Follow the Rules
Joshua: Pass Over and Possess • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan.
But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.
Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them, And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
Introduction
Introduction
The final section of the book of Joshua is a series of three gatherings by Joshua with the people. These are the final words of the man who has led them faithfully to victory. This morning, we will see a command and a test for the Israelites across the Jordan in the first of these gatherings.
We need to be looking throughout the book for our theme for 2025. The central focus of the book of Joshua is that God wants us to move forward and take ahold of the blessings of our salvation.
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
As we saw in our study of Ephesians, God has blessed us with spiritual blessings. All the saved have access to these blessings. Do we share them with the lost? Do we live them faithfully in our lives? Do we thank God for them daily? The book of Joshua leads us along the path of living the victorious Christian life. All we need to live victoriously, we already have in Christ. We must just cross over the river of fear and take ownership of the land of Promise!
One of the contemporary slogans of our time is “It is better to ask forgiveness than permission.” I have said this before and I am sure that you have as well. However, this morning we come to a passage that addresses this statement in the context of Scripture. There are two major sections of this chapter that give us a command issued by God through Joshua and an illustration of that command in a real situation. Is it better to ask for forgiveness than permission?
The children of Israel are now about to enter the period of the Judges. There has been a crossing of the Jordan River, the Conquest of the land of Canaan and the division of the land among the tribes. Throughout it all, there is the echoing words of God to Joshua in chapter 1. God promises blessing and victory but He expects faithfulness and obedience.
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
As one writer says,
Joshua Joshua 22:1–9
Two theological pillars for the book of Joshua are the promises of God and the faithful obedience of his people.
Declaration
Declaration
God wants faithfulness not only in the times of battle but also in our times of rest. One of the easiest times to allow our obedience to lapse is when things are going well and the battles seem past. Today, live out your love for the Lord and obey His Word no matter your circumstances. This morning we see a command and an illustration in chapter 22.
1. Hear the Command for Your Heart
1. Hear the Command for Your Heart
Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan. But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents. Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them, And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
Joshua 22 begins with the final commendation and blessing of Joshua for the men that are about to return to their families across the Jordan River. During the time of Moses, they had asked for and been given the land that had been ruled by Sihon and Og before their conquest. This was land that would allow them cities to live in, already built, as well as pasture for their many flocks and herds.
However, one of the challenges of this land was the distance from the rest of the tribes. There was a great gulley with a river at the bottom that must be crossed to worship God three time a year. There was also a lack of investment in relationships with the other tribes in the land. Separation from believers endangers faithfulness.
Joshua gathers the people in verse 1 and commends them for their obedience in verses 2-4. There was a consistent action by these men to carry out what Moses had commanded them to do. This also was connected to obeying the instructions of Joshua in chapter 1:12-15 where Joshua had repeated their task. They had faithfully helped the people to take possession of the land.
Now the time has come to return to their families. In verse 4, we see that Joshua begins his command to the men. This command is an echo of the command given to all Israel.
Return to their families v. 4
Take heed to the commandment and law of God v. 5
Love God
Walk in the ways of God
Keep His commandments
Cleave to Him
Serve Him
All of this is with the heart and the soul v. 5
The one thing that Joshua wanted them to remember was to carry out the Shema. This is what God had commanded them to live out in the book of Deuteronomy. Jesus Himself made it clear in His ministry that this command is still in effect for us today.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
Why would Joshua feel the need to remind these faithful men of their need to obey God? Why do we need a weekly reminder of how we should live the Christian life? What is the purpose of the biblical sermon for the people of God? One writer phrases it this way,
Joshua Joshua 22:1–9
There is no holiday from steadfastness in the Lord.
The reason that we need to be reminded to be faithful is that we are fallen people with a sinful nature. Our hearts are wicked and we want to worship ourselves and our works and ways instead of His. Our actions are the outgrowth of our wicked heart or our Spirit-filled life.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
This wickedness is something that we all have as humans. In the Garden of Eden, Adam chose sin when he ate the fruit that God had told Him not to. Through that one sin, we are all sinners now. Yet, we have also all sinned. That sin requires a perfect sacrifice to make us right with God. Jesus, God’s only Son, came willingly to die in our place. John tells us the importance of this sacrificial payment.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Because we are able to put our faith in Him alone for salvation, we can have fellowship with God. This is the beginning of the Spirit-filled life. These men had to chose whether to follow the commands of God or their sinful natures, just as we must choose today.
Joshua blesses the men and sends them on their way in verses 6-8. They carried riches and spoil that they had gained in the conquering of the land. Their ears were ringing with praise for their actions. Perhaps, there was even a little bit of pride in their hearts. Yet, their actions are about to betray the true nature of our sinful hearts. As the psalmist said,
Shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
Christian, how are you doing with your obedience to the command to love God and live for Him. This is repeated throughout the Bible so that we might know what a believer is to be characterized by. Today, obey the command of verse 5, because there are tests coming of your resolve to follow Him.
