What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 3:20? Until the LORD gives rest Moses sets a clear timetable: the Transjordan tribes must remain in the fight “until the LORD gives rest.” • “Rest” is literal relief from warfare (see Joshua 21:44: “The LORD gave them rest on every side”). • Rest originates with God, not military strategy (Exodus 33:14). • The same pattern foreshadows the believer’s final rest (Hebrews 4:8-10), yet it first meant real cessation of battles in Canaan. to your brothers The duty extends beyond personal comfort. • Israel is family; no tribe may enjoy peace while the others struggle (Genesis 4:9’s warning is implicitly reversed here). • Genuine love “looks not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). • Unity in obedience safeguards the whole nation (Judges 1:27-2:3 shows the cost when tribes act alone). as He has to you God had already settled these eastern tribes in Gilead and Bashan (Deuteronomy 3:12-15). • Their current blessing is a testimony of God’s faithfulness. • With privilege comes responsibility (Luke 12:48): those who have tasted God’s rest must help others receive it. • Gratitude fuels service (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). and they too have taken possession The mission is complete only when the western tribes hold their inheritance. • Joshua 11:23 records that moment: “So Joshua took the whole land… and the land had rest from war.” • God’s promises are territorial and tangible, not abstract; He keeps them down to surveyed borders (Joshua 18:10). • Participation continues until the objective fact—possession—is secured. of the land the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan The verse re-anchors every promise in God’s initiative. • “The LORD… is giving” echoes Genesis 12:7; it is God’s covenant gift, not human conquest. • Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 1:2) mirrors leaving Egypt; both movements depend entirely on divine action. • Remembering the Giver prevents pride once the land is occupied (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Then each of you may return Permission is linked to obedience. • Reward waits until the assignment ends (2 Timothy 4:7-8). • God is no debtor; He recognizes faithful service and grants release (Luke 19:17). • Rest at home follows labor in the field; order matters (Galatians 6:9). to the possession I have given you Their own inheritance is secure, held in trust by God. • Numbers 32 details this earlier grant; Moses now reaffirms it. • An inheritance “imperishable… kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4) parallels the physical allotment kept in Gilead. • Possession is both present and future: they live in it now but return to it in fullness after obedience. summary Deuteronomy 3:20 ties privilege to responsibility. The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh may enjoy their land only after they fight for their brothers’ land. God sets the schedule (“until the LORD gives rest”), defines the objective (“they too have taken possession”), and then grants personal enjoyment (“return to the possession I have given you”). Obedience, unity, and trust in God’s promises lead to collective rest and individual blessing. |
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