Would we reach out to help animals, but not our brother or sister? See Mt 12:10-14 and Lk 13:11-17.
Numbers 32 introduces a motif we do well to notice. “The children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead,” they sought an audience with Moses and Eleazar. Notice their argument to Moses, who longed to “cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan” (Deut 3:25), why they shouldn’t do that: “The country which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock” (Num 32:4). See that? The Lord defeated Sihon and Og, therefore this is also the Promised Land. This land is great for livestock, and we have livestock. Therefore, “do not take us over the Jordan” (v 5). Moses had not one but two serious problems with this. First, “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?” (v 6). So you’ll be cow-watching, gazing at them grazing, while your brothers risk their lives in battle? Second, do you realize how demoralizing this is for them? Is it nothing to you that ten men discouraged the nation from taking the land 40 years ago? Here we go again! “Why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?” (v 7). But God is gracious! He accepted the promise from Reuben and Gad, plus half of Manasseh, that they would go over and fight with their brothers first, and then return to settle east of the river. The issue crops up again in Jesus’ day when people thought more of their livestock than they did of their brother in Gadara, of all places (Lk 8:26-37). Watch out! We should use things and love people, not use people and love things. As Moses said, If you do this, “be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23).