Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh sometimes get a bad rap. These are three of the people groups to whom God promised a special land back in the days of the Old Testament. He first made the promise to a man named Abraham. And God renewed the promise hundreds of years later through Moses. Finally, after forty years of bad decisions in a desert, one generation completely died off, and their sons and daughters prepared to dip toes in the Jordan River and finally cross over.

The tribes descended from brothers Reuben and Gad, and half the tribe of their nephew Manasseh had a different plan, though. They looked around on the east side of the Jordan River and told Moses, “This is great land for raising cattle, sheep, and goats. And that is what we do. Just let us build towns and settle our families right here.”

I’ve heard lots of preachers use this as an illustration of settling for less than God’s best. For being a spiritual wimp. For giving up before you reach the goal.

But, what if that isn’t true? What if the East Side of the Jordan really was their Promised Land?

Moses (and God) seemed okay with the decision. All they asked was that these tribes help their relatives take the rest of the land. And, when the tribes crossed over, warriors from Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh led the way. They were the first guys out of the water. So much for being spiritual wimps. The Bible says it took a very long time before the land was subdued. Years. And these guysl fought valiantly. Finally, when all the battles had ended , Joshua called the men from the Eastern tribes together and said, “You did it. You fought hard, obeyed every command, and made sure your brothers got their land. Now, go home and enjoy your lives.”

Moses only put this requirement on them. “Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” Joshua 22:6

Maybe that is all we should expect of one another, too.