6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went
to their tents.
7 Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a
possession in Bashan, but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession
among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when
Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,
8 and spoke to them, saying, "Return with much riches
to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze,
with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with
your brethren."
9 So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half
the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at
Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the
land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the
LORD by the hand of Moses.
When we come to 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). In verses 2-3, Joshua commended them for keeping their promise
and being obedient.
In verse 4, Joshua released them from the army, and they
were now free to go home to the east side of the Jordan River to their families
and their inheritance. In verse 5, Joshua admonished them to continue to love
the LORD, keep and obey His commandments, walk in His ways, and serve Him with all
their heart and soul.
Now in verses 6-8, we notice that the last thing that Joshua
does with these two and a half tribes just before they depart to go to their families
and inheritance, is to “bless them”. We read twice that “he blessed them”
(vv. 6, 7).
In the Old Testament it was the ministry of the high priest
to bless God's people. You read this in Numbers 6:22-27; “And the LORD spoke
to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way
you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: "The LORD bless you
and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The
LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." ' "So
they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."
But the common people could invoke God's blessing on
others, especially a leader upon his people or a father upon his family.
Remember how Jacob blessed his sons (Gen. 27:4; 48:9); how David blessed the
people and his household (2 Sam. 6:18,20); and Solomon blessed the people after
the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:55). In the New Testament, we read how
Jesus blessed the people and the children (Mark 10:13-16).
Joshua’s 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.
We sing “God bless America” because we realize the importance
of His blessings. But He can only bless us when we have His Word, obey it, and honor
His name! How sad today to see God withholding His blessings on our great
country and our families because of our sins and unrepentant hearts.
May the Lord help us today to return to His Word and
practice what Jesus taught us in the “Beatitudes’”. (Matthew 5-7).
God bless!
