Crossing Over

Every year for the last 23 years I have read through the One Year Bible. Thus, by this time of the year I am usually in Deuteronomy rereading about the Exodus, the wandering in the wilderness and then come to what should be the climax of the Israelites’ story. We stand at the point where Joshua is about to usher the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. At this point, we hear an incredible crescendo of music in the imaginary movie, the camera pans backward to take in the mass of humanity about to cross the Jordan. Imagine the scene as the twelve tribes of Israel swarm to the banks, readying themselves, their children, their flocks to cross the Jordan. But wait! There are not twelve tribes, there are only ten. Where are the Reubenites and Gadites? Cut the scene, someone go find the Reubenites and Gadites.

This year, as I reread this part of the history of God, the Lord has been stirring my mind with the phrase “crossing over.” I read how desperately Moses wanted to cross over the Jordan (DT 32:51 & 52). In fact, God finally tells him “enough.” I could imagine how eager Joshua might have been to take the people of God across the Jordan…after all, he was one of the two spies forty years earlier that had delivered the good report and encouraged the Israelites to go in and take the land God had promised them. He and Caleb alone were left of that entire generation. All the other people that Joshua was now about to lead across the Jordan were younger than he, the children of his peers, for none other of that generation survived the desert wanderings because of their unbelief. After almost forty years of wandering, hearing about the promised land of their forefathers Abraham, Jacob and Isaac, this generation was probably chomping at the bit to get into the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey. They had heard about it all their lives. They were ready. At least one would think so.

In Numbers 32 we read an interesting little piece of history. There were two tribes who did not want to cross the Jordan: the Reubenites and the Gadites. Instead they went to Moses. 1 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 3 "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon- 4 the land the LORD subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."

After hearing about the Promised Land for forty years, after following Moses all through the desert and hearing about it, these two tribes begged Moses “do not make us cross the Jordan.” They could actually see the other side of the Jordan. They were within eye sight of the promised land; and yet they begged to be released. What is up with that?

What would make God’s people be willing to give up the promised land? Well, as I read this passage, I can think of two things. First, consider that the land called the Transjordan was “suitable for livestock.” The Reubenites and the Gadites were shepherds as were most of the Israelites. Remember that is what they told Pharaoh in the days of Joseph. “When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, “What is your occupation? You should answer, “We have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen for all shepherds are detestable to Egyptians.” (Gen 46:33, 34) All of the Israelites were shepherds. So, the occupation of the Reubenites and the Gadites probably wasn’t any different than that of the other tribes. In other words, it isn’t as if the Reubenites were shepherds and the other tribes were farmers, so their needs were different. Did they think God was going to give them land which wouldn’t be suitable?

Second, perhaps the Reubenites and Gadites were just weary. They had spent forty years in the desert. Forty years wandering around in the desert, and not just once; sometimes they went around the same mountain several times. Do you think the Reubenites and Gadites were perhaps just weary from the journey and were willing to settle for what was suitable? I don’t know about you, but if I were looking for a house to buy, “suitable” would not be the word that would describe my dream house. Suitable is…well, suitable. It will do. But it doesn’t come close to my dream, my promise. Suitable sounds so bland, so adequate, but it doesn’t sound like the promised land.

Maybe the Reubenites and the Gadites were willing to settle for what was suitable, maybe they were tired. In either case, the Reubenites and Gadites begged Moses: please don’t make us cross the Jordan. That’s like someone offering you a fine wine to drink and you would rather drink dishwater; or someone offers you your favorite meal after forty years of not having it, and you’d rather have saltines. Beloved, the Lord offered them the promised land. He wasn’t going to make them cross the Jordan.

6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the LORD has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the LORD had given them. 10 The LORD's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 11 'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob- 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.' 13 The LORD's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.

14 "And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the LORD even more angry with Israel. 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."
16 Then they came up to him and said, "We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17 But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."

20 Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, 21 and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out before him- 22 then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free from your obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the LORD.

23 "But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised." 25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "We your servants will do as our lord commands. 26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants, every man armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the LORD, just as our lord says." …

31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what the LORD has said. 32 We will cross over before the LORD into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan."

Beloved, consider this, not only were the two tribes willing to settle in the Transjordan, and not take their God given inheritance; they were prepared to help the other tribes conquer and possess their inheritance on the other side of the Jordan.

What, you ask, does this have to do with you? Do we believe that we each have a promised land, an inheritance on the other side of some river? Do we believe that God has destined each one of us for a particular destination: if we believe the devil the place has giants that are way bigger than we are, way meaner and their very looking at us will cause us to wither and if we believe the Lord, that destination is incredible and it’s beautiful and is flowing with milk and honey. Every step we take to the Jordan is ours once we step on it. “I will give you every step where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” Josh 1:3 But the Promised Land is on the other side of the Jordan. Conquered land is not necessarily promised land. Conquered land leads us, step by step, to the Promised Land. The promised land is the destiny. It was the destiny of the people of God. This was what they had waited for.

And, instead, of crossing over the Jordan and taking what God had promised them, the Reubenites and the Gadites chose what was suitable. Don’t settle for less than what God wants to give you. Don’t settle for what is suitable, especially not when the promised land is so close, across the river, within spitting distance (as they say). Beloved, consider, are you weary and settling for what is suitable? Are you just too tired to walk another five steps? This is a critical time for the people of God, as a people and as individuals. We cannot settle for the Transjordan; even though it looks nice and is suitable. We must press on. We must strive in the Spirit to cross the Jordan. We must be strong and courageous and cross over.

I don’t know what your Jordan River looks like. But I know this: as a child of God, you have a destiny and you have an inheritance on the other side of the Jordan. The inheritance has already been surveyed by God, with exact metes and bounds, and it has your name on it. Do not give up. I wanted to quote Winston Churchill’s famous 1941 speech of “never give up, never give up, never give up.” Imagine my chagrin to discover that Churchill never said that. What he actually said was far better and far more apropos: "Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.'' So, in such manner shall the people of God cross the Jordan, forsaking what is suitable, overcoming great weariness, and so, shall the people of God take their inheritance, the Promised Land.