Story · 24 · The Other
The tribes who volunteered for the front line
Reuben and Gad wanted to settle east of the Jordan. Moses was furious, until they offered to lead Israel into battle as shock troops.
Volunteering for danger proves loyalty.
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Moses asks, 'Will your brothers go to war while you sit here?' Deborah's song uses the same verb to shame those same tribes for staying with their sheep. The Bible preserves both views, a back-and-forth like rival memorials in democratic societies.
Bible reference: Numbers 32; Judges 5:15–16
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 386–388
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