Joshua 22:25-34
Jos 22:25
For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and
you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so
shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
God himself divided the nation of Israel using the Jordan
River as a border between the east and west.
They have no part in the Lord since the altar in the Tabernacle was in
the city of Shiloh on the west side and that is why they built an altar so they
could offer sacrifices to the LORD but over the years the future generations
might see this as an opportunity to leave off worshipping the true God and go to
worshipping the false gods which were plenty on the east side of the Jordan.
This was their greatest fear.
Jos 22:26
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an
altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
They then told the representatives that the altar was
built not for the purpose of burnt offerings or for any type of sacrifices which
were to be done under the law.
Their original intent was to prevent any type of apostasy from happening.
Jos 22:27
But that it may be a witness between us,
and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD
before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace
offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye
have no part in the LORD.
The altar was to be witness to the fact that it had a
similarity to the one in the Tabernacle and that it represented the unity
between the tribes on the east side and the west side of Jordan.
This way they could do their sacrifices in the Tabernacle where it was
supposed to be done and all according to the law of God.
Then as that continued the children could not say that they have no part
in the LORD since the eastern tribes were obedient in doing their spiritual duty
in the place God chose to place his name.
Jos 22:28
Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should
so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again,
Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for
burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and
you.
Then they reiterated that their intentions were never to
engage in any kind of idolatry but because it was patterned after the altar in
the Tabernacle it was to be a testimony of the fact that the tribes on both
sides of the Jordan were united in their worship and dedication to the LORD.
In Genesis 31, there was a similar situation between Laban and Jacob when
they made a witness between them.
Jacob took a stone and made it a pillar as the sign of the testimony between
them. This took place in Gilead
which was on the east side of Jordan and maybe the eastern tribes were thinking
about that when they constructed the altar as a sign of a testimony of their
connection with the western tribes.
Jos 22:29
God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and
turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings,
for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that
is before his tabernacle.
Then they stated firmly that may the LORD forbid them
from ever rebelling against the LORD or even turning aside in the slightest
manner from worshipping and dedicating their lives to him.
They would not even think on the idea
that they would try to somehow depart from the LORD and follow after false
religion. They realized that it was
in the Tabernacle that sacrifices and offerings were to be made and not at any
alternate sites.
Jos 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.
Then the response that Phinehas and the princes of the
ten tribes from the west received from the heads of the three tribes pleased
them very well. They were now
convinced that there was no intent to go after false gods and false religions.
There were no secondary suspicions after they had the conversational
response. They accepted it as the
truth since they themselves said that if they had sinned against the LORD, they
would accept the punishment for their actions.
Jos 22:31
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the
children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh,
This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not
committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of
Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
Then Phinehas delivered his judgment in the matter and
the eastern tribes have been exonerated and that there was no intent to depart
from the LORD and seek after false gods.
They were now satisfied that they would not face the wrath of God for the
building of the altar as it was just a symbolic altar and not one to be used for
any type of sacrifice or offering.
The last statement in this verse “now ye have delivered the children of Israel
out of the hand of the Lord,” means that they have not fallen into the hands of
the LORD for punishment and that they would remain in the good graces of the
LORD having been delivered out of the hand of punishment.
But the hand of the LORD was heavy
upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods,
even Ashdod and the coasts
thereof. (1 Samuel 5:6)
Jos 22:32
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the
princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out
of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and
brought them word again.
Then Phinehas and the princes had departed from the
eastern tribes and returned unto the western tribes and brought the word of
their findings to the people. They
were all no doubt anxious to hear the outcome because they remember well the
situation with Achan and how the sin of one man brought judgment to all Israel.
Jos 22:33
And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the
children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in
battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
When the western tribes heard the results of the meeting
Phinehas and the princes had their anger was abated and no longer did they have
any inclinations to go to war against them since they were living in obedience
to the LORD and did not intend to go after any false gods.
They were satisfied that the eastern tribes had no intention of following
false gods and the altar was just a symbol of their unity with those on the
other side of Jordan.
Jos 22:34
And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called
the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD
is God.