Joshua 22

It was on VE-Day, May 8, 1945, when the nation heard President Truman announce over the radio: “General Eisenhower informs me that the forces of Germany have surrendered to the United Nations. The flags of freedom fly all over Europe.”

I remember VJ-Day, August 14, 1945, when the downtown area of our city was jammed with people and total strangers were hugging one another and cheering. The Japanese had agreed to the Allied terms of surrender, and the war was over. My two brothers serving in the Marine Corps would be coming home!

The soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh must have been especially euphoric when the Jewish conquest of Canaan ended. For over seven years they had been away from their families on the other side of the Jordan, and now the victorious soldiers were free to go home.

But their return home was not without incident. In fact, what they did, well-meaning as it was, almost provoked another war. Let’s consider the events involved and the lessons we can learn from them.

“In defeat unbeatable; in victory unbearable.” That’s the way Sir Winston Churchill described a British army officer famous in the Second World War. The first half of the description would apply to Joshua, because he knew how to win victory out of defeat. But the last half doesn’t apply at all; for as commander of the Lord’s army, Joshua was magnanimous in the way he treated his troops after the victory. An Italian proverb says, “It’s the blood of the soldier that makes the general great.” But this general made his soldiers great! This is clearly seen in the way he discharged the tribes who lived on the east side of the Jordan.

He commended them (vv. 1–3). These two and a half tribes had promised Moses that they would remain in the army until all the land was conquered, and they kept their promise (Num. 32; Deut. 3:12–20). After the death of Moses, they pledged that same loyalty to Joshua, their new leader (Josh. 1:12–18). These tribes had been loyal to Moses, to Joshua, and to their brothers from the other tribes. “For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you” (22: niv).

Why had they been so loyal to their leaders and fellow soldiers? Because they were first of all loyal to the Lord their God. It was His mission they were carrying out and His name they were seeking to glorify. In the service of the Lord, far above our devotion to a leader, a cause, or even a nation is our devotion to the Lord. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23–24 nkjv).

He discharged them (v. 4). Having fulfilled their mission and kept their promise, the tribes were now free to go home, for God had given His people rest. The concept of rest is important in the book of Joshua and means much more than simply the end of the war. The word carries with it the meaning of both victory and security, and it involved Israel having their “resting place” in the land. God promised to give His people rest (Ex. 33:14; Deut. 12:9–10; 25:19; Josh. 1:13, 15), and He kept His promise (11:23; 14:15; 21:44; 22:4; 23:1).

The spiritual application of this rest for God’s people today is made in Hebrews 3 and 4. When we trust Christ as Savior, we enter into rest because we’re no longer at war with God (Rom. 5:1). When we yield ourselves completely to Him and claim our inheritance by faith, we enter into a deeper rest and enjoy our spiritual riches in Christ. (See Matt. 11:28–32 for our Lord’s invitation.) When we come to Him, He gives us rest. When we take His yoke of discipleship, we find that deeper rest.

Imagine what it would be like for these soldiers to return home after being away for so many years! Think of the love they would experience, the joys they would find, the treasures they would share! That’s just a small picture of what happens when the children of God enter into the rest God gives to those who will yield their all to Him and trust His Word.

He admonished them (v. 5). Like any good leader, Joshua was more concerned about the spiritual walk of his people than anything else. The army had experienced victory in Canaan because Joshua loved the Lord and obeyed His Word (1:7–8), and that would be the “open secret” of Israel’s continued peace and prosperity. Just as they had been diligent in battle, obeying their commander, so they must be diligent in worship, obeying the Lord their God. This was the promise each of the tribes made to the Lord at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.

The motive for their obedience had to be love for the Lord their God. If they loved Him, then they would delight in walking in all His ways and obeying all His commandments. Instead of trying to serve two masters, they would cling (cleave) to the Lord and serve Him alone, with all their heart and soul. Jesus said this was the first and greatest commandment (Matt. 22:36–38); therefore, to disobey it would mean to commit the greatest sin. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14: nkjv).

He blessed them (vv. 6–8). It was the ministry of the high priest to bless God’s people (Num. 6:22–27), but the common people could invoke God’s blessing on others, especially a leader upon his people or a father upon his family (Gen. 27:4; 48:9; 2 Sam. 6:18, 20; 1 Kings 8:55). What a sight to see a great general asking God’s blessing on his troops!

This blessing also involved sharing the rich spoils of battle with them and their family members back home. It was the custom in Israel that those who stayed home, or who couldn’t participate in the battle for some good reason, also shared the spoils (Num. 31:25–27; 1 Sam. 30:23–25). After all, these people had protected the home cities and kept the machinery of the community going while the men had been out fighting, and it was only fair that they share in the spoils.

Indeed, for the two and a half tribes that lived east of the Jordan, it was an honorable discharge.

