PP0654
BUILDING YOUR HOME ON THE WRONG
SIDE OF THE RIVER!
Numbers 32:1-4.
Nu 32:1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: (KJV)
INTRODUCTION: Where was God’s established land for all of Israel? The Land of Canaan.
The Jordan River established the entry point into the Promised Land – God had told them to go all the way into Canaan. This is such a parallel for many Christians of today.
I. THEY ALLOWED THEIR CATTLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THEY WOULD LIVE. Vs. 1
Nu 32:1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; (KJV)
The blessing God gave them caused them to stop following God. I have seen that happen so many times. God will bless a family, and then that family turn away from following God. They may still come to church, they may still tithe, but their heart is not in the matter. They grow cold and indifferent to the things of God. They keep themselves involved just enough to keep their social appearance in the church. They don’t want anyone to know their spiritual condition. When you let cattle or financial persuasions make your decision for you, you will make a great mistake.
Don’t let the grassy land determine God’s will for you. That job transfer may look like the only logical thing to do, but is it God’s will? Don’t let salary be the deciding factor. Too much of the time Christians allow the surroundings in life determine what they do in serving God. Every Christian should keep fresh in mind that all of our supply is to come from God.
These 2½ tribes must have been noticing for several days the grass and how attractive it was. The other 9½ tribes must have seen the same thing but it didn’t attract them as much. That would indicate that something was wrong with the thinking of the 2½ tribes. Their priority was their cattle. When one’s mind, heart, and life is carnal they will react carnally. Their decisions will be carnal. Carnal influence will weaken or even defeat the spiritual person. Don’t surround yourself with carnal people.
I have seen it happen so many times – the husband gets promoted and makes more money – so the family buys a couple of four-wheelers and now every weekend they are out four wheeling and not in church. Or they start traveling and sight seeing more. Too many use that extra money for personal – pleasure and not doing more for God.
Their unbelieving spirit told them that God could not provide grass on both sides of the river. Therefore this must be the place they should build their homes and settle down and raise their families. To make this decision they had to ignore all that Moses had instructed them.
That same kind of thinking is so prevalent today among so many Christians. God has brought them to a certain point in life, but all of a sudden they decide He can’t take them any further without their input and contribution. We seem to think that we have to help God out in making His decisions.
We need to just keep our hands off from what God does and let Him do it by Himself. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what will happen day by day. He knows what your need for tomorrow will be. He already has it planned out and on the way to you, if you will allow Him to do so.
Don’t let your cattle, or your profession dictate to you where you will live. Determine first whether God wants you where you are, and after that is settled then decide what your profession will be. Does God want us to live here – then I will find a job here.
To these 2 ½ tribes the grass wasn’t as green on the other side as it was on their side. They did not see how God could possibly make grass grow on the other side as green as it was on this side. That was their downfall. I wonder, are there Christians with that same thinking here in this building today – don’t let your source or amount of income determine where you will live. Let God place you where He wants you.
II. THE OBVIOUS IS NOT ALWAYS GOD’S WILL. Vs. 4.
Nu 32:4 Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: (KJV)
I can just hear Moses speaking to the leaders of each of these tribes, “Fellows, don’t build your homes there – that’s the wrong side of the river – go on over into the land promised. You are stopping too soon. The land of Canaan is just ahead.”
Hear them as they address the matter with Moses:
“Listen, Moses, can’t you see this is cattle land, and we have cattle? It must be the will of God for us to build our homes here, there is grass enough for our cattle. It is obvious that God wants us here. Why else all this grass?” Oh! What a mistake they were making. It was not God’s will for them to stop before going all the way to victory. The same is true with you also. God has not set up a place for you short of His determined will for you. He doesn’t give you a multiple choice – good – better – best. You may think you have found something that will be better than God can provide, if so, you are making a mistake.
I have probably talked to 50 families over my years, who came and said God had something better for them in Dallas, Denver, Delaware, or Denmark – or maybe it was Memphis, Minneapolis, Montgomery, or Mongolia – It may have been St. Louis, Syracuse, Seattle, South Dakota. I don’t remember now for sure where it was. I always asked them how they knew and they always said that the circumstances were obvious. “Things were hard here, The neighbors weren’t very friendly. The salary wasn’t sufficient.” There was a good job waiting at a certain destination, therefore it is obvious that God wanted them to move. I have asked them about what church they would attend there, and it is always the same – we will find one when we get there. Their church life wasn’t important. Where will the children go to school? What about the gang situation in that area? Will your kids be safe? But, it is just too good to pass up. Wait until you see what happened to these 2½ tribes and then let’s see if it was too good to pass up. Did you know that most of those families never moved their membership to the new location. That tells me that they didn’t find that church that they had intended to. Which says that they shouldn’t have gone. Never leave a church for a better job – unless you know a good church is available at the new location. You would be better to give up a double salary increase and keep your family in a good church than vice versa. A lot of younger couples would like to move back home where mom and dad are – that would be nice, but is it on the wrong side of the river.
The obvious is not always God’s will. As a matter of fact, it may just be the opposite. The least obvious may be His will. That way it takes more faith to make it work. If you follow the obvious you may come up short of what God has planned for you.
Let’s look at a couple of examples in the Bible.
