Misunderstanding: Conflict Resolution & Holy Preservation Amongst The People Of God
Call To Worship Scripture
Sermon Scripture
A. The Final Admonition Given by Joshua to the Eastern Tribes: Warnings That “Borderline Believers” Must Heed to Secure God’s Promised Rest, 22:1–34
(22:1–34) Introduction: a “borderline believer” is a believer who compromises with the world. Compromising with the world is sin. Far too many of us lose sight of the great inheritance God promises us and begin to focus upon the world. When we look at it and see what it has to offer, we begin to covet the things of the world …
• coveting more and more money and the things it buys
• seeking illicit sex and fleshly pleasures
• craving larger houses, properties, and other luxuries
• desiring more and more recognition, esteem, and honor
• grasping after higher positions, authority, and power
• wanting the fame and attention of the world
The things of the world can consume the human heart. And far too often, believers become engrossed in the world and become “borderline believers,” believers who are compromising with the world. They become half-hearted followers of Christ.
The East Jordan tribes of Israel had become “borderline believers.” The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had coveted the land of East Jordan. They knew that East Jordan was outside Canaan, was not a part of the promised land of God. However, this fact did not stop these tribes from insisting that Moses allow them to settle there, giving them the land as their part of the inheritance. (See outline and notes—Nu. 34:2–15 for more discussion.)
The motive of the East Jordan tribes is a picture of worldly compromise. They became a prime example of “borderline believers.” They were always to be “on the other side,” “across the Jordan.”
This passage begins the last section of the great book of Joshua. Final preparations for living a full and victorious life were now to be made. Joshua would soon leave this earth and go home to be with the LORD. Consequently, he must do all he could to make sure the tribes of Israel lived a full and victorious life before the LORD. This is the subject of the present passage of Scripture: The Final Admonition Given by Joshua to the Eastern Tribes: Warnings That “Borderline Believers” Must Heed to Secure God’s Promised Rest, 22:1–34.
1. The summons and strong commendation given them: a lesson on loyalty, faithfulness, and completing one’s mission (vv.1–3).
2. The “honorable discharge” given them: a picture of securing God’s promised rest (v.4).
3. The strong admonition and charge given them: a lesson on keeping the commandments and law of God (v.5).
4. The wonderful rewards given them for their faithfulness (vv.6–8).
5. The dangerous crisis created by the eastern tribes, the appearance of rebellion: a lesson on guarding against turning away and rebelling against God (vv.9–20).
6. The passionate defense by the apparent rebels: a lesson on the need to remember God and not forget Him (vv.21–29).
7. The reconciliation and unity renewed: a lesson on the need to guard the unity and oneness of spirit among God’s people (vv.30–34).
1 (22:1–3) Faithfulness, Example of—Loyalty, Example of—Perseverance, Example of—Reuben, Tribe of, Faithfulness—Gad, Tribe of, Faithfulness—Manasseh, Tribe of, Faithfulness—East Jordan, Tribes of, Faithfulness: the East Jordan tribes were summoned by Joshua and given a strong commendation. They had been faithful and loyal, and had completed the mission given them, the mission of fighting side by side with their Israelite brothers. Remember, the East Jordan tribes had inherited their land years before the other tribes of Israel. Moses had agreed to give them the East Jordan land only if they helped the other tribes conquer their inheritance. In fact, Moses had given them a very special mission: they had to be in the forefront of the battles, the spearhead division of the army. They were to lead the attack and be the first to engage the enemy. If they were willing to meet this condition, they could have the East Jordan lands as their inheritance.
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had agreed to the terms laid down by Moses. This agreement had taken place over seven years before the present event. These tribes had been faithful, loyal to the mission given them by Moses. They had spearheaded the attacks against the enemies of the promised land, been the first to engage the enemy throughout the seven years of military conquest. The major battles were over, and the promised land had now been conquered. It was time to go home. This was the reason Joshua summoned the tribes of East Jordan to appear before him and the Israelites, appear in military formation and array.
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1. The summons & strong commendation given them: A lesson on loyalty, faithfulness, & completing one’s mission
a. They had been loyal to their leaders
Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
2 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:
b. They had been loyal to their fellow soldiers, their brothers; had not deserted them
c. They had been loyal to carry out the mission given them by God
3 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.
Note that Joshua commended the soldiers of the East Jordan tribes for their loyalty to their military commanders and to Moses. Then he commended them for having obeyed his orders throughout the difficult years of battle. But that was not all the commendation they received. Note what Joshua then said: they had been loyal to their fellow soldiers, to their fellow Israelite brothers. They had not deserted them, but rather they had carried out the mission given them by God Himself. They had proven faithful and loyal and had completed the mission given them.
Thought 1. What a dynamic example on faithfulness, loyalty, and completion of one’s mission. Imagine fighting in a war for over seven long years, always being in the spearhead division, always being out front in the battles, always being one of the first to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Not in just three or four of the battles, but in all the battles over seven long years. This was the mission of the soldiers of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh from the East Jordan territory. And they were faithful in their mission, loyal in persevering to the very end of the conquest of the promised land.
