“I commanded you at that time: ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites. However, your wives, your children and your livestock (I know you have much livestock) may stay in the towns I have given you, until the Lord gives rest to your fellow Israelites as he has to you, and they too have taken over the land that the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan. After that, each of you may go back to the possession I have given you.'”-Deuteronomy 3:18-20
Moses reminds the people there was a caveat to allowing Reuben, Gad and the two clans of Manasseh (the clans of JAIR and MAKHIR) to live outside the Promised Land in the conquered territories of the Trans-Jordan.
And that caveat was that they were to send all of their “able-bodied” men with the other Israelite tribes to help take over the land of Canaan.
Although the women, children, and livestock could stay behind, the army from the 2 1/2 tribes was NOT allowed to return until the job of conquering Canaan was done.
So how did the 2 1/2 tribes do?
Did they keep their word?
Well, take a look at Joshua’s testimony as recorded in the book named after him.
“Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh and said to them, ‘You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.‘”-Joshua 22:1-4
GOOD JOB REUBEN, GAD AND 1/2 OF MANASSEH!!!
According to the record, these 2 1/2 tribes fully kept their of end of the bargain and as a result Joshua released them to go back to their homes on the east side of the Jordan River (the “Transjordan“).
There’s a really important takeaway here I don’t want you to overlook.
The lesson to be learned here is this.
Regardless of a physical separation, ALL OF ISRAEL ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND ARE TO ACT AS ONE GROUP OR CONGREGATION!
And if you consider yourself born again through your faith in the Jewish Messiah, do you understand who you have been grafted into?
In God’s eyes, do you understand who you are now a part of?
You’ve been grafted into and are now a part of the commonwealth of Israel!
It doesn’t matter whether you’re native-born or come from the planet mars (remember HASHEM created all the other planets besides earth as well), if you have attached yourself to Israel’s Messiah, you are now spiritually joined to Israel.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles
by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves
“the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—
remember that at that time you were separate from Messiah,
excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners
to the covenants of the promise,
without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far away
have been brought near by the blood of Messiah.”
-Ephesians 2:11-13
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