The Argument (Josh. 22:22-29)

11/11/2009 8:53 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                 Focus:  The argument

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Joshua 22:21-29

 

            Message of the verses:  “21 ¶  Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the families of Israel. 22  "The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the LORD do not save us this day! 23  "If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself require it. 24  "But truly we have done this out of concern, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your sons may say to our sons, "What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? 25  "For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD." So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the LORD.’ 26  "Therefore we said, ‘Let us build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; 27  rather it shall be a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to perform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."’ 28  "Therefore we said, ‘It shall also come about if they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, "See the copy of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather it is a witness between us and you."’ 29  "Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from following the LORD this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is before His tabernacle.’”

            I have never felt that what these two and a half tribes of Israel did was right when they choose to live on the east side of the Jordan River, not knowing what they had done wrong, but knowing that they did do something wrong.  I wish to make several quotes from “Be Strong” which is Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on Joshua:  “They put their cattle ahead of their children and their fellow Jews, but they blamed God and the other tribes for the problem they had created.”  This was in view of verse 25:  “"For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD." So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the LORD.’”  The Lord did not do this but they did it to them selves because of their desire to live in a place that was accommodating for their cattle. 

            Speaking on the kind of witness they gave Dr. Wiersbe writes:  “No, it was a witness to expediency, the wisdom of man in trying to enjoy ‘the best of both worlds.’  The two and a half tribes talked piously about their children, but it was their wealth that really motivated their decision to live east of the Jordan.”

            Writing about the altar that Joshua had erected when Israel came out of the Jordan river and the altar that the two and a half tribes built Warren Wiersbe writes:  “Their ‘altar’ contradicted the altar that Joshua had erected to the glory of God. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God’ (Col. 3:1, NKJV).”

           

           

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. 1.   Think before acting.
2. Take off the old and put on the new.
3. Put on the spiritual armor:  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and take up the Sword of the Spirit.
4. Continue to learn contentment.
5.  Put on Christ’s yoke in order to be yoked with Him to find rest because of the inheritance that I already have in Him.
6. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service for today.
7. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.

 

11/11/2009 09:46 AM