Joshua 22
You remember that only the of war of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh went with the rest of Israel across the Jordan River into Canaan; but they left their families with their flocks in the land east of Jordan, where they wanted to live, because they liked that land for pastures (Josh. 1:12-1612And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them; 15Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord's servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. 16And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. (Joshua 1:12‑16))
As we think of the children of those tribes, we wonder if they watched their fathers and relatives cross over the dry road God made. in the river; perhaps they were too far away, or too busy keeping the cattle and flacks. And they missed the joy of entering Canaan.
After those men had helped in the battles in. Canaan, Joshua told them they could go back to their families, only to be sure to remember the words God had spoken to all.
The men started back to the country east of Jordan. As they journeyed., they. seemed to have been thinking how their children would miss learning of the Lord, as the children of their relatives in Canaan would, at the Tabernacle.
So when they crossed the Jordan, and came to the place where God had led the big company across the river, they stopped and built a great altar. Usually an altar was made to burn sacrifices on (Ex. 20:2424An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. (Exodus 20:24)). God had said to all Israel that they should not take their offerings to any place except the one He chose, which was then at the Tabernacle in Shiloh (Deut. 12:13,1413Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: 14But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee. (Deuteronomy 12:13‑14); Josh. 18:11And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them. (Joshua 18:1)).
The tribes in Canaan heard of the altar by the river, and they sent men to ask the men of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh why they had made another altar.
They answered that the new altar was not for sacrifices, but only for all their children to see; to remember that the same Lord was God of all.
Those men could, no doubt, have had pastures for their cattle with the rest in Canaan, if they had believed God’s promises. Then their children could have enjoyed the feasts and times of praise to God with the other children in Canaan. The big altar at Jordan could not really help them any, because it was not one God had said to build, and the place to have God’s blessing is always where He tells His people to go.
ML 05/29/1938