And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
Numbers 32:37 belongs to the settlement of the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan, when Reuben with the others asked to remain there instead of crossing over to possess the promised land, and Reuben built homes at Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim. To those tribes who proposed to stay on the east side was directed the solemn admonition that their sin would find them out. The warning was given from fear that they would depart from God and fail in the fulfillment of their solemn vows to stand with their brethren. It was given in the knowledge that such unfaithfulness would bring upon themselves lasting sorrow and final ruin.
The verse therefore means being satisfied with land that is good enough and refusing to join the united forward march. Applied today, it means sitting still while brethren go to the warfare, refusing calls for volunteers to go into new fields. Those new fields are the work of canvassing, of Bible teaching, of teaching children, and of health work. To refuse them discourages the hearts of the brethren and forces God to wait for His people as a body.
That course may keep the world in the wilderness many more years, delay His coming, and destroy all this people.
Numbers 32:37 belongs to the settlement of the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan, when Reuben with the others asked to remain there instead of crossing over to possess the promised land, and Reuben built homes at Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim. To those tribes who proposed to stay on the east side was directed the solemn admonition that their sin would find them out. The warning was given from fear that they would depart from God and fail in the fulfillment of their solemn vows to stand with their brethren. It was given in the knowledge that such unfaithfulness would bring upon themselves lasting sorrow and final ruin.
The verse therefore means being satisfied with land that is good enough and refusing to join the united forward march. Applied today, it means sitting still while brethren go to the warfare, refusing calls for volunteers to go into new fields. Those new fields are the work of canvassing, of Bible teaching, of teaching children, and of health work. To refuse them discourages the hearts of the brethren and forces God to wait for His people as a body.
That course may keep the world in the wilderness many more years, delay His coming, and destroy all this people.