Bordering on Canaan

Two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh) chose not to live on the west side of Jordan with the rest. Instead, they thought first of their possessions, their cattle, and chose land on the east side of Jordan, which was described in Numbers 32:1 as "a place for cattle." But they were totally supportive of the other tribes in the process of subduing the enemies occupying the land to the west. They were people of faith—faith that God would carry out His promises to Israel—but they felt it was more important to provide well for their cattle than to exactly follow the instructions of God and actually occupy the Land of Promise. They were one with the nine and a half tribes but were weak in faith. They are not typical of worldly Christianity, but rather of earthly Christianity.
What they did was lower the position God had promised by relating it totally to the details of daily living. Such Christians claim power in their service for the Lord, but they know little of the extent of His resources. The full blessing that we can claim is to know the joy of entering now into where a glorified Christ is to be found.
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not" (2 Car. 3:18; 4:1).
Centered on Christ in glory, we will be drawn away from this world, and the motive for our walk will no longer be "much cattle." It will not be easy to take possession of all our present privileges in Christ. Satan and his forces are always there working against us. But faith enables us to take possession of the promises, and the enemy flees.