Tribes

This week's Sabbath reading from Numbers 32 titled Mattot, meaning "Tribes", deals with a strange event. Moses and the children of Israel were encamped on the east side of the Jordan River. Soon, under the leadership of Joshua, they would cross over the Jordan River, and secure their inheritance in the land promised by God which was located west of the River. However, the leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad approached Moses and Eleazar the high priest (Aaron had died earlier), and the other leaders of the congregation with a shocking request: "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan." (Num. 32:5). The tribes of Reuben and Gad, who had "a very great multitude of livestock", had seen how excellent the land on the eastern side of the Jordan was for grazing livestock, and wanted to remain there. This was shocking to Moses, who angrily told them that their request to remain behind, east of the Jordan, would discourage the rest of the Israelites from crossing over, just like the bad report of the ten spies had done previously. That previous failure to enter the land had caused the LORD to become angry, and the Israelites had had to wander the wilderness as a result for forty years! (v. 6-13). Moses said to the leaders of the two tribes: "And look! You have risen in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel. For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people." (v. 14-15). These are strong words of condemnation for what Moses saw as an act that would bring destruction to all of the people of God. It might also have been shocking to Moses personally, because God had already told him that he would not enter the promised land himself. He would later beg God to let him go into the land, but be denied: "I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains and Lebanon." (Deut. 3:25). Moses might have wondered how these two tribes could refuse the land that God had apportioned for them, when Moses loved the promise of it so much, but could never enter it himself. We do not know how the LORD felt about the request of the two tribes to remain on the eastern side of the River, because we have no indication in scripture that Moses consulted the LORD on this issue. We will perhaps have a glimpse of the LORD's thoughts on it because later when six cities of refuge were commanded by God as a haven for those who kill accidently, He assigned three of the cities of refuge to be located on the eastern side of the Jordan, as well as the three cities of refuge that were to be located on the western side of the River. (Josh. 20:1-3, 7-9). Meanwhile back to our story: upon hearing how angry Moses was, the leaders of the two tribes of Reuben and Gad assured him that while they would leave their wives, children, and livestock settled on the eastern side of the Jordan, the men of the tribes would arm themselves and fight with the rest of the Israelites to subdue the promised land on the other side of the River, until Israel was securely inhabiting the land (v. 16-28). Moses agreed that if they kept this commitment to fight with the rest of Israel for the land, they could then return to the eastern side of the Jordan "and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD." (v. 20-22). The half-tribe of Manasseh, who descended from Joseph, also split at this time, with half of the half-tribe wanting to remain on the eastern side of the Jordan, and half planning to cross over with the other tribes. Moses agreed (v. 33). We would read later that under the leadership of Joshua (Moses had died by that point), the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of the half-tribe of Manasseh did keep their commitment to fight on the western side of the River with Israel, and Joshua therefore released them to return to their homes on the eastern side. (Joshua 22:1-4). However, Joshua gave them this warning before the men returned to the east: "But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan...to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents." (Josh. 22:4-6). It must have been a heartbreaking moment for Israel to watch the men of those tribes who had fought with them, walking eastward, and leaving them. There came another issue concerning the tribes on the eastern side of the Jordan River. A "report" had gotten back to Joshua and the children of Israel that the eastern tribes had built a great, impressive altar on their land, and Israel prepared itself to go to war against those eastern tribes. They sent Phinehas and ten rulers from the western tribes to find out what was happening across the Jordan (Josh. 22:10-14). These leaders spoke sternly to the eastern tribes of Reuben, Gad, and part of Manasseh, calling the building of an altar, other than the altar of the LORD in the tabernacle, treachery and rebellion against the LORD that would cause the anger of the LORD to break out on the whole congregation of Israel (v. 15-19). The three eastern tribes explained that their altar was not in rebellion to God, but that they wanted it to stand as a witness (ed - witness, testimony, evidence, recorder; affirm solemnly, restore, give warning) to future generations that while they were physically separated by the River from the other tribes, they had not separated themselves from the service and worship of the LORD God (v. 21-29). Phinehas and the rulers of the western tribes found this to be acceptable. Where there had previously been a situation of impending war between the western tribes and the eastern tribes, Phinehas now said instead: "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD." (v. 30-31). Divisions as seen by the eyes of men, are not always seen as such in the eyes of the LORD. He knows who is with Him, and who is against Him. Many centuries later, Jesus had no problem preaching and healing on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The Gospel accounts (Mt. 8:28-34, Mk. 5:1-20, Lk. 8:26-37) tell of a miraculous delivery by Jesus of a maniacal man living among the tombs in Gadarene/Gergesenes who was possessed by many demons. Jesus freed him and restored his right mind. Gadarene/Gergesenes was on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and Jesus is recorded as having "crossed over" to get to that side. We see recorded in the Gospels that Jesus travelled and ministered in the Decapolis (Mk. 5:20, Mt. 4:25), which is a large territory of ten cities. Some of the cities of the Decapolis were on the eastern side of the Jordan River according to maps of the region. The title of this Sabbath's reading is Mattot in Hebrew, meaning "tribes". The singular is matte, meaning "tribe, staff, rod, branch (of a vine), company led by a chief with a staff, branch as extending, rod- whether for chastening, ruling (sceptre), throwing (lance) or walking (as support of life)". The Hebrew word for tribe seems to be more about the rod and staff, and who leads, corrects, guides and supports the walk with that rod and staff, and only then, includes the company that follows after that rod and staff. The believers in Christ follow Him as He leads us with His rod and His staff (Ps. 23, Rev. 2:26-27, Rev. 19:11-16) . According to the Hebrew meaning of the word, we can say that we are of the matte, or tribe of Christ. The believers in Christ unfortunately appear to have many divisions among them of geography, culture, customs, traditions, denominations, even doctrines. Although we may look at each other suspiciously, and sometimes even look to make war with each other, if we are following Christ and His rod and staff, we are united with each other as His tribe. Regardless of those things that divide us, what will continue to unite us is our common faith in the Lord, Who died for our sin, and raised us from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of our Father in heaven. Paul described the believers in Christ as individual members, but joined and working together in one Body - the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-20, Eph. 4:15-16). This is our unity, and our common identity in our faith, and in our tribe. If you would like to know more about being part of the tribe of Jesus Christ, you can pray with me: "Lord Jesus, Your rod and staff guide me, correct me, support my walk, and comfort me. They identify me as being part of Your tribe. Your Words of Truth guide Your tribe, and not the words or ideas of men. By the presence of Your Holy Spirit, keep me under Your direction, and lead me into the unity of the faith of the Son of God. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."