God demands faithfulness, loyalty, and perseverance to the end of our mission upon earth. We are to complete the call, the task God has given us to do. We are to persevere to the very end, laying hold of the inheritance God has promised us. The call of the hour is for men and women, boys and girls who will be faithful to God and His mission of reaching the world so that every human being can inherit the promised land of God. To achieve the mission of God, faithful and loyal witnesses are needed—witnesses who will persevere to the very end. Just as the East Jordan tribes helped their fellow brothers of Israel, so we must help our fellow brothers and sisters all over this world, help them to achieve their inheritance of the promised land. We must be faithful in reaching out to assist them, loyal and persevering to the very end.
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Mt. 10:22).
“And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities” (Lu. 19:17).
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Co. 4:2).
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD” (1 Co. 15:58).
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Ga. 6:9).
“And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after” (He. 3:5).
“But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (He. 3:6).
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (He. 12:1).
“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pe. 1:13).
“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Pe. 3:13–14).
“But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day” (Jos. 23:8).
2 (22:4) Military, Example of Service, Honorable Discharge—Spiritual Rest—Hope, Example of—East Jordan, Tribes of, Honor of: the East Jordan tribes received an “honorable discharge” from Joshua. They had been fighting for over seven long years, fighting and struggling to defeat the enemies of the promised land. They had witnessed the screams and horrors of war: the bloodshed, mutilated bodies, missing limbs, and agonizing death of soldier after soldier. But through it all they had been faithful in helping their Israelite brothers secure victory over the enemies of the promised land. For seven long years they had been waging the battle against the enemy, never able to return home to their families, wives, children, parents, and loved ones. But now, since the victory had been won, the promised land was at rest. The tribes of Israel could now experience the promised rest that God had pledged to give them. Since the promised rest had been achieved, the East Jordan tribes could now receive an “honorable discharge” and go home. (See notes—Jos. 1:10–15; 11:23, pt. 5; 14:15; 21:44, pt. 2, 23:1–2 for more discussion.)
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2. The “honorable discharge” given them: A picture of securing God’s promised rest
a. They had helped their brothers achieve God’s rest
b. They could now go home
4 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.
Thought 1. God promises to give us spiritual rest, the rest of body and the rest of soul. The rest of God means peace of heart and mind, the assurance of security and protection, purpose and meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction in life. Simply stated, God’s rest means that we live the victorious life over all the enemies that try to defeat and destroy us day by day; that we know the peace and security of God’s presence, provision, and guidance.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Mt. 11:28–29).
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jn. 4:14).
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (Jn. 6:35).
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27).
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world” (He. 4:1–3).
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief” (He. 4:9–11).
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the LORD from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Re. 14:13).
“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest” (Ex. 33:14).
“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Ps. 17:15).
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Ps. 23:1–6).
“For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Ps. 107:9).
“Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee” (Ps. 116:7).
“To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear” (Is. 28:12).
“For thus saith the LORD GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not” (Is. 30:15).
3 (22:5) Charge, Duty—Admonition, Duty—Commandment, Duty—Law of God, Duty: the East Jordan tribes were given a strong admonition and charge by Joshua. As these tribes returned home, one thing was an absolute essential: they must continue to be faithful to the LORD. They must keep God’s commandments, always obey Him. If they were not faithful, if they failed to obey God and keep His commandments—they would lose the promised land. They would lose their inheritance. The spiritual rest they were now experiencing would be gone. All their hopes and dreams would be wiped out, crushed, and dashed upon the rocks of despair. Joshua had to do all he could to prevent this from ever happening. Therefore, he gave a strong admonition to the tribes: they must be careful, very careful, to be faithful to God. They must take careful heed to keep the commandments and law of God. Joshua issued four strong charges to the East Jordan tribes:
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3. The strong admonition & charge given them: A lesson on keeping the commandments & law of God
a. Must love God
b. Must walk in the ways of God
c. Must obey God
d. Must hold fast to God
e. Must serve God
5 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.
a. The East Jordan tribes must be careful to love the LORD their God. Loving God is the first and greatest commandment. God’s people must love Him with all their heart, mind, body, soul, and strength. Note how practical the commandment is when it spells out mind, body, soul, and strength.
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mk. 12:29–30).
“And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Col. 3:14).
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21).
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (De. 6:5).
“O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer” (Ps. 31:23).
b. The East Jordan tribes must be careful to walk in the ways of the LORD. They professed to be believers, the people of God; therefore, they must follow God. They must walk after the LORD, walk in the path He had laid out before them, and follow all His ways.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Co. 5:7).
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Ga. 5:16).
“I therefore, the prisoner of the LORD, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ep. 4:1).
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ep. 5:2).
