Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
“Finish Lines” are wonderful places where we watch people complete their races. Finish lines can be graduation or retirement ceremonies or weddings or even funerals. For military people crossing their finish line, having completed their tour of duty, and returning to civilian life, can be traumatic!
Today in Joshua 22 let’s watch a huge number of courageous warriors cross their finish line and head home to their families! It was a very exciting moment in the Grand Narrative story of God’s people Israel.
We remember the Israelite tribes of Reuben, Gad and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh had requested permission from Moses to remain on the EAST side of the Jordan river PERMANENTLY while all the rest of the Israelite nation crossed the Jordan into the Land of God’s Promise. That story is found in Numbers 32. While greatly reluctant, Moses finally agreed, knowing this would separate the united nation of Israel.
But there was one condition: men from all three tribes would cross over the Jordan as warriors to help their fellow Israelites conquer their new homeland. (Num.32:19-22)
Today, in Joshua 22, we arrive at that wonderful ‘finish line’ when these warriors, from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, are released by Joshua from their mercenary roles and are sent back home to their families on the other side of the Jordan river! It was a very special day and I’m sure a great crowd had gathered to thank them and send them home.
I imagine Joshua stood on a high platform overlooking the crowd of warriors and shouted: “You have done all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now – to this very day – you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you.” (Joshua 22:2,3) Oh my, that sure sounds like “well done My good and faithful servant”, doesn’t it? Let’s pause a few seconds here for reflection. May I give us a few questions to consider?
* First…What is your ‘mission’ in life that you believe God has called you to?
Maybe it’s being a great, God honoring husband or father. Maybe a God honoring mother or wife? Maybe a God honoring businessman or woman; educator; health care provider or even a God honoring First Responder? What is your God given mission?
* Second… If you were to cross the finish line of your life TODAY, what words do you expect you’ll hear from God?
* Third… No matter how much time you have left to accomplish your God given mission, what are your priorities from here on to the end?
Now let’s return to Joshua’s ‘finish line’ ceremony with these warriors: “Now…return to your homes in the land Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to Him, to keep His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your hearts and all your soul.“ (Joshua 22:4,5)
Oh my! What a fantastic commissioning of these warriors now returning to civilian life as sons, husbands, dads, brothers, businessmen… as God’s people living on the other side of the Jordan. Please don’t rush past those powerful, historic, very significant words my friends.
It is our commissioning too, every day as followers of Jesus, isn’t it? They might even be worth writing down on a card and keeping handy to look at often as you and I head out into each new day!
The record says: “Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away…” Oh they did not leave empty handed, for they took with them a good bit of the bounty they had captured during their several years of conquering this land. It should not be difficult for us to imagine the scene as these soldiers and cousins embraced and thanked each other for how they had fought side by side to conquer the land.
Then, from Shiloh and the “Tabernacle of God”, they turned and headed east toward their homelands. It had been a long time that they’d been gone, and they’d worked and fought hard to take possession of the land. As they walked, I have no doubt they shared stories of all they’d experienced in those years. Somewhere along the line, as they walked and talked, they made a major decision which almost backfired into major conflict. Do you know what that decision was?
Joshua 22:10 reports that as they neared the Jordan river, preparing to cross back to the East side where their families were, they stopped and “…built an imposing altar there by the Jordan river.” Have you ever done something with the purest of motives, which was totally misunderstood, and people took offense? That is exactly what happened.
As you read the remainder of Joshua 22, you’ll see that when word came back to Shiloh of this great altar, they assumed it was an act of rebellion, and they rallied to actually take up arms and go fight their cousins whom they had just commissioned to go home!! (Joshua 22:11.12)
Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed, and they sent Phinehas the priest, and a delegation representing all Israel, to go and inquire the reason and purpose of this huge altar and negotiate with those who had built it! (Joshua 22:13-20) You’ll find their accusation remarkable, but you’ll find the response of the altar builders even more amazing! (Joshua 22:21-29)
Rather than a symbol of rebellion and declaring their independence from Israel, it was an altar of remembrance and invitation! Its purpose was to remind those who had chosen to live on the east side of the Jordan that Israel was ONE people, God’s people, and that the “Tent of Meeting”, the Tabernacle, was the one place where God invited His people to gather to meet with Him in worship! It was an altar of peace, of commitment, of unity, of calling the people to God! Joshua 22:34 says: “And the Reubenites and Gadites gave the altar this name: “WITNESS”. It is A Witness Between Us – that the LORD is God!” (Joshua 22:34)
As I reflect on this, I look at the wedding band on my hand. It too is a ‘witness’ between my wife and me, that our vow to each other and to God will unite us for the rest of our earthly lives, as husband and wife deeply committed to honoring God with every day of our marriage. What does the wedding band on your hand say to you and anyone else who sees it?
And I look at family pictures on my desk and office wall. While they mark a moment of time in the past, they are a witness that my wife and I are parents and grandparents, and NOTHING will ever undo the miracle of childbirth and family connection. But more, those pictures are a witness to me, of my role in doing all I can to mentor my family to know, love and honor Jesus Christ with their lives!
So, let’s pause today looking around our homes, our lives to see what things are similar to that Witness Altar in Joshua 22? Things in our lives which call us to faithfulness to God and to our vows! I urge us all to take some time and talk with God seeking to understand what God wants to teach us in our lives through Joshua 22! Very good notes are available on the Grand Narrative link below, and then it’s time to worship. Sometimes the voices of children can draw us to worship in a very powerful way! And I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow…
Today’s Scripture: Joshua 22.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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