Joshua 1:4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

Now it is told all the lands he must conquer. God gave them 300,000 square miles but they only went into possess 30,000 square miles. Not a big conquest. 1/10th of what they could have had.

***Joshua 1:11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.

This is a verse that is key to us for many reasons; Prepare food, three days, passing over to the other side, and to go in to possess the land. Death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, Jordan River is our sanctification, death to life.  It also shows us rest in the promised land.

Before something good happens, conflict occurs immediate opposition: to God and Joshua’s plan…

Yet, even before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh had already staked out their claim they chose to settle east of the Jordan.

Joshua 1:12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,

Immediate opposition: to God and Joshua’s plan…Conflict already, two and a Half tribes did not want the blessings that God had in store for them. They wanted to remain on the east side of the river thus leaving the rest and blessing to others. They started out wrong and ended up on the wrong side of the river.

Let’s back track for a moment.

Numbers 32:1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

Lust of Eyes, Own thoughts better than Gods thoughts, satisfied with out being fully Blessed.  Sounds just like the world today!  We do need to go there! We are ok here.

Numbers 32:2-3 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,  Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

Excuse as to why they could not go to the other side of the Jordan River and into the promised land.

 Numbers 32:4 Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

A lot of the land is land for cattle.  We need land for cattle. Very selfish move on their part! Remember Lot chose the best land for himself and ended up in Sodom & Gomorrah!

Numbers 32:5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

Arrogancy, pride, and selfishness lead this group to dare go against the plans of God, Moses, and Joshua.

Joshua 1:13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.

They wanted to rest on the wrong side of the river. So much like today! People don’t want the blessings of God so they don’t worship him.

Joshua 1:14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

Women and children left behind as they go fight in battles.

Joshua 1:15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

This is the agreement they entered with Joshua are men will fight in all the battles until you possess the land promised then we will return to the east side of the river to our families.

 Joshua 1:16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

We agree, and we will go wherever we need to go.

 Joshua 1:17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

We will follow as we followed Moses.

Joshua 1:18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

They added a stipulation. Anyone who does not follow your commandments shall be put to death. Powerful stipulation for those who decided to stay on the east side of the Jordan River and not cross over.

Sometimes in life we are our own worst enemy and cause undue burden upon ourselves.  We choose to sin!