We so easily forget
1 Chronicles 5:18-26 v 20 ‘They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated.’
This passage is about the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. The people who settled for less. Numbers 32:1-5
If we go back to Num 32:1-7 we can read the story of how and why they settled for less. In Numbers 32:5-7 we read,’If we have found favor with you, please let us have this land as our property instead of giving us land across the Jordan River.”Do you intend to stay here while your brothers go across and do all the fighting?” Moses asked the men of Gad and Reuben. Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the Lord has given them?’
These people were satisfied with their current situation, saying we have come as far as we are prepared to go. ‘This land is good, let’s stay here’ . I am sure we don’t want to settle for something that is less than God’s best for us, even if where we are, at the present time, provides and fulfills exactly what we need for the now, do we?
Interestingly Moses gives them their request on the proviso that they are good to their word of accompanying their brothers to claim their inheritance in the promised land.
Moses also says in Numbers 32:23 ‘if you do not do as you say then be sure your Sin will find you out’ .
If we move forward in our Bible to 1 Chronicles 5:18-26 we find that those same people appear to have kept their word and helped their fellow Israelites to claim their inheritance. God listened to their request and in 1 Chronicles 5:20 says ‘They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated.’ But see how easily they forgot and started to worship other gods, the gods of the inhabitants of the land that God Himself had given them as an inheritance, a land that they were supposed to possess. How often do we do that? ask God for help then get compromised and seduced by godless people around us. We get compromised instead of standing firm on the promises of such a great God. To be a Christian, a person who believes and trusts in a living God, a God of promise and direction, requires us to be different and we are given every opportunity to demonstrate that in word and action, in our manner of life. These Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manassah were given a chance and yet gave it away and ended up in captivity 1 Chronicles 5:26 ‘Be sure your sin will find you out’ .
Sin, at its root, is disobedience. We need to be constantly on our guard lest we fall foul to the same fate. We need to commit ourselves to God and His word and make sure our actions do not discourage others from pursuing their inheritance in God.
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