Numbers 32:25-42 NKJV
25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”
28 So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them: “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”
31 Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: “As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. 32 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.”
33 So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the surrounding country. 34 And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, 35 Atroth and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim, 38 Nebo and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built.
39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. 41 Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair. 42 Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad gave their word to Moses. They would cross the Jordan armed and ready. They would fight alongside their brothers until the Lord gave all His people rest. Then, and only then, would they return to the land they had chosen east of the river. Their promise was clear: “Whatever the Lord has said to your servants, we will do.”
Faithfulness is not just a matter of good intentions. It’s the keeping of a word, even when it costs something. These tribes would be away from their homes, apart from their families, in the thick of battles that were not directly for their own land. But the unity of God’s people mattered more than personal gain or immediate comfort. Their inheritance could wait. Obedience could not.
When the battles were over, they kept their word. They returned east and settled the towns they had pledged to rebuild. The cities are listed by name—towns once destroyed or abandoned, now made whole again. And each one tells a quiet story of restoration and responsibility. These were not grand monuments of pride, but shelters for families, places for herds, and signs that promises kept still matter to God.
We live in a time when vows are often broken and words are easily discarded. But God is not like that. He keeps His promises—every one of them. He sent His Son, not because we were faithful, but because He is. Jesus went all the way to the cross to secure an inheritance for us—not in this life, but in the life to come. And while we wait, He calls us to live as His people: steady, trustworthy, and committed to one another.
Our words should mean something. Our faith should be visible not just in what we say, but in what we finish. The land of promise lies ahead. There is still work to do. But as we go, we go together—not for our own comfort, but for the good of all the Lord has called.
Let us pray: Faithful God, make us people who keep our word, who serve with joy, and who finish the work You’ve given us to do. Amen.