Who do you know who has put his or her life on the line to benefit others? We are all grateful to our first responders – the firefighters, police officers, highway patrolmen, and Sheriff’s deputies who regularly put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe. Perhaps we think back in history, to the time when brave New York City firemen rushed into the burning World Trade Center to help people escape the collapsing towers, or when United States soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines stood between the people of South Korea and the communist invaders that threatened their lives and freedom.

Today’s passage gives us yet another example of selfless bravery. The men of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh had decided to live in the broad pasturelands east of the Jordan River, a land the people of Israel had already conquered from kings Sihon and Og back in chapter 21. So, even though they could have stayed on the east side of the river in safety, while their cousins fought to gain their homes on the west side of the river, they refused to take the easy way out. They made a solemn vow to go with their kinsmen into battle, not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others.

And isn’t that really what Jesus did for all of His people? After all, He wasn’t responsible for the mess our sin has made of this world. He could have chosen to stay up in Heaven and let us suffer the consequences of all our bad choices. But through His prophet Isaiah, God promised to send His Servant to suffer for us, to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows, to be wounded for our transgressions and to be crushed for our iniquities, to suffer the punishment that would bring us peace. God said that all our iniquities would be laid upon Him (Isaiah 53:4-6).

And that’s exactly what Jesus did for all of us on the cross. He came not to be served, but to serve us and to give up His life so that we might be saved (Matthew 20:28). And He said that there could be no better proof of love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).

So let us thank God for the many examples of faithful, selfless service we’ve seen throughout history. Let’s thank God for the sacrifice Christ made for a world full of sinners like us. And let’s seek to follow His example today, in ways big and small, giving of ourselves so that others might be blessed.

Numbers 32:16-27 (NASB)

16 Then they came near to him and said, “We will build here sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our little ones;
17 but we ourselves will be armed ready to go before the sons of Israel, until we have brought them to their place, while our little ones live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18 “We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance.
19 “For we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan toward the east.”
20 So Moses said to them, “If you will do this, if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for the war,
21 and all of you armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven His enemies out from before Him,
22 and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you shall return and be free of obligation toward the LORD and toward Israel, and this land shall be yours for a possession before the LORD.
23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 “Build yourselves cities for your little ones, and sheepfolds for your sheep; and do what you have promised.”
25 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands.
26 “Our little ones, our wives, our livestock and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead;
27 while your servants, everyone who is armed for war, will cross over in the presence of the LORD to battle, just as my lord says.”