Joshua Chapter 22
Showing all 34 verses for Joshua Chapter 22.
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"Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, "
"Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh."
Jesus calls those who have quietly done their duty over many years - carrying a burden others may not have shared - and names their faithfulness out loud. Do not wait to be praised before you notice the loyal service of the people around you; speak the thank you they have earned.
"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: "
"He said to them: 'You have done everything Moses, the LORD's servant, commanded you, and you have obeyed everything I told you.'"
Obedience that is quiet and consistent matters as much as obedience that is loud and public. I notice every time you have kept your word even when no one was watching, and that kind of faithfulness is exactly what I ask of you.
"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. "
"'You have not abandoned your fellow Israelites, all this time — instead you have carried out the duty the LORD your God gave you.'"
You have not abandoned your brothers and sisters even when the task was long and the reward was for someone else's land, not your own. That is love in action - staying present for others past the point where self-interest would have let you leave.
"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. "
"'And now the LORD your God has given your fellow Israelites rest, just as he promised. So now go back to your homes, to the land Moses, the LORD's servant, gave you on the other side of the Jordan.'"
When God gives rest, it is right to receive it and go home to the life he has prepared for you. You do not have to keep striving forever to prove your worth; rest is itself a gift he wants you to accept with gratitude.
"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. "
"'But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses, the LORD's servant, gave you — to love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, keep his commandments, stay close to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.'"
Success and rest are never the finish line for loving God - keep loving him, walking in his ways and holding fast to him with your whole heart. Outward achievement means nothing if your inward devotion quietly fades once the hard work is done.
"So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents. "
"So Joshua blessed them and sent them off, and they went home."
A blessing spoken in parting can carry someone through a long journey home. Do not let people leave your presence without a word of encouragement and grace to sustain them on the road ahead.
"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, "
"(Moses had given half the tribe of Manasseh land in Bashan, while Joshua had given the other half land among their fellow Israelites west of the Jordan. When Joshua sent this eastern half home too, he blessed them as well,)"
Fairness matters - one half of a family received their inheritance in one place, the other elsewhere, yet both were blessed equally by name. I do not love you less because your circumstances differ from your neighbour's; every path of obedience is honoured.
"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. "
"and said to them, 'Go home with great wealth — with very large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and with a great deal of clothing. Share the plunder you've won from your enemies with your relatives back home.'"
Do not hoard blessing for yourself - Joshua tells the tribes returning home, laden with riches, to share the spoil with their brothers who stayed behind. Whatever abundance comes to you was never meant to end with you alone.
"And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. "
"So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelites at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and set off for Gilead, the land they owned, which they had received exactly as the LORD had instructed through Moses."
These tribes went home exactly as God had directed through Moses long before, showing that obedience is often simply following through on a promise made years earlier. Faithfulness is finishing what was agreed, not just starting it with enthusiasm.
"And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. "
"When they reached the region near the Jordan, still within the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan — a large, imposing altar, visible from a distance."
A visible marker of faith, built with good intentions, can still be misread by others - and that risk does not make the intention wrong. When you act from a sincere heart, trust that truth will come out even if appearances cause confusion at first.
"And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel. "
"The rest of the Israelites heard that the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar facing the land of Canaan, at the border of the Jordan, on the Israelite side of the crossing."
Rumour travels fast, and what people 'hear say' is rarely the full story. Before you let a report shape how you feel about someone, remember that the first account is often incomplete.
"And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them. "
"When the Israelites heard about it, the whole community gathered at Shiloh, ready to go to war against them."
Zeal for God can move a whole community to prepare for war before all the facts are known - a warning to check your alarm against the truth before you act on it. Passion for what is right must be paired with patience to find out what is actually happening.
"And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, "
"So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead."
Notice that before any weapon is raised, a delegation is sent to ask and listen. I always want conversation to come before confrontation - seek to understand a brother's heart before you condemn his actions.
"And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel. "
"With him went ten leaders, one leading family from each tribe of Israel — each one the head of a family division among Israel's thousands."
Sending respected leaders rather than an army shows that this was meant to be a fair hearing, not an ambush. When trouble arises, send your wisest and most trusted people to seek peace, not your angriest.
"And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying, "
"They came to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, and they said to them,"
They travelled all the way to Gilead to speak face to face rather than settling for distant assumptions. Real reconciliation takes the effort of showing up in person, not just passing judgement from afar.
"Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD? "
"'This is what the whole community of the LORD says: What is this betrayal you've committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD today by building yourselves an altar — rebelling against the LORD this very day?'"
Even a sincere accusation, spoken with real concern for God's honour, can be mistaken - and it is right to voice the concern plainly so it can be answered. Bring your worries into the open rather than letting suspicion fester in silence.
"Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD, "
"'Wasn't the sin at Peor already bad enough for us — a sin we still haven't fully recovered from, even though it brought a plague on the whole community —'"
Painful memories of past failure can make a community understandably cautious about anything that looks similar. I understand when old wounds shape present fears, but I ask you not to let the past condemn someone before you have heard them.
"But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel. "
"'— that you must now turn away from following the LORD today too? If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel.'"
