Altars of Unnecessary Argument

Introduction

Recap from last several weeks and last week.

If you have been joining us for some time, you know that we have been tackling the book of Joshua for several weeks. Hopefully, you feel like you’re getting to know your God more; growing in your appreciation for His consistency; and well aware of His salvific plan for Israel and all mankind.

Here’s the breakdown one more time in case you’ve struggled to hold the book together or just want a refresher before making our way into today’s study:

Chiastic Structure and Robert Traina’s Chart -

So, we have witnessed the transition of Joshua into leadership, the transition of the people to a new leader, and the command implemented by Joshua and the people to be strong, courageous and obey God.

Following last week’s message:

The people of Israel were now divided into the different allotments of land God guaranteed. Finally, it was necessary to distribute “homes” to the Levites. Levi was one of the sons of Joseph. But, he and his descendants were not given an inheritance. Instead, God had another plan.

Each of the lines of Aaron’s sons made up the house of Levi. None of Levi’s household received an inheritance of land. In light of that - God gave them himself as their possession! Really, that’s not a bad gig when you think of it. However, that meant they would not have a place to provide for themselves. They were Yahweh’s servants, His temple, sacrifices of the nation, AND the UNITY of the nation was their lot.

The not on unity is important. Since Levi had no territorial boundaries, they were given cities across the land of Israel. That act in itself, had an important role for the nation. Since they were the only tribe with a “footprint” across the land, they would also act as God’s presence spread throughout the land.

For the purposes of our time this morning, that point will be the most beneficial to our study.

Now, let’s jump into chapter 22.

If it’s helpful to you, I’m going to use the outline in your bulletin to guide the message. Perhaps more readily so than usual. I also want to share a very important incident that took place in my life many years ago.

Let’s get a snapshot of what took place in Joshua 22:1-8

Joshua 22:1–8 ESV

1 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God. 4 And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. 7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, 8 he said to them, “Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.”

At this point, given all that Joshua has said, do we have a good impression of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and 1/2 Tribe of Manasseh? YES! From what Joshua (and the author) recorded, these guys were some of the most notable of among the tribes of Israel. This is the Authors way of setting us up for what’s coming.

Let’s look on into the next section: Joshua 22:9-12

Joshua 22:9–12 (ESV)

9 So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the Lord through Moses.

10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. 11 And the people of Israel heard it said, “Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.” 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.

Story beginning. Ashley, Morgan, and morning routine of middle school. GO TO THE POINT OF SITTING IN MS. DAMOS OFFICE; ON THE EDGE OF TEARS; CLUELESS TO WHY YOU’RE THERE. STOP BEFORE BRING ASHLEY INTO the office.

Now, keep in mind the picture we had of how Joshua sent Reuben, Gad, and 1/2 Tribe of Manasseh over the Jordan.... Good or bad picture?

BUT LOOK AT THE RESPONSE!?

At this point, we should ask some major questions.

Restate why Israel should NOT have jumped to such a conclusion.

Acting on HEARSAY will alway lead you ASTRAY

This next section is the largest portion of today’s text: Joshua 22:13-29

Joshua 22:13–29 (ESV)

13 Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15 And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord? 17 Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord’s land where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’ ”

21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.” ’ 28 And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.” ’ 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”

Do the Reubenites, Gadites, and 1/2 Tribe of Manasseh have clean hands, pure hearts, and holy motives? YES!

Why couldn’t the brothers of Israel see that?

Just a quick note about Deut. 13:12-15

Deuteronomy 13:12–15 ESV

12 “If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there, 13 that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, 14 then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, 15 you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.

Ya know…in one sense… the tribes West of the Jordan were trying to be “obedient”.... but, as my Mom would say… “They put the cart before the horse.” Thank God, they were willing to obey ALL of Deut. 13:12-15… they took a delegation. But the delegation came with thundering ACCUSATION. They didn’t come with questions… just assumptions. They “knew” rebellion was imminent.

IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THEIR LEADER WAS INSTALLED BY THE PREVIOUS LEADER… AND HAD SENT THOSE TRIBES BACK WITH. HIS. FULL. BLESSING!

It’s hard transitioning in leadership… isn’t it.?

Well… how’s this near debacle end?

Joshua 22:30–34 (ESV)

30 When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”

32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. 34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

The report was good and the word was well-received because both parties HAD THE WHOLE STORY!

What do we learn from this part of the narrative?

ACTING ON HALF TRUTH … FINISH STORY WITH ASHLEY

Then… Be thankful

FINAL SLIDE

WHEN BOTH PARTIES ACT IN FEAR - DISASTER IS NEAR! GO. AND. TALK!

It’s what you see Christ COMMAND in Matthew 18:15 “15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” (This is a big deal because the same precedence - go and talk - is set whether the problem is SIN or FEAR of A PROBLEM. Either way.... HAVE THE TALK BEFORE YOU HAVE THEM WALK THE PLANK!

You see echos of vulnerability in James 5:16 “16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”