footsteps of their fathers. They could—and did—choose instead to believe God, obey God, and enjoy what God provided!