What can we learn from the tribe of Gad?

Answer

Israel’s 12 tribes, including Gad, were named after Jacob’s children (or grandchildren, in the cases of Ephraim and Manasseh). “Israel” was the name God gave to Jacob (Genesis 32:22-30); thus, the term “children of Israel” refers to Jacob’s descendants. Gad, Jacob’s son, was born in Paddan Aram to Zilpah, Jacob’s first wife’s maidservant «and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padan-aram. », (Genesis 35:26). When Jacob blessed his 12 sons, he prophesied, “Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack them back” «Gad, a troop shall overcome him: But he shall overcome at the last. », (Genesis 49:19). Later, Moses blessed the tribe of Gad, saying, “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s territory! Gad dwells there like a lion, tearing at arm or head. He chose the best land for himself; the leader’s portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people gathered, he carried out the LORD’s righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel” (Deuteronomy 33:20-21).

The tribe of Gad was one of three (along with Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh) that fought for and received lands east of the Jordan River, the entrance to the Promised Land (Joshua 12:6;Joshua 13:8-13). When Gad and the other tribes initially requested this land outside the Promised Land, Moses cautioned that their actions could discourage the others from taking the land God had promised, similar to the fear spread by the ten spies.Fearful report forty years earlier. The Reubenites and Gadites expressed, “We desire to construct enclosures for our livestock and settlements for our women and children. However, we will equip ourselves for battle and lead the way for the Israelites until we have brought them to their destination. Meanwhile, our women and children will reside in fortified cities for protection from the land’s inhabitants. We will not return to our homes until each Israelite has obtained their inheritance. We will not share an inheritance with them on the opposite side of the Jordan, as our inheritance has been granted to us on the eastern side of the Jordan” (Numbers 32:16-19). Moses concurred: “Then Moses said to them, ‘If you agree to this—if you prepare yourselves before the LORD for battle and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the LORD until he has dislodged his enemies before him—then once the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be released from your duty to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the LORD. But if you neglect to do this, you will be transgressing against the LORD; and rest assured that your sin will catch up with you” (Numbers 32:20-23).

The tribes upheld their pledge (Numbers 32:25;Joshua 22:1–6). Upon returning to their territory, they erected an altar. The rest of the Israelites confronted them, suspecting them of rebelling against the Lord. However, the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh appealed to the Lord, stating that He understood their intentions and that if they had acted in rebellion or disobedience, they should not be spared. In reality, they had constructed the altar not for sacrifices but “to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, affirming that we will worship the LORD at his sanctuary.”

Sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings. Then in the future, your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD'” «but that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. », (Joshua 22:27). Though the tribes had settled on the other side of the Jordan, they were still very much committed to worshiping God. They were still part of Israel and wanted to prevent the Jordan River, a significant geographical divide between Gad and most of the other tribes, from spiritually dividing God’s people then or in future generations (Joshua 22:10-34). “And the Reubenites and Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us—that the LORD is God” «And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.», (Joshua 22:34).

Gad, along with all the other northern tribes of Israel, was sent into exile in 722 BC (2 Kings 15:29 – 17:41). Gad’s specific circumstances, seemingly triggered by the half-tribe of Manasseh’s unfaithfulness to God, are described in 1 Chronicles 5:11-26.

We see in the tribe of Gad fidelity to God and to their commitments to others. Perhaps the most important lesson we learn from Gad (and all the other tribes) is to recognize the need for complete faith and trust in God. God commanded Moses to remind the Israelites to “carefully follow the terms of this covenant so that you may pros

Persevere in everything you do” «Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do. », (Deuteronomy 29:9). “Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison” «lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; », (Deuteronomy 29:18).