Today’s Scripture Reading (October
13, 2015): Numbers 32
In the days
since the Oregon shooting there has been an open question on the lips of some
watchers – who exactly does the National Rifle Association speak for? The N.R.A.
says that they speak on behalf of the American gun owner, collector, hunter and
outdoor enthusiast. But some argue that that is simply not the case. Some of
the N.R.A.’s moves seem to lead the observer to belief that the N.R.A. works
for those who do not want to obey the law with their gun purchases. In fact,
the group that benefits the most from the N.R.A.’s lobby of Washington does not
seem to be the gun owner, it is the gun trafficker.
Alan Berlow
in “The New York Times” recently commented on some of those N.R.A. decisions,
which include the N.R.A.’s opposition to criminal record checks in order to
purchase a gun (the “Brady” check) which a vast majority of gun owners in the
United States actually support, their opposition to online sales monitoring (so
that a person buying a single gun from several different stores could be
identified and checked by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives – commonly referred to as the A.T.F.) and their opposition to any
kind of mandatory inventory records for gun shops (apparently because stolen
guns must be reported to the A.T.F., but you can’t report guns that you don’t
know are missing.) A lack of inventory records also facilitate the sale of guns
“under the counter” by legitimate stores. The N.R.A. also has developed a
fondness for the A.T.F., an organization that it has effectively hamstrung. The
N.R.A. consistently opposes any moves to decommission the A.T.F. and have their
responsibilities handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (the
F.B.I.). Taken together and the integrity of the N.R.A. is definitely something
that needs to be examined.
As Israel
prepared to enter into Canaan, the tribes of Reuben and Gad approach Moses with
an idea – why don’t we (Reuben and Gad) settle with their herds on the east
side of the Jordan River? Land was available here for them to develop, and the
decision of Reuben and Gad (and eventually half of the tribe of Manasseh) to
settle on the east side of the Jordon River would open up more land for the
other tribes to divide amongst themselves on the west side of the Jordan.
But when
Moses hears the request, he hears something very different. This is a question
of integrity. His fear is that the message of the Transjordan tribes is very
similar to the reaction of the tribal leaders forty years earlier – they were
scared to enter into the land. And if the report was heard among the other
tribes that Reuben and Gad had decided not to enter into the Promised Land,
then fear would spread to them as well. The action of Reuben and Gad would be a
discouragement to the other tribes. And Moses was not about to allow the
dissenting voices of Reuben and Gad to effect what Israel needed to accomplish
with their next step. Moses truly needed to speak, not for any one tribe, but
for the good of Israel. His words were filled with concern for all of the
members of the nation. After all, no one wanted to spend another forty years
wandering around the desert.
Eventually
Reuben and God would stay on the west side of the Jordan, but their men would
join the combined army of Israel as they entered into the land that had been
promised to them. The people and their leaders would remain on the same page
and pushing toward the same goal. And the integrity of the nation was protected
as Israel took their next step.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Numbers
33
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