"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
This chapter talks about the families of the 2.5 tribes of Israel who stayed in the east of Jordan after Israel’s conquest of Canaan. In Numbers 32, the children of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh requested for the land before they crossed the Jordan to battle. Even though Moses initially tried to discourage them of this, they assured Moses that every man in their tribes would be armed for war before the Lord, while their little ones, wives, flocks and livestock would stay on in the cities of Gilead. In that situation, they fulfilled their promise to God and continued to battle together with the other Israelites to conquer the promised land as God had commanded.
The divide between the 2.5 tribes and the rest of Israel would have been fine – it is just like how families of the same faith may choose to live in different countries or parts of the same city. We also see how the families of the 2.5 tribes relied on God to overcome their difficulties. In verse 20, they cried out to God in battle against the Hagrites. God heard and heeded their prayer because they turned to Him and placed their trust in Him for victory. This experience also sounds like something most of us would do when we are faced with life challenges.
Unfortunately, the chapter ends with a description of the captivity and destruction of the 2.5 tribes. The reason this happened was their unfaithfulness towards God and the harlotry they committed with the gods of the peoples of the land. No matter how faithful they were in the earlier days in various situations and challenges, they eventually made the wrong choice of turning away from God at the end of their lives, a choice with lasting consequences.
This chapter may serve as a warning to all believers. A strong faith at a particular moment or period of our lives may not mean a guaranteed destination of eternal life, because of the weaknesses of us humans who may sin against God. It could start off with us slowly drawing away from God because we are attracted to the world, being lazy to do our daily bible reading and prayer, or occasionally skipping Sabbath services because our friends convinced us to go for “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences such as concerts or overseas weekend trips. Over time, these can slowly cause us to play the harlot after the things, experiences and people of the world, allowing us to be in the situation of having to choose which one out of the 2 masters we wish to serve.
How then do we ensure that we can walk this heavenly road till the end? Just as Matthew 26:41 states, we ought to “Watch and pray, lest we fall into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We can only walk this narrow path when we have God by our side to guide and strengthen us. We have also been blessed by the downpouring of the Holy Spirit and can rely on Him to make intercessions for us according to the will of God.
Let us learn from the mistakes of the 2.5 tribes and choose the right decision to remain faithful to our heavenly Father, so that we can maintain this royal status of being the child of God till the end of our lives.
Reflection questions:
Can you think of some things or people that draw us away from God now? How can we overcome and be victorious over these temptations?
What can we learn about God’s mercy and righteousness through the example of the 2.5 tribes in this chapter?
