Numbers 32:6-15 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brothers go to war, and shall you sit here?… 1. He shows them what he apprehended to be evil in this motion; that it would discourage the heart of their brethren (vers. 6, 7). What, saith he, with a holy indignation at their selfishness, "shall your brethren go to war, and expose themselves to all the hardships of the field, and shall ye sit here at your ease? No, do not mistake yourselves; you shall never be indulged by me in this sloth and cowardice." It ill becomes any of God's Israel to sit down unconcerned in the difficult concernments of their brethren, whether public or personal. 2. He minds them of the fatal consequences of the unbelief and faint-heartedness of their fathers when they were, as these here, just ready to enter Canaan. He recites the story very particularly (vers. 8-13). "Thus did your fathers," whose punishment should be a warning to you to take heed of sinning after the similitude of their transgression. 3. He gives them fair warning of the mischief that would be likely to follow upon this separation they were about to make from the camp of Israel; they would be in danger of bringing wrath upon the whole congregation, and hurrying them all back again into the wilderness (vers. 14, 15). "Ye are risen up in your father's stead" to despise the pleasant land, and reject it as they did, when we hoped you were risen up in their stead to possess it. It was an encouragement to Moses to see what an increase of men they were, but a discouragement to see that they were withal an increase of sinful men, treading in the steps of their fathers' impiety. It is sad to see the rising generations in families and countries seldom better, and often worse, than that which went before it. And what comes of it? why, it augments the fierce anger of the Lord; not only continues that fire, but increaseth it, and fills the measure often, till it overflow in a deluge of desolation. Note, if men did consider as they ought what would be in the end of sin, they would be afraid of the beginnings of it. ( Matthew Henry, D. D..) Parallel Verses KJV: And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? |
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