Settle for second best? 退而求其次? Numbers 民數記 32

1Now the people of Reuben and Gad had a very great number of livestock 1Now the people of Reuben and Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation… 1流便子孫和迦得子孫的牲畜極其眾多。他們看見雅謝地和基列地是可牧放牲畜之地, 2 就來見摩西和祭司以利亞撒並會眾的首說：…

4 the land that the Lord struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan. 4就是耶和華在以色列會眾前面所攻取之地，是可牧放牲畜之地，你僕人也有牲畜。5 我們若在你眼前蒙恩，求你把這地給我們為業，不要領我們過約旦河。

1. Best according to our priority 最適合我們的優先次序 From the perspectives of Ruben and Gad , this choice is從流便和迦得族的角度來看，這個選擇是基于: 1. Best according to our priority 最適合我們的優先次序 • Seen vs. unseen看見的還是看不見的

Choice area 首選區 Hill country山地 Lot 羅德

1. Best according to our priority 最適合我們的優先次序 From the perspectives of Ruben and Gad , this choice is從流便和迦得族的角度來看，這個選擇是基于: 1. Best according to our priority 最適合我們的優先次序 • Seen vs. unseen看見的還是看不見的 • Known vs. unknown已知還是未知 • Safe, convenient vs. risk 安全,方便, 還是危險

Leviticus 利未記25:38 to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. 為要把迦南地賜給你們，要做你們的神。 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt 我是耶和華你們的神，曾領你們從埃及地出來，

6 But Moses said, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people 6 摩西說:「難道你們的弟兄去打仗，你們竟坐在這裡嗎？ 7 你們為何使以色列人灰心喪膽，不過去進入耶和華所賜給他們的那地呢？ 8 我先前從加低斯巴尼亞打發你們先祖去窺探那地，他們也是這樣行。9 他們上以實各谷去窺探那地回來的時候, 使以色列人

from going into the land that the Lord had given them from going into the land that the Lord had given them. 10 And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone… if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.” 灰心喪膽，不進入耶和華所賜給他們的地。 10 當日，耶和華的怒氣發作…使他們在曠野漂流四十年，等到在耶和華眼前行惡的那一代人都消滅了… 你們若退後不跟從他，他還要把以色列人撇在曠野，便是你們使這眾民滅亡。」

2. Best on our terms 最適合我們的條件 From the perspectives of Ruben and Gad , this choice is從流便和迦得族的角度來看，這個選擇是基于: 2. Best on our terms 最適合我們的條件 • Fulfilling our duty vs. our covenant 履行我們對神的責任, 還是我們與神的約

16 they said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place... each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.” 16 兩支派的人說：「我們要在這裡為牲畜壘圈，為婦人孩子造城。 17 我們自己要帶兵器行在以色列人的前頭，好把他們領到他們的地方…各承受自己的產業。 19 我們不和他們在約旦河那邊一帶之地同受產業，因為我們的產業是坐落在約旦河東邊這裡。」

3. Best for our children 最適合我們的孩子 From the perspectives of Ruben and Gad , this choice is從流便和迦得族的角度來看，這個選擇是基于: 3. Best for our children 最適合我們的孩子 • Material vs. Spiritual blessings 物質的, 還是屬靈的祝福

Joshua 約書亞記 22:10–12 10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size… And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them. 10 流便人、迦得人和瑪拿西半支派的人到了靠近約旦河的一帶迦南地，就在約旦河那裡築了一座壇，那壇看著高大… 12 全會眾一聽見，就聚集在示羅，要上去攻打他們。

Joshua 約書亞記 22:24-25 24 No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ 23 我們行這事並非無故，是特意做的，說恐怕日後你們的子孫對我們的子孫說：『你們與耶和華以色列的神有何關涉呢？ 25 因為耶和華把約旦河定為我們和你們這流便人、迦得人的交界。你們與耶和華無份了！』這樣，你們的子孫就使我們的子孫不再敬畏耶和華了。

3. Best for our children 最適合我們的孩子 From the perspectives of Ruben and Gad , this choice is從流便和迦得族的角度來看，這個選擇是基于: 3. Best for our children 最適合我們的孩子 • Material vs. Spiritual blessings 物質的, 還是屬靈的祝福 • Temporal vs. eternal 暫時的, 還是永恆的

公元前1400-1000 B.C. 瑪拿西 迦得 流便

公元前930-732 B.C. 亞述 亞捫 以色列 猶大 摩押

Settle for second best? 退而求其次?