As the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh made their way east and passed landmarks that brought back memories of the great things God had done, their hearts began to disturb them. Happy as they were to be going home, it wasn’t easy to say goodbye to their brothers and leave behind the nearness of the priesthood and the tabernacle. They were leaving the land that God had promised to bless. Yes, they were going home to the land that they had chosen for themselves, but somehow they began to feel isolated from the nation of Israel.

When you read and ponder Numbers 32, you discover that there is no record that Moses consulted the Lord about this decision. The thing Moses was most concerned about was that the men of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh do their share in fighting the enemy and conquering the Promised Land, and this they agreed to do. Moses’ first response was that of anger mingled with fear, lest God judge the nation as He had at Kadesh Barnea. Perhaps this first reaction was the right one.

There’s no question that Canaan was God’s appointed land for His people; anything short of Canaan wasn’t what He wanted for them. The two and a half tribes made their decision, not on the basis of spiritual values, but on the basis of material gain, for the land east of the Jordan was ideal for raising cattle. I’m reminded of the decision Lot made when he pitched his tent toward Sodom (Gen. 13:10–11). In both instances, the people walked by sight and not by faith.

By making this decision, the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh divided the nation and separated themselves from the blessings of the land of Canaan. They were farther away from the tabernacle and closer to the enemy. They became what I call “borderline believers.” You’ll recall that Egypt represents the world and Canaan the believer’s inheritance in Christ. The wilderness wanderings represent the experience of believers who don’t enter by faith into the rest God has for them (Heb. 3–4). The two and a half tribes portray believers who have experienced the blessings and battles of Canaan—their inheritance in Christ— but prefer to live on the border, outside God’s appointed place of blessing.

“Faith can never be satisfied with anything short of the true position and portion of God’s people,” wrote C. H. MacIntosh in his Notes on Numbers. “An undecided, half-and-half Christian is more inconsistent than an open, out-and-out worldling or infidel” (457, 460).

How did they decide to solve the problem which they themselves had created? By building a large altar of stones by the Jordan River, on the Canaan side, as a reminder to everybody that the two and a half tribes also belonged to the nation of Israel. Had these tribes been living in the land of Canaan where they belonged, nobody would have questioned their nationality. But living outside the land, they gave the impression that they were not Israelites.

This is now the eighth memorial erected in Canaan (Josh. 4:9, 20–24; 7:26; 8:29–32 [three memorials]; 10:27). But it’s unfortunate when believers have to resort to artificial means to let people know they’re God’s people. In recent years we’ve seen a spate of “religious” bumper stickers, jewelry, decals, and other items (including mirrors and combs with Bible verses on them), all of which are supposed to help identify the owners with Jesus Christ. While these things might occasionally open doors of opportunity for witness, how much better it would be if our Spirit-led conduct and speech made the lost sit up and take notice. When we’re living as God wants us to live, we’re salt and light, and the Lord uses our witness for His glory.

If the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh faithfully attended the feasts in Jerusalem (Ex. 23:17), honored the Lord by obeying His Word, and talked about His Word in their homes (Deut. 6:6–9), they would be able to raise their children to know and serve the Lord. The altar on the Jordan bank, however, was no guarantee of such success.

The alarm (vv. 11–14). The word traveled quickly that the tribes east of the Jordan had erected an altar. While these Transjordanic tribes had been very sincere in what they did, their action was misunderstood, and the other tribes prepared for possible war. But wisely, they waited while an official delegation investigated what was going on. “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him” (Prov. 18: nkjv).

The delegation of ten princes, one from each tribe, was led by Phinehas, the son of the high priest, a man who had already proved himself courageous in defending the law of the Lord (Num. 25; Ps. 106:30–31). It was the responsibility of the tribal leaders and the priests to investigate every situation in Israel that appeared to be a breach of the law (Deut. 13). God had instructed the Jews to destroy the altars of the heathen nations in Canaan and not to build altars of their own. There was to be one altar of sacrifice at the one sanctuary that God had appointed (Deut. 12; Lev. 17:8–9).

The appeal (vv. 15–20). It’s likely that Phinehas made the speech, but note that his address represented the agreement of all the tribes. Phinehas called what they had done a trespass (vv. 16, 20, 22 [transgression, kjv], 31), which means “an act of treachery.” Joshua had commended these two and a half tribes for their loyalty, and now they had proved faithless. They had turned away (vv. 16, 18, 23, 29), which meant they were no longer following the Lord (see v. 5). This word carries the idea of “backsliding,” gradually moving away from the Lord.

The strongest word used was rebel (vv. 16, 18–19 [twice], 22, 29), which means deliberately resisting God’s will and disobeying His law. In building an unauthorized altar, these two and a half tribes were guilty of apostasy. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Sam. 15:23).

From the nation’s recent history Phinehas cited two serious cases of rebellion as warning to these tribes. The first was the participation of Israel in the heathen rites of the Moabites, when the men committed harlotry with the Moabite women (Josh. 22:17; Num. 25). As a result, 24,000 people died. The second was the sin of Achan after the victory at Jericho, when he deliberately took the spoils that belonged to the Lord (Josh. 22:20; see Josh. 7). His sin led to defeat at Ai and the deaths of thirty-six Jewish soldiers. It also led to his own death and that of the members of his family.

