In Joshua 22, the conquest of the Promise Land by the
twelve tribes of Israel is complete. The battles have been fought and won. The
inheritance of the land has been successfully distributed to all the tribes. It
is at this point, after seven years of battles, that Joshua gives an honorable
discharge to the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh
(v. 1). Now they can return to their families and to the land that they had chosen
on the east side of the Jordan River.
There was 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. 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 and they become what we call “borderline believers." Just before
they cross the border back to their inheritance, they built a big, great
impressive altar. When they are confronted by Phinehas and his delegation, they
claim it was built be a witness that they are still a part of Israel for future
generations.
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" is never 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). 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. 5:21).
Remember the two and a half tribes named their altar "A
witness between us that the Lord is God". 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 into
captivity by Assyria (1 Chron. 5:25-26).
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.
God bless!
