Unity Restored

I really feel the strong unction of the Spirit to send out this word this morning. Our Torah portion yesterday was a good lesson from God in the importance and urgency of UNITY in all 12 tribes of Israel. This lesson in Numbers chapter 32 recounts the time just immediately prior to the tribes crossing the Jordan River and finally - after their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness - entering into the Promised Land. But the tribes of Reuben and Gad look around at the land just east of the Jordan and decide it looks like pretty good cattle-grazing land, so they go to Moses and tell him "If we have found favor in your eyes let this land be given to us as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan." I can only imagine Moses' sense of outrage and alarm. After all these years of hardship and sacrifice in the wilderness, they have finally come to their promised inheritance - and Reuben and Gad want to stop short of even entering the land, separate from their brothers, and settle down east of the Jordan! Moses' heart must have been broken over this, as he already knew that God was not going to allow him to enter the Promised Land with the people he had been leading for 40 years! He knew he was to experience death before they went in, and I feel certain he must have wanted to know that all 12 tribes would cross the Jordan in unity and receive their long-sought inheritance in the Land of milk and honey!

All througout the long journey Moses had done everything possible to preserve unity in the children of Israel, knowing that the devil always gains a foothold by sowing division among them. In Numbers 32:6-7 he challenges the Reubenites and Gadites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the Land the LORD has given them?"

In the end a concession is made wherein these two tribes must agree to accompany their brothers across the Jordan and fight with them to conquer the land until all the tribes have been settled in their inherited territories. They do make this promise: "We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan" (Numbers 32:19). Did they speak prophetically, I wonder? We could look at modern-day Israel and clearly see that the land east of the Jordan no longer belongs to Israel, but rather is controlled by the enemies of Israel.

Our words carry power and often can determine our future. Moses was quick to avert disunity among the tribes by admonishing them to go over the river and fight together as one big family. I believe this lesson reminds us today that we must not hold onto offenses and anger against one another, but rather confront it immediately so that repentance and forgiveness can follow and unity can be restored.

Are you harboring anger against someone who has offended you in the past? Are you holding onto bitterness you have refused to deal with? Is there a wedge in your marriage or family because something has not been confronted and forgiven? Ephesians 4:26 says, "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold."

More today than ever the body of Messiah needs to take these words to heart. In the coming days we are going to need unity with one another more than we can even begin to imagine. We are going to need to fight against the devil as one strong, unified army - and this unity has to begin within our very homes. Let us not stop "short of crossing the Jordan together" - but rather desire the Promise of our inheritance enough to cross over with our fellow tribes and conquer the enemy!