The delegation gave a wise word of counsel: “Come over and dwell with us, because we have the Lord’s tabernacle in our land” (22:19, paraphrase). No man-made altar could substitute for the presence of the Lord among His people in His tabernacle. It’s too bad the two and a half tribes didn’t take this advice and claim their inheritance within the land that God had promised to bless (Deut. 11:10–32).

The argument (vv. 21–29). The accused tribes invoked the name of the Lord six times as they replied to the charges, and in so doing, they used the three fundamental names for the Lord: “El [the Mighty One], Elohim [God], Jehovah [the Lord].” It was a solemn oath that their intentions were pure and that the Lord knew their hearts.

Of course, the fact that the Lord knows our hearts, and that we’ve taken an oath, is no guarantee that our actions are right, because we don’t know our own hearts (Jer. 17:9). All sorts of questionable activities can be shielded by, “But the Lord knows my heart!” Paul gives us the right approach in 2 Corinthians 8:21; “For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men” (niv). When a whole nation misinterprets what is supposed to be a good deed, and it brings them to the brink of war, then there must be something wrong with that deed.

The accused tribes made it clear that they weren’t setting up a rival religion because the altar they built wasn’t for sacrifices. Rather, they were putting up a witness that would remind the tribes west of the Jordan that Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh were a part of the Jewish nation.

It’s interesting that the Transjordanic tribes pointed to the children as their concern. But it wasn’t their children who would ask, “What have we to do with the Lord God of Israel?” No, their children would be provoked by the children of the tribes in Canaan! Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh were not even living in the land of God’s choice, yet they feared lest the children across the river would lead their children astray! It seems to me that the danger was just the opposite.

Not only did the Transjordanic tribes accuse their fellow Jews of having worldly children, but they even accused God of creating the problem in the first place! “For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between you and us” (Josh. 22: nkjv). No! They were the ones who had made the Jordan River the dividing line! In choosing to live east of the Jordan, the two and a half tribes separated themselves from their own people and from the land God had given to all of them. They put their cattle ahead of their children and their fellow Jews, but they blamed God and the other tribes for the problem that they created.

What kind of “witness” was this huge pile of stones? Was it a witness to the unity of the nation and to the obedience of the Transjordanic tribes? No, it was a witness to expediency, the wisdom of man in trying to enjoy “the best of both worlds.” The two and a half tribes talked piously about their children, but it was their wealth that really motivated their decision to live east of the Jordan.

Somewhere near this “witness altar” were the twelve stones that the men had carried from the midst of the Jordan River (4:20–24). It reminded the Jews that they had crossed the river and buried their past forever. Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh had crossed the river and gone back again. Their “altar” contradicted the altar that Joshua had erected to the glory of God. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Col. 3: nkjv).

Phinehas was pleased, the delegation was pleased, and the children of Israel across the Jordan were pleased; but was the Lord pleased? The delegation rejoiced that the purpose of the altar was for witness and not sacrifice, and this seemed to settle the matter. They rejoiced that God wouldn’t send judgment to the land (v. 31) and that there would be no civil war in Israel (v. 33). But the nation was divided, in spite of the “altar of witness.” Like Abraham and Lot (Gen. 13), part of the nation had a spiritual outlook while the other part was concerned with material things.

“Peace at any price” isn’t God’s will for His people. This decision in Gilead was made on the basis of human wisdom and not God’s truth. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable” (James 3:17, italics mine). The peace that God’s people achieve at the price of purity and truth is only a dangerous truce that eventually explodes into painful division. There is always a place in human relations for loving conciliation, but never for cowardly compromise. “I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality” (1 Tim. 5: nkjv).

The Transjordanic tribes named their altar “A witness between us that the Lord is God” (niv). (The Hebrew word edh means “witness.”) But if the Lord is God, why didn’t they obey Him and live in the land He had appointed for them? The stones may have been a witness, but the people certainly were not. Surrounded by heathen nations and separated from their brothers and sisters across the river, these tribes quickly fell into idolatry and were eventually taken by Assyria (1 Chron. 5:25–26).

On September 30, 1938, British Prime Minister Sir Neville Chamberlain, just back from Germany, told a gathering at 10 Downing Street: “My good friends, this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And now I recommend you to go home and sleep quietly in your beds.”

Less than a year later, England was at war with Germany, and World War II had burst upon the world.

Church history is replete with agreements and accords that magnified unity over purity and truth, and therefore never lasted. Whether in our personal relationships in our homes and churches, or in our nation, the only peace that lasts is peace that is based on truth and purity. It’s a peace that demands sacrifice and courage, and a willingness to stand up for God’s Word, but the results are worth it.

The well-known Bible commentator, Matthew Henry, said it best: “Peace is such a precious jewel that I would give anything for it but truth.”