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Ep. 5:15).
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the LORD, so walk ye in him” (Col. 2:6).
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7).
“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 Jn. 2:6).
“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, LORD God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Re. 15:3).
“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him” (Ps. 18:30).
“He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting” (Hab. 3:6).
c. The East Jordan tribes must obey the LORD, keep His holy commandments (v.5). God’s promises were based upon obedience. If the people obeyed the LORD, they would be blessed by Him; but if they disobeyed Him, they would be cursed (De. 11:26–28). Furthermore, a person who truly loves the LORD keeps His holy commandments. A person’s love for God is proven by his or her obedience.
“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known” (De. 11:26–28).
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Jos. 1:8).
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mt. 7:21–23).
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (Jn. 14:21).
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (Jn. 15:10).
d. The East Jordan tribes must be careful to cling and hold fast to God. They must stand firm and never let go of the LORD. They professed to know the LORD and to follow Him; therefore, they must never let go of their profession. They must remain true to Him, true in their devotion and worship of Him.
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Lu. 9:23).
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my LORD: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Ph. 3:7–8).
“But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (He. 3:6).
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised” (He. 10:23).
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Pr. 3:5).
“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways” (Pr. 23:26).
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” (Is. 43:10).
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Je. 29:13).
“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2:12).
e. The East Jordan tribes must be careful to serve God; and note, they must serve the LORD with all their heart and all their soul. They must guard themselves against false gods and false religions. Their loyalty was due God and God alone. For God and God alone had given them the wonderful inheritance of the promised land. It was He and He alone who had empowered them to conquer all the enemies who had tried to defeat and destroy them, attempting to steal their inheritance from them. Because of who the LORD is and because of what the LORD had done for them, they were to serve the LORD with all their heart and all their soul.
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (Jn. 20:21).
“He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, LORD; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep” (Jn. 21:16).
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Ga. 6:2).
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Ga. 6:10).
“With good will doing service, as to the LORD, and not to men” (Ep. 6:7).
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (He. 12:28).
“And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee” (Ex. 23:25).
“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (De. 10:12).
“Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11).
4 (22:6–8) Blessings, Reward for Obedience—Obedience, Reward for—East Jordan, Tribes of, Reward for Obedience: the East Jordan tribes were given a wonderful reward for their faithfulness and loyalty. Joshua blessed them and then dismissed them, sending them back home to their families. But note, as they returned, they received great wealth from the spoils and plunder of war. They were given large herds of livestock, with large quantities of silver, gold, bronze, iron, and clothing (v.8.) Also note: the plunder was to be shared with all the people who had stayed back home to look after their families and to protect and maintain their property while they were off fighting for the promised land.
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4. The wonderful rewards given them for their faithfulness
a. They were dismissed & sent home to their inherited land
1) The one half-tribe of Manasseh that had received land in Bashan (East Jordan) left
2) The other half-tribe stayed in West Jordan
6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.
7 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,
b. They received great wealth from the spoils of war
c. They were encouraged to share their wealth: Share with those back home who had supported them
8 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.
Thought 1. The East Jordan tribes were greatly rewarded for their faithfulness to the LORD in fighting for the promised land. They had proven to be faithful and loyal, persevering to the end to accomplish the mission given them. Consequently, they were greatly rewarded.
Faithfulness to God will be rewarded. God promises to give us great rewards if we will just be faithful and loyal to Him. Note what God declares:
(1) The soul-winner will be rewarded.
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Da. 12:3).
(2) The humble believer will be rewarded.
“And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Mt. 10:42).
(3) The faithful servant will be rewarded.
“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Mt. 25:23).
(4) The believer who loves and does good will be rewarded.
“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Lu. 6:35).
“But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile” (Ro. 2:10).
“Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the LORD, whether he be bond or free” (Ep. 6:8).
(5) The righteous will be rewarded.
“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Mt. 13:43).
(6) The true child of God will be rewarded.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Ro. 8:16–17).
(7) The believer who has a heavenly character and behavior will be rewarded.
“For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the LORD Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Ph. 3:20–21).
(8) The person who seeks things that are above, the things of Christ, will be rewarded.
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:1–4).
(9) The servants of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, will be rewarded.
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the LORD God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Re. 22:3–5).
(10) The believer who endures and perseveres to the end will be rewarded.
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Mt. 10:22).
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD” (1 Co. 15:58).
“Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Ti. 2:10).
(11) The believer who trusts Christ and serves Him will be rewarded.
“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (Jn. 12:26).
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:1–3).
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24).
(12) The believer who suffers persecution will be rewarded.
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Mt. 5:11–12).
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Ti. 2:12).
(13) The person who separates from the world and turns to the LORD will be rewarded.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the LORD, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the LORD Almighty” (2 Co. 6:17–18).
(14) The person who rejects the treasures of the world for the treasures of heaven will be rewarded.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Mt. 6:19–20).