In Numbers 32 & 33, compromise enters. Two of the tribes of Israel decide they have followed God "far enough" and they no longer want to follow Him all the way to the land that was promised to them. They will fight for God with their brothers for the land, but they ultimately decide they only want to follow God "some of the way" and want to come back to the land they are in now. Moses is not happy with this proposal. This journey is about following God wholeheartedly and ALL the way - not just a part of the way. Compromise spreads and half of a 3rd tribe decide they too want to stay East of the Jordan. Eventually this compromise will take them out as false gods and evil creeps into the land around them and they fall away from God. Moses recounts their journey this far as they are about to cross into the Promised Land. God has been faithful and has brought His people to where He said He would regardless of the obstacles they faced along the way. God renews their calling to go into the Promised Land and reminds them to completely smash out and remove all false idols with no compromise. He wants to make sure His people are following Him wholeheartedly. Compromise leads to destruction and He wants nothing to remain around them that could lead them into such destruction.
