In Numbers 32, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, approached Moses, Eleazer the priest, and other leaders, asking for the lands of Jazer and Gilead (east of the Jordan River), because they saw that the lands were ideally suited for their flocks and herds. They chose to remove themselves from the promises God had given for the land they thought was best fit for their purposes. Moses granted them the land, as long as they helped the rest of the Israelites conquer the enemies in the Promised Land.
In Joshua 22, Joshua tells the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh that their job was complete, and they were now able to settle in their land east of the Jordan. However, before they went home, they built an altar at Geliloth (just west of the Jordan River), causing anger to arise in the rest of the Israelites.
"How could you turn away from the Lord and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against Him?" (Joshua 22:16).
The people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied, "The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, 'What right do you have to worship the Lord, the God of Israel?'" (Joshua 22:24).
They built it as a memorial, a reminder to themselves and to the rest of the Israelites that they share in God's promises. However, although they wanted to be a part of God's promises, they were not committed to Him. In Numbers 32, they had seen the land east of the Jordan, and they thought it was good, despite God's promises of a land filled with milk and honey. Instead of stepping into the promises of God, they chose to follow their own desires. They wanted a relationship with God, but they were unwilling to give up what they saw and what they had.
Later on, in Matthew, he describes the cost of following Jesus. Jesus had called His disciples, yet one of his disciples said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father," (Matthew 8:21).
Jesus replied, "Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead," (Matthew 8:22).
Just like the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, just like the disciple in Matthew 8, unless we are willing to submit to God and His will, we cannot take part in His promises, no matter how much we want to. We cannot follow Jesus while seeking to live our own life. We cannot walk one way and hope to be a part of God's promises when He is going another. The life of a believer is one in continual submission to the Lord. Sure, we'll never be perfect or good enough, but it should be a desire of our heart and enacted in our lives.
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