Buyer Regret - When You Make a Wrong Decision. (Numbers 32: 1-42)
Transcript
Decisions, both small and great, are a part of our everyday lives. However, sometimes, we experience what is commonly known as "buyer’s regret"—we make a purchase and then think, "I wish I hadn't done that." I propose we can also call it "decision regret," where we make a choice and then doubt if it was the right one.
So, what constitutes a decision that likely leads to regret, and if you ever experience it, how would you correct it or at least avoid making the same mistake again?
There is a story in the Book of Numbers that revolves around these types of decisions on this occasion made by some of the tribes on their way to the Promised Land. Let's examine this passage of scripture, particularly noting the decisions they made. In toays episode of TBPDP…..
1 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon— 4 the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.” 6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone. 14 “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.” 16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. 17 But we will arm ourselves for battle and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance. 19 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.” 20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him— 22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord. 23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
(Numbers 34: 1-24)
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands. 26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says.” 28 Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. 29 He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession. 30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.” 31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said. 32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.”
33 Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.
(Numbers 34: 26-33)
Chapter 32, begins by saying that, the children of Reuben and of Gad had a huge amount of livestock, and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, they saw that it was a good place to graze livestock.
So they the speake to Moses, Eleazar and all the main leaders. It then goes on to list the names of the places they saw. They explained that the country the Lord had help them defeat was a good land for grazing livestock, and they had livestock.
For a moment to explain the context and geography of what is going on here. Up until this point, the children of Israel had left Egypt, travelled to Sinai, and from there to Kadesh Barnea. At Kadesh Barnea, they decided not to enter the land, which was a crucial decision. Consequently, that generation wandered in the wilderness until they all died, roughly 40 years later. The second generation then moved up to the southern and the east side of the land.
The geography of the Promised Land is significant. In the north, there is the Sea of Galilee. Flowing out of the Sea of Galilee is the Jordan River, which empties into the Dead Sea, marking the southern boundary. The western boundary is created by the Mediterranean Sea.
At this point in the story, the Israelites were on the east side of the Jordan River.
The Importance of Geography.
So, at this point, they are still camped on the east side of the Jordan. They had defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab.
This passage tells us that two tribes, Reuben and Gad, saw that the land on the east side of the Jordan and they approach Moses, etc, and they requested to be given this part of the land.
This request sets up the whole story to come, highlighting the decisions they made and their implications.
Let's fill in some details. Verse 1 mentions "the children of Reuben and the children of Gad," Reuben is listed first, however, as you read further, Gad children are mentioned first.
This shift suggests that Gad became more prominent among the two tribes. Some scholars believe this is confirmed by the Moabite Stone, found in 850 BC, which refers to Gad as the people who lived in the region "from time immemorial."
Historically, we are around 1400 BC at this point but this stone discover 550 years later supports the idea that Gad was well-established in this area.
Reuben and Gad, along with half of the tribe of Manasseh, wanted to settle on the east side of the Jordan. So they approached Moses, saying, "Llet this land be given to us as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan."
Their first request was for the land itself. The second request was that they should not be required to cross the Jordan River with the rest of the Israelites.
This was problematic because God intended for all the tribes to cross the Jordan and conquer the land together, then divide it among themselves.
So, Reuben and Gad's request is contrary to God's plan and showed a lack of support for the other tribes. Essentially, their request was selfish, thinking only of their immediate benefit.
Moses is not pleased with their request. In verse 6, he says to them, "Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?" He pointed out that the other ten tribes would have to fight to conquer the west side of the Jordan while these two tribes just stayed behind.
Moses continued by asking them why they would want to discuraging the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?" He reminded them of the incident at Kadesh Barnea, where the Israelites were dissuaded from entering the land because of the report from the ten spies. It was this previous discouragement that had led to their wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
Moses’ Warning
Moses warned the tribes of Gad and Reuben that they were repeating the mistake of their fathers. He says, "You have risen in your fathers' place, as another brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel." By turning away from following God, they risked leading the entire nation back into the wilderness, potentially destroying the people.
Reuben and Gad's request to settle on the east side of the Jordan was not just a logistical decision; it was a spiritual and communal misstep. It showed a lack of unity and a failure to trust in God's plan. Moses' response highlights the importance of collective responsibility and faithfulness to God's commands.
Their decision had the potential to discourage the other tribes and repeat the disastrous mistakes of the past.
The highlight for us the critical Iiportance of maintaining unity
Moses emphasizes that the entire nation of Israel needs to enter the Promised Land together to fulfill God's command.
Gad and Reuben understand Moses' grave warning and they propose a compromise: "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones, but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place."
So they promise to help the other tribes conquer the land west of the Jordan before settling on the east side.
This plan meets with Moses’ conditional approval.
Moses agrees to their plan, provided they fulfil their promise. He says, "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves and all your armed men cross the Jordan until He has driven out their enemies and the land is subdued, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the Lord and before Israel."
However, Moses warns them that if they fail to keep their promise, they will have sinned against the Lord, and says "be sure your sin will find you out."
Moses' warning had a profound effect. The tribes of Gad and Reuben, feeling regret and remorseful for their initial request, commit to helping the other tribes. They promise to build cities for their families and sheepfolds for their livestock while they go to war. This shows their repentance and desire to reverse their earlier, selfish decision.
Moses instructs them to fulfil their commitment and build cities and the sheep folds as they had promised. The tribes of Gad and Reuben follow through on their promise, demonstrating their commitment to the collective mission of Israel.
But there is a broader lesson here.
Moses' admonition and the tribes' response highlight a key spiritual principle: The importance of unity and collective responsibility in following God's commands.