2. Live out the Command in Your Actions
2. Live out the Command in Your Actions
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.
We are given here an illustration of how this command is to be lived out in the life of the Covenant people. Our lives are a series of tests of our faithfulness to God. The book of Joshua is a series of these tests lived out in the land of blessing by the people of God. As the men reach the river, or after they cross the river, they stop to build an altar. There is some debate over which side of the river this was on.
The men built an altar that was “a great altar to see to” in verse 10. One commentator (Weirsbe) notes that this is now the eighth memorial built in the land of Canaan. The building of the altar showed a misunderstanding of the distinctiveness that God had commanded His people. The New Testament exhorts us to be careful with not only the inner motives of our actions but how they might be perceived by those around us.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The men of Israel gather to prepare for war in verses 11-12. They send a delegation to the two and a half tribes to discover the truth of their actions in verse 13-20. All of this because of the appearance of idolatry that the men had brought upon theirselves by their building of an altar.
And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice, And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.
And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel. And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying, Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord, But that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the Lord, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel. Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord’s 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. Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
In these verses, we see several different adjectives used for the act by the tribes. One is found in verse 16. The concern that the people had was that building this altar was an act of clear rebellion against God in this copy of the tabernacle altar. This word “rebel” is connected to the unfaithfulness of Israel as the Bride of God. One dictionary (NIDOTTE) defines this word as “covenant treachery”. Other words used to describe this action are “trespass” in verse 16 and “rebellion” in verse 22. A final word is used in verse 17 as “iniquity”. There was a character of unfaithfulness visible in this action by the men. There was a seriousness to this accusation as it was connected to coming judgment should it not be addressed.
Unfaithfulness to God is a serious problem. The men that come with Phineas are concerned about the unity and faithfulness of the people of God. In verses 21-29, we see the reply by the men to this accusation. The altar was to be a reminder and a witness to their faithfulness to God. They were concerned that the children of those in the land of Canaan would not allow them to have possession of the Lord in the years ahead. The altar was suppossed to be a witness to their continued faithfulness to the worship of God. Verse 30-34 give us the reaction by Phineas and his men. They are pleased and return to their side of the river.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Yet Weirsbe gives us insight to the real importance of this passage. He says,
Be Strong Joshua 22:30–34
Phinehas was pleased, the delegation was pleased, and the Children of Israel across the Jordan were pleased;
God is not pleased with our unfaithfulness, whether in our hearts or actions. Perhaps the men were not inwardly rebellious, but their actions pointed to the coming idolatry in the lives of Israel. Are you living your life in a way that reflects faithfulness to God?
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God wants faithfulness not only in the times of battle but also in our times of rest. One of the easiest times to allow our obedience to lapse is when things are going well and the battles seem past. Today, live out your love for the Lord and obey His Word no matter your circumstances.
Is it better to ask forgiveness than permission? The better question today is “does this action that I am going to take reflect my inner faithfulness to God?” The illustration of the altar gives us the setting for our application this morning. How are you going to respond when you are all alone in your Christian life? The believers in the land had seen the faith of these men of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh. Though they had not seen their wives and families for over seven years, they were faithful to fight for their brethren and to obey the commands of Moses and Joshua. When they were with other believers, they were living out their commitment to God. When they left, their first action pointed to idolatry instead of worship. The life of the believer is lived mostly in the 165 hours we are not in church and hearing the Word of God.
How do you live your life in those hours?
Are you listening to the Word of God in your daily walk with Him? Joshua commanded them to “take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law.” We need to be diligent, work hard, to be sure that we are obeying God in every area of life. How are your actions perceived by those around you? Do you live with the appearance of evil through some habit or choice that others might see as unfaithful to God? Are they reflective of a distinct obedience to God first of all?
How is your love for God when there are tough times in your life? Do you have the attitude of Jesus or Job’s wife? Jesus said, “not my will but thine be done.” Job’s wife said “curse God and die”.
How is your walk with God and your obedience to His Holy Spirit and His Word? This is the essence of the Christian life to spend our existence faithfully in the service of our God. He is worth our obedience just as He was obedience to come to earth to give His life for us.
How is your loyalty to Him? The word “cleave” indicates that we hold on to Him. Is your anchor holding to the Rock that will not move? What are you holding fast to this morning that will be there when the storms have ceased? Jesus commended the man who would build his house on the Rock in Matthew 5.
How is your service to God today? If you want to be involved in serving Him, He will always give you a way to serve. There is a connection card in the back on the table. You can mark on there that you would like to serve in some way in our church. We would also love to talk about that with you. The way that we serve God is through the local church.
Brother, Sister, how is your heart and soul? There are tests that you will face this week. How will you respond? What will your actions show to those around you, faithfulness or unfaithfulness? War or peace, take heed to your love today!
