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. 1:12-16)
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. 20:24). 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. 12:13,14; Josh. 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