Remember Your Commitment

"To the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 'Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, "The Lord your God gives you rest and will give you this land." Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.' They answered Joshua, saying, 'All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses.'" -Joshua 1.12-17

The time has come, and Joshua is preparing the people to cross the Jordan. As he does he calls the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh to remember the commitment they made to Moses. They have been given their share of the inheritance on the east side of the Jordan, under the condition that they not settle until they have helped the other tribes claim their inheritance.

Moses is gone, and the new leader is not who they made their commitment to. They could easily have decided to stay put on the east side and begin settling. But that isn't what we see. They tell Joshua that they will do what he commands and go wherever he sends them. They tell him that he will be obeyed just as Moses was, and ask that God will be with Joshua as He was with Moses.

When a leadership change happens it can be easy to go back on a commitment that has been made. The new leadership wasn't there when the commitment was made, but for the man of God, the commitment is not made to men. With these three tribes, God allowed them to settle east of the Jordan with the promise to help take the land. Their commitment was made to God, and that commitment must be kept.

Men, do you honor the commitments that you have made? When the time comes to honor your commitment what do you do? Are you a man of honor whose word is good? Or do you simply say what needs to be said in the moment to advance yourself?

Let us be men who not only remember our commitments, but follow through on them. Let our word be good and trustworthy. Let us be men who can be counted on.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor