When we see the sons (and daughters) of Israel crossing the flooded river Jordan into the land of God’s promise, we see two things out front. The first we looked at last time - the Ark. God’s promise facilitated by a piece of wood. But there is something else at the front of God’s people. SomeONE else. Someone’s, to be exact. 40,000 of them. These are men armed for battle from the tribes of Reuben, and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. Let’s rewind:
How many people are we talking about in total? Ex 12:37 Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. Coming out of Egypt, Moses numbers the people in Numbers: 2:32 These are the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households; the total of the numbered men of the camps by their armies, 603,550. If you add women and children and grandparents, we’re looking at way over 2 million people.
Coming out of the wilderness 40yrs later, God again tells Moses to number the people:
Num. 26:3-4,51 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Take a census of the people from twenty years old and upward, as the LORD has commanded Moses.” These are those who were numbered of the sons of Israel, 601,730.
Some who unbelieve insist there is no way on earth that that many people survived for 40 years in the wilderness of [Sinai]. It’s “highly unlikely”. The numbers got garbled in translation somehow, maybe the word for thousand can mean something else. Like “clan”. 600 clans. And then maybe you could get the actual number down to something more manageable, like say 30,000. Which might put the total population of the nation at around 100,000. I do agree, it IS highly unlikely that ANY large group of people could survive in the wilderness for 40yrs, whether it’s 2+ million, or “just” 100k.
Now there IS separate confirmation of this numbering in Exodus:
Exodus 30:11-13 The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD…Everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary…as a contribution to the LORD.” Exodus 38:25-26 The silver of those who were numbered was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; a beka a head (that is, half a shekel), for each one who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.
[1 talent = 3000 shekels —> 301775 shekels = 603550 half-shekels]
But Israel didn’t just survive in the wilderness. This is simply an unbelievably large group of people, living in the land of nothing, for 40yrs, living large on the miraculous provision from the generous hand of almighty God. Daily bread. AND water. AND protection. Deut. 29:5 “I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot.” Guess what - God traffics in the unlikely. The God of the unbelievable. The promise of God.
Now, when they got to those [plains of Moab], back on the other side of the Jordan, before the wondrous miraculous crossing of the flooded Jordan river, Moses had a mutiny. Sort of. NOT surprising, considering all the other issues he dealt with from these sons of Israel. Read about it in Num 32.1-7, 16-19, 20-22. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh insist on staying in the plains of Moab, aka Gilead (technically refusing to enter into God's promise). And coming out of that, Moses makes ReubenGadMan promise, IF ALL of your armed men cross over - AND stay until the entirety of the promised land is subdued - then this land of Gilead will be yours. And promise they do [25-26]. It might be safe to ask whether or not this is a pinky promise? :)
But so as we come to Joshua 4 and the crossing of the Jordan, we see the armed men of ReubenGadMan marching before everyone else. Just as they promised! They’ve received their inheritance. Their families are enjoying at least a sembelance of the blessings of God, living large back on the other side of the Jordan, in Gilead, but here they are, helping others enter into the promises that God has for them. Well, sort of.
But isn’t that how it’s supposed to play out? God’s blessings, His promises are never meant to be hoarded. Blessed to be a blessing [Gen 12.2-3]. We pass them around. We share. Open hands. Lives that are generous. Overflowing. Not because of how much extra we may (not) have - but because that’s what God is like. We don’t need to fight over the last piece of pizza. Living in the land of God’s promise means we will always have all that we need for this day. AND the next. We can relax/live large in that, no need to doubt, because God’s promises are always yes and amen. He will always fully supply our every need. AND our full supply becomes God’s provision for someone else’s need. 2Cor. 9:6-11 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food WILL supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you WILL be enriched in everything for all liberality… Living large. The generosity of God is intended to flow out of His people. [Luke 6.38] [Lev 23.22]. We don’t reap to the edges of our fields - so that others can be blessed with the blessings that God blesses us. Open handed. With “our” stuff. Here, have some. With our time. Here - let me help. Have some more. Ours is not meant to be a scarcity mentality - because that’s not Who our God is. And He’s moving His people OUT of the wilderness. Living in God’s land of all these promises. We are blessed to be living large - and generous!
And the Israelites are living large- sort of. To put things in perspective, the mighty fortress of [Jericho], the formidable first obstacle Israel faces in the land of Canaan, is estimated to have had roughly 1500-2000 people. And Israel’s army is 600k. [Imagine a turn in the game of Risk where like 100 army pieces are facing just one army piece - that battle should be over as soon as it starts, right?] I like Israel's chances, even just from a human perspective. But something’s off. Observe: Reuben Gad Man(asseh) Total men
Num 2 46500 45650 32200 124350
Num 26 43730 40500 52700 136930
Back in 4.13: how many armed men from ReubenGadMan crossed over? 40k. 40k out of 136k. That’s less than a third. How did Moses put it? ALL your armed men. What’s happening? God has blessed them, and multiplied them - and, how would YOU describe them? It looks like they've held back two-thirds of their fighting men! Which brings us to... [The classic Blessing Blunders]
-We [Stinge] - we do share, but there’s a massive [restrictor plate]; we only share a trickle
-We [Hoard] - we stockpile, just take care of me-and-mine
-We [Flesh][looking at the tip iceberg thru wrong end telescope] - we budget/rely on our resources/strength (as opposed to focusing on God’s unlimited resources)
-We [Ingrate] - we take for granted/complain; ingratitude. [1Cor 4.7]
We grow up and get so used to living in a land of brokenness. Broken promises. Weaknesses. Shortages. Surrounded by various scarcity. Selfishness. But God’s faithfulness is greater than all our brokenness and weakness. His generosity overflows even in the most barren wilderness. Living large is freely extending to others what God has given to us. All these promises [like throughout Deut]. All these blessings. From this God Who we cannot outgive. [Mal 3.10] “Test Me…”, He says. We are called and blessed to surrender, give (back) to God all that we are/possess - it’s all from Him - and we trust Him, that His bountiful blessing is more than enough. And we open our hands…Deut. 15:8,11 But you will freely open your hand to him, and will generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You will freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’” Deut. 28:12 “The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand…” Let's trust God's promises, and live large!
Other verses associated with this idea of living large:
Gen. 12:2-3 And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
Lev. 23:22 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.’”
1Cor. 4:7 What do you have that you did not receive?
Mal. 3:10 “…test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.
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