“And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size.” (Joshua 22:10, ESV)
This passage of Joshua chapter 22 is very interesting. Not long after the Israelites had taken possession of the Promised Land, each tribe was sent to the land they inherited to settle there. Soon afterward, the nine tribes of Israel to the west of the Jordan River found out that the three tribes living on the eastern side of the Jordan had built a huge, mysterious altar.
Having misunderstood the purpose of the altar (thinking it was rebellion against God), the tribes from the west sent a delegation to confront the eastern tribes. They understood well that one sin by anyone in Israel affects all of Israel, and they reminded the eastern tribes of two events (Baal worship at Peor and the story of Achan in Joshua 7) in which many Israelites died because of one Israelite’s sin. However, the eastern tribes of Israel did not build their altar in rebellion against the Lord, and they quickly explained that the altar was built as a reminder to follow God. War was averted, and peace came to Israel.
So it was kind of a waste of everyone’s time (it would have taken some of the Israelites weeks to meet up with the delegation) since it was all just a big misunderstanding, right? Does it seem odd that God wasted nearly an entire chapter of the Bible with this story?
I believe we have this story for at least 2 reasons:
1) God is very serious about the sin of his people. He is perfect and holy, and he expects us to be perfect and holy. Just one sin of one believer affects us all, and as Christians, we need to be sure to protect the reputation of Christ and deal with the sin of our brothers and sisters in Christ. This isn’t to say we should judge others or “throw stones” at them. However, we need to hold each other accountable and seek the purity of the church. We should expect our leaders to be good examples of what it means to be in love with Christ.
2) God is a God of second chances. Could you imagine if the western tribes of Israel had just gone to war with the eastern tribes without talking to them? They would have wiped out 25% of Israel over a simple misunderstanding. In the same way, we need to communicate with each other. There are times we assume the worst in people instead of assuming the best in them and talking out our difference.
Reflection:
What did you get out of this passage? Spend time praising God for sending Christ to die for our sins. Although we deserve to be punished for our sins, Christ took that punishment upon himself. I try to speak this truth to myself each day because the gospel helps me to fall deeper in love with God. When I come to God in repentance and brokenness, I experience the Father’s lavish love. Praise God for being so merciful and loving, and for helping us to experience real joy in Christ.
Resources:
EnduringWord.org – Joshua Chapter 22
Studylight.org – Joshua 22-A misunderstanding reconciled
PreceptAustin.org – F.B. Meyer-A Witness Between You and Me – Joshua 22
Tom Renew
Deeper In God’s Word