The division of the land was complete. Joshua called the men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh that had been given land east of the Jordan to tell them that they were now free to go home. He acknowledged that they had kept their end of the bargain by staying to help their brethren fight as they took possession of the land west of the Jordan; commentators note that it had taken seven years give or take. Joshua gave the men one final warning before they headed out. He urged them to be diligent in keeping the commandments that the LORD had given the people through Moses. He urged them to love the LORD, to be passionate and fervent about obeying the LORD, to cling to their faith in Him and to serve Him with all their heart and soul. Then he blessed them as they went on their way.
I think it is important to remind ourselves from time to time that love is a choice and can therefore be demanded by God. He is not going to force someone to love Him, but He can demand that love from those who expect to benefit from His blessings.
I had to read other translations to understand that this section tells us how Joshua blessed these tribes. He told them to return home with great riches, including livestock, silver, gold, brass, iron and clothing and share the spoil they had gotten from the enemy with their brethren at home.
So the men from the 2.5 tribes east of Jordan left the camp at Shiloh to go home to the land of Gilead.
Joshua 22:10 ¦ And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.
On their way home the men from the 2.5 tribes east of Jordan built a great altar by the river at the place where Israel had crossed over. These verses indicate that the altar was west of Jordan; though some argue that the wording implies that it was east of Jordan. When the tribes west of Jordan heard what they had done, they took it as a sign that their brothers were choosing to rebel against the LORD and serve false gods. So they proceeded to gather together to meet them in battle.
At least the tribes west of Jordan had the sense to send a delegation to determine the facts behind the actions of their brethren. Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, headed the delegation, which included ten leaders from each tribe that were chosen to accompany him. They didnÕt beat around the bush about their purpose. They questioned the men from the 2.5 tribes as to why they had so quickly chosen to rebel against the LORD.
Joshua 22:19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORDÕS tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.
They continued by making the comparison to what had happened at Peor when the LORD had struck the congregation with plague for such action. They even acknowledged that they were still experiencing repercussions from that time. They noted how the LORD held the whole congregation accountable when there was blatant sin in the camp, e.g., the situation with Achan and his family. The delegation then offered to share from their own inheritances to provide for the 2.5 tribes west of Jordan if they did not think they could gain the victory in their own inheritance to cleanse the land. Again, they assumed that the 2.5 tribes had built the altar in defiance to the LORD.
Thought: Are you willing to confront others in the family of God with their sin with an attitude of wanting to help? Are you willing to sacrifice for the spiritual benefit of another?
The men from the 2.5 tribes answered the charges by telling their brethren that they had it all wrong. They basically declared that the LORD God knew their hearts, and they were unafraid. They were looking to the future and wanted to establish a visible altar of testimony to their commitment to serve the LORD along with their brethren west of Jordan. They werenÕt looking to dishonor God and defy His order that only the priests could offer sacrifices and offerings commanded by God at the tabernacle. They wanted to ensure that future generations of Israelis on both sides of the river stayed unified in the worship of the LORD. This altar was meant to be a testimony to that truth.
Joshua 22:30 ¦ And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them.
Phinehas and the delegation were pleased with the answer of the men from the 2.5 tribes. They expressed their gratitude in knowing that there was nothing in their actions to provoke the LORDÕs anger. So the delegation returned to report what they had learned to the rest of the people. All the tribes were unified in their desire to worship the LORD and follow His commandments.
Principle: Rational dialogue prevents evil actions prompted by wrong assumptions.