Elimelech and Naomi. They lived in Bethlehem-judah and there was a famine there so Elimelech moved the family to Moab. It seemed obvious that they should leave Bethlehem-judah. They didn’t know that God had placed a curse on Moab. Moab was the son of Lot by incest relations. De 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever: (KJV). It wasn’t long until Elimelech and his two sons had died. There was the rest of the family in a strange land, out of the will of God. Naomi returned home with the smell of Moab on her. The obvious was not so enticing now.
Abraham and Lot. They parted their ways and Lot looked and saw the well watered plains of Jordan. He settled there and raised his family in the bright lights of Sodom and Gomorrah and he never could get them out of the Sin Cities. They died there.
You had better look at the obvious real good before you start moving toward it. That may not be the place God wants you to be. It was obvious to these 2½ tribes that the grassy land was the perfect will of God for them, but it wasn’t. Sometimes the wife will put pressure on the husband to increase their income so they can increase their life style and the only way he knows how is to take on a different job with more hours working, or a second job which affects his home life, and in a year or two the family is dysfunctional, and much of the time it will split.
Elijah was sent to the widow woman’s house to find food. When he got there it was obvious that she had nothing. She didn’t even have enough for herself and her children. But the obvious wasn’t the issue. There was enough there for God to work with and God provided for Elijah, and the widow woman and her sons.
The Children of Israel came to the edge of the Red Sea and it was obvious there was no feasible way to cross, so it must God’s will for them to turn back to Pharaoh and the security of Egypt. The obvious was not God’s will. Don’t let the obvious determine God’s will for you.
III. THEIR DECISION NOT TO GO OVER WOULD INFLUENCE OTHERS ALSO. Vs. 7.
Nu 32:7 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? (KJV)
There will always be someone that will follow you even if you are wrong. Dad your children will follow what decision you make. If you choose wrongly then your children will be greatly affected. If you move to Moab, they will marry Moabites. If you live in the bright lights of Sodom they will accept the lifestyle of the Sodomites. When you choose the grassy land over the place God has chosen for you – you will take people with you and it may be disastrous for them. Elimelech’s son’s died in Moab – could that be the result of a bad decision made my Elimelech?
These 2½ tribes had an obligation to the rest of the Israelites. The plan of God for all of Israel had not yet been completed and God expected them to be part of the whole nation of Israel.
Here’s the principle – When you decide to slack off in doing God’s will – so will someone else. In Elimelech’s case it left his wife a widow and childless.
Usually those people you take with you will be your family. I have heard it so many times, “Pastor, we feel (bad word – don’t operate on feelings) that God wants us to change churches”.
“Why?” Before you do have chapter and verse for your authority.
Don’t take yourself out of what God has planned for you. When you do so, you will take people with you and then you will have to give an account for them also.
IV. THEIR FAMILY’S WERE RAISED ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER. Vs. 26.
Nu 32:26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead: (KJV)
Gilead was on the wrong side of Jordan. They were not supposed to set up homestead there.
This was a compromise. God had never intended for them to settle apart from the Promised Land. The men of these tribes made the decision that they knew better than God about where to settle down and raise their families.
I have seen nearly 71 years. During these 71 years I have seen two totally different cultures. One that gave place to God and His righteousness and the other where God has been totally removed. Many of you in this room have grown up under the latter culture. That’s why it is so important that you don’t settle down on the wrong side of the river.
The plan of God is for you to continue on your walk with God until you have entered into and conquered the promised land. To choose otherwise is to severely harm maybe even destroy your family. May this message today be a warning to some of you.
To we older ones. Let us not go back over Jordan to the area of grassy land. The latter years may seem that we should go back to a place where it may be easier to live. That may be the wrong decision to make. Let’s keep our wheel-chairs and our walkers pointed in the direction of Canaan, because others are watching us and some will follow us. Let’s keep our eyes on the promised land.
V. THEY WERE THE FIRST ONES TO BE CAPTURED WHEN THE ENEMY CAME. 1 Chron. 5:26.
1Ch 5:26 And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day. (KJV)
This was about 152 years later – every person who had been involved in staying in Gilead was dead by this time – but their children and grandchildren paid the price.
Their position was vulnerable to the enemy. What a shame when parents allow their homes to be vulnerable to the devil. 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (KJV) He will start on the east side of the river first. If your home is there, you will be in the direct line of fire. That East side of the river is the place where God is not as important. The social life demands that God not require as much of the time as does the Promised Land. It is much easier to grow cold and back slide when you are not in the place God wants you to be.
When you begin to allow TV to control your evenings and the companionship of the family is ignored you are leaving yourself vulnerable to the devil. He will seize every opportunity to strike a death blow to the family.
Every family that breaks up – every person that turns away from God – always starts with a compromise in their spiritual life – the Bible was ignored – righteous living was ignored – following God was ignored. One day the 2 ½ tribes looked and the armies of Assyria had gathered and it was too late to repent and go on over the Canaan. Canaan was too far away now. They would never get there.
If you set your interest on the wrong side of the river – you will eventually pay a great price.
BETH HAVEN BAPTIST CHURCH
PO BOX 891523
OKC OK 73189-1523
405-691-8701
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