This passage teaches us the need for training the next generation.1 If we focus on the eastern tribes, we can make a strong case for the importance of teaching the next generation. Their actions are motivated by a healthy concern for their children and the future of society. We must likewise make plans to ensure that our children are brought up in the Christian faith.
1 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh,