Bible Talks

From: Messages of God's Love: 1953

Joshua 22:21-23:16²¹Then 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, ²²The 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,) ²³That 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; ²⁴And 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? ²⁵For 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. ²⁶Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: ²⁷But 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. ²⁸Therefore 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. ²⁹God 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. ³⁰And 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. ³¹And 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. ³²And 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. ³³And 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 dwelt. ³⁴And 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. ¹And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. ²And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: ³And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you. ⁴Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. ⁵And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you. ⁶Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; ⁷That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: ⁸But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day. ⁹For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. ¹⁰One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. ¹¹Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. ¹²Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: ¹³Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. ¹⁴And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. ¹⁵Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. ¹⁶When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you. (Joshua 22:21‑23:16)

The nine and a half tribes had accused their brethren of a false motive altogether, but here we see the Lord intervening in His grace — and that through grace working in the hearts of the two and a half tribes. They did not get angry because of the false accusations, but simply and quietly explained things, saying, “The Lord... He knoweth.” They admitted that if it was what those of the nine and a half tribes had thought—a departure from the Lord and His center—they had surely given cause for Their brethren to be concerned about it. The result was, as we have remarked before, Satan was defeated, strife and division were avoided, and all was settled for God’s glory and the blessing of His people.

Dear fellow Christian, let us not resent criticism, but be ready to take the humble place. If we are wrong let us admit it, and if we are not, let us be ready to explain without being angry. This is the only way to settle things according to God and with resultant blessing. Moreover it is a fine thing for even children to learn this, for often the habits of our childhood carry into later life. How many quarrels among the people of God have remained unsettled for years, because one or both parties were unwilling to talk the matter over in the fear of God and seek to understand why the other felt as he did. Remember there was wrong on both sides here in our chapter, but two wrongs never make a right, and yet the grace of God can set anything right. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:6⁶Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:6).

Joshua then called for the elders of Israel and told them that he was nearing the end of his earthly journey. He told of how the Lord had been faithful in giving them the land, but reminded them that their possession of it, and blessing in it, depended on their obedience to the law. He therefore exhorted them to be very courageous in keeping the law of Moses as the ground of their blessings. He warned them that if they married among the nations of the land that remained, God would not drive them out as He had promised, but would allow them to remain as thorns in their eyes and scourges in their sides.

Joshua reminded them of how all the good things God had promised had been fulfilled to the letter, but that if they departed from the Lord and worshiped other gods, then the curses which God had pronounced upon them for disobedience would also be fulfilled to the very letter. This is deeply solemn. Many today would like to claim the blessings of heaven without Christ as their Saviour, but let us remember that the fearful judgments of eternal hell are just as real and true for Christ-rejectors, as are the glories of heaven for those who believe.

Dear reader, how is it with you? Are you rejoicing in the blessed knowledge of Christ as your Saviour, or are you still rejecting Him? We most solemnly warn you that to reject Christ will bring upon you an eternity in the lake of fire, but if you will accept Him all the joys of eternal glory are yours. Do not delay, we beseech you, for God does not offer you salvation tomorrow, but TODAY. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7⁷Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (Hebrews 4:7).

ML 06/28/1953

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