They feared that one tribe's apparent sin would bring judgement on the whole community - a reminder that we are bound together, for better or worse, as one people. Live in such a way that your choices build up your community rather than putting others at risk.
"Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God. "
"'If your own land is somehow impure, then cross over into the LORD's own land, where his tabernacle stands, and take a share among us — but don't rebel against the LORD, and don't rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar separate from the altar of the LORD our God.'"
The western tribes even offer to make room in their own land rather than let a possible wrong stand - true concern for someone is willing to sacrifice comfort to keep them close to God. Generosity, not just rebuke, is the mark of real care for another's soul.
"Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. "
"'Didn't Achan son of Zerah commit a violation with things set apart for destruction, and wrath fell on the whole community of Israel? He wasn't the only one who died for his sin.'"
They recall how one man's hidden sin brought consequences on the whole camp, which is why they take this so seriously - sin is never merely private. Take your own integrity seriously, knowing that your choices ripple out to the people around you.
"Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel, "
"Then the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of Israel's clans,"
Rather than answering anger with anger, the accused tribes respond calmly and together, ready to explain themselves honestly. When you are wrongly suspected, meet the accusation with patience and truth rather than defensive hostility.
"The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) "
"'The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows, and let Israel itself know: if this was done in rebellion or in unfaithfulness against the LORD, do not spare us today.'"
They appeal to God himself as the witness who truly knows their hearts, willing even to be judged if they are guilty. Live with such transparency before God that you could say the same - let him examine you and act accordingly.
"That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it; "
"'If we built ourselves an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings on it, or to offer peace offerings on it, let the LORD himself hold us accountable.'"
They are so confident in their innocence that they ask for judgement to fall on them if they are lying. Integrity does not fear investigation - when your motives are pure, you can welcome scrutiny rather than dread it.
"And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel? "
"'No — we did it out of concern about something quite different: that someday your descendants might say to our descendants, "What do you have to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?"'"
Their real motive was love for future generations - they feared their descendants would one day be excluded from worshipping God because of the Jordan between them. Think ahead about the faith of your children and grandchildren, not just your own standing today.
"For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. "
"'The LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites — you have no share in the LORD! That's what your descendants might make our descendants stop worshipping the LORD.'"
They feared a physical boundary would one day become a spiritual one, cutting their children off from belonging to God's people. Do not let geography, background, or circumstance become an excuse to tell anyone they have no part in me.
"Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: "
"'So we said, let's go ahead and build ourselves an altar — not for burnt offerings, and not for sacrifice,'"
They built the altar not to replace true worship but to prevent future division - sometimes a wise, visible action taken now can protect unity for generations to come. Think creatively about how to safeguard belonging for those who come after you.
"But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. "
"'but as a witness between us and you, and between the generations that come after us, that we may carry out the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices and our peace offerings — so that in future your descendants cannot say to our descendants, "You have no share in the LORD."'"
The altar was meant as a witness of shared identity, not a rival place of sacrifice - a physical reminder that all of them, on both sides of the river, belonged equally to the LORD. Look for ways to build lasting reminders that no one in your family or community is an outsider.
"Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you. "
"'So we said: if that is ever said to us or to our descendants in the future, we can answer, "Look at the design of the altar of the LORD, which our ancestors made — not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you."'"
They planned ahead for the very accusation they now faced, ready with a clear answer for their children's sake. Prepare your own heart and words in advance so that when your faith is challenged, you can explain it with confidence and love.
"God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle. "
"'God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from following him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings or sacrifices, in rival to the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle.'"
They reject the very idea of rebellion with horror - their whole desire was to remain faithful, not to divide from God's people. Let your reputation be built on a genuine longing to stay close to God, not on rule-keeping for its own sake.
"And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them. "
"When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community — the heads of Israel's clans who were with him — heard what the Reubenites, the Gadites and the Manassites said, they were satisfied."
When the explanation was heard, it pleased them - they were willing to change their minds once they understood the truth. Be humble enough to let a good explanation soften your judgement, rather than clinging to your first impression out of pride.
"And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD. "
"Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the Manassites: 'Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this act of unfaithfulness against the LORD. Now you have saved the Israelites from the LORD's punishment.'"
Phinehas openly admits he was relieved to find no sin, and gladly says so - a beautiful model of grace after suspicion. When you have wrongly doubted someone, say so plainly and let your relief at their innocence be heard.
"And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. "
"Then Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites, from the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the Israelites, and reported back to them."
The delegation carried the good news back so the whole community could share the relief and joy of reconciliation. Good news of restored peace between people is worth carrying far and telling fully.
"And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"The Israelites were satisfied with this, and they praised God, and gave up any plan to go to war against the Reubenites and Gadites to destroy the land where they lived."
The people's response to good news was to bless God, not merely to feel relieved for themselves. Let your first reaction to averted conflict and restored peace be gratitude towards God, who made the peace possible.
"And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God. "
"So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar 'Witness' — because, they said, 'it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.'"
They named the altar 'Witness' so that every generation who saw it would remember that the LORD alone is God, uniting them across every boundary. Build memorials in your own life - habits, words, traditions - that keep pointing your family back to the truth that we all belong to the one God.