When they initially chose personal convenience over communal duty, they risked repeating their forefathers' grave mistakes. However, their willingness to feel remorse and correct their course and honour their commitment ensured that they or the wider nation would not face the
So this episode underscores the necessity of unity, obedience, and the sometimes serious repercussions of selfish decisions within the wider community of God's people
In verse 25, the children of Gad and the children of Reuben assured Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands”.
This commitment is now reiterated several times throughout the passage, demonstrating their earnest agreement. The sequence of events can be summarized as follows:
In verse 28, Moses formalized the agreement by making a public announcement. This public announcement ensured that the agreement was recorded and acknowledged by the entire nation, especially since Joshua would be leading the people after Moses.
Verse 30 highlighted the conditional nature of the agreement in that is if they do not cross over armed, they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan."
The tribes of Gad and Reuben reaffirmed their commitment in the closing verses, stating, "As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. We will cross over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan."
Moses also included the half-tribe of Manasseh in this agreement, granting them land alongside Gad and Reuben. This addition was the first mention of Manasseh in this chapter, reflecting a broader allocation of the conquered territories.
The land given included the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and various cities within their borders.
Verses 34 to 42 provided specific details of the settlements:
34 The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. 37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt. 39 The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair 42 And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.
Footnotes (Numbers 32: 34-42)
This detailed listing underscored the fulfilment of the agreement and the establishment of these tribes on the east side of the Jordan.
The agreement between Moses and the tribes of Gad and Reuben, later including the half-tribe of Manasseh, was meticulously documented and publicly announced to ensure compliance and future accountability.
This chapter illustrates the importance of unity, obedience, and collective responsibility among the Israelites as they prepared to enter and conquer the Promised Land.
Lessons we can learn from the Decision of Gad and Reuben.
The narrative of Gad and Reuben's decision offers important insights into the consequences of choices made without considering God's will and how they can affect the welfare of others.
Let's distill the key points:
Sinful Decision Making: Gad and Reuben's initial decision was driven solely by their own desires and convenience. They disregarded God's command for all Israelites to cross the Jordan and neglected their duty to assist their brethren in conquering the Promised Land. This self-centred decision was inherently sinful and opposed to God's plan.
Regrete and Reversal: Moses' rebuke led to what can be termed "buyer regret" Recognizing their error, Gad and Reuben reversed their decision, demonstrating repentance and a willingness to align with God's will. They committed to fulfilling their military obligations and eventually crossed the Jordan to fulfil their responsibilities.
Potential Pitfalls: Even after reversing their decision, some scholars suggest that Gad and Reuben's plan still had flaws. Their focus on material gain and physical convenience could have led to disunity within Israel and vulnerability to enemy attacks. The lack of natural defences on the east side of the Jordan would later make them susceptible to invasion and conquest.
God's Intentions: Despite the challenges, God had designated the land east of the Jordan as part of the inheritance for Israel. The decision of Gad and Reuben raised questions about the stewardship of this land and the fulfilment of God's promises. It underscored the importance of obedience and trust in God's guidance, even in seemingly advantageous circumstances.
Future passages in Deuteronomy shed further light on the significance of Gad and Reuben’s decision. These passages emphasize God’s command to possess the land fully and warn against complacency and disobedience.
Conclusion
The story of Gad and Reuben serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of selfish decision-making and the importance of aligning with God's will. It prompts us to consider the broader implications of our choices on our relationship with God but also it effects on others.
Ultimately, it highlights the necessity of humility, repentance, and obedience in discerning and executing God's purpose
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So, what are the principles for sound decision making, and avoiding buyers regret?
In navigating life's choices, it's crucial to consider various factors to avoid what I term "decision remorse." Here are five principles I've found invaluable: (My three R’s I’ve called them)
Reality: Jesus emphasized knowing the truth, which sets us free. This truth, or "alethea" in Greek, refers to reality. Often, people need a reality check to confront their situations honestly. Ignoring reality can perpetuate problems and hinder progress.
Revelation: God's Word provides guidance and wisdom for decision-making. Considering what God says can prevent many problems. Many difficulties people face could be avoided by simply obeying God's instructions from the outset.
Relationships: Every decision impacts others. Whether directly or indirectly, our choices have ripple effects on those around us. Recognizing the interconnectedness of our lives helps us make decisions that consider the well-being of others.
This story of Gad and Reuben serves as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the importance of aligning our decisions with reality, God's revelation, and the needs of others. By integrating these three r’s as principles into our decision-making process, we can navigate life's challenges with wisdom and integrity, avoiding the pitfalls of self-centered choices.
Let's heed the lessons learned from Gad and Reuben's missteps and strive to make sure our decisions that honour God and benefit those around us.
By evaluating the potential consequences we can all make informed choices that align with the long-term goals and values of the Lord. In this case, Moses highlighted the dire consequences of repeating past mistakes and failing to fulfil their obligations to God and their fellow Israelites.
Individuals must assess their responsibility in light of these preceding principles. This involves acknowledging their accountability to God, others, and ourselves.
Gad and Reuben initially neglected their responsibilities, prioritizing their own desires over God's commands and the welfare of their community. However, through Moses' admonition and guidance, they ultimately recognized their duty to obey God and support their fellow Israelites in fulfilling His plan.
Conclusion: Make Decisions with Clarity and Integrity
The story of Gad and Reuben offers deep insights into the decision-making process. By adhering to the principles of reality, revelation, relationships, and responsibility, individuals can navigate life's complexities with clarity and integrity.
It's crucial to prioritize seeking God's guidance, considering the impact on others, evaluating potential outcomes, and assuming personal accountability.
Incorporating these principles into our decision-making ensures a holistic approach that minimizes the risk of "decision remorse" and fosters alignment with God's will and the well-being of others. As we learn from the mistakes and eventual repentance of Gad and Reuben, may we strive to make decisions that honour God, serve others, and uphold our responsibilities with wisdom and discernment.