When God Saves His People From Themselves (Joshua 22:1-34) Series

Most movies that you go to see in theatres share a similar framework. Something bad happens, or has happened, at the start of the movie, that leads to tension and conflict. Eventually, there's a big climactic scene near the end of the movie where everything gets resolved. At this point, the story is very nearly done. There's no more tension; there's no more conflict. But the movie writer can't simply shut off the lights, and send you home. Why? There's usually loose ends that need to be tied up. And if the writer doesn't tie those loose ends up, the audience might go home unhappy-- audiences want everything neat, and tidy, and happy.

The book of Joshua began with 3 open questions. (1) Would Yahweh prove faithful? (2) Would Joshua be strong and brave? And the third was this: (3) Would the tribes obey Yahweh and Joshua? And, specifically, and I can't explain why Joshua does this, the focus is on the 2 1/2 tribes that lived on the wrong side of the Jordan River-- on the side that originally wasn't going to be part of the land given to Israel.

At the start of the book of Joshua, these 2 1/2 tribes already controlled their land-- Israel had already defeated their enemies living there-- but the 2 1/2 tribes were told that they had a responsibility to their brothers. The women and children were allowed to settle in the land, but Joshua told the men from these 2 1/2 tribes that they would be the tip of the spear in invading the land.

It would've been easy for these 2 1/2 tribes to shirk their duty to Yahweh, to Joshua, and to the other tribes, but they courageously obeyed. They took the point (Joshua 1:12-18).

And now that Israel has killed off all of their enemies-- the Nephilim kings are all dead, with a few exceptions-- Joshua gives them permission to return to their wives, children, land, and possessions. The only thing he asks, at this point, is that they continue loving, and serving Yahweh with their whole being. Their obligation to Yahweh is not something that ends after the conquest. He then blesses them, and they go home:

(22:1) At that same time, Joshua was calling to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half tribe of Menasheh,

(2) and he said to them,

"You kept all that he commanded you-- Moses, the servant of Yahweh,

and you heeded my voice in all that I commanded you.

(3) You didn't forsake your brothers these many days, up to this day,

and you kept the obligation of the command of Yahweh your Elohim/God,

(4) and now, Yahweh has given rest to your brothers just as he spoke to them,

and so then, turn and walk to your tents-- to the land of your possession

that Moses the servant of Yahweh gave to you beyond the Jordan.

(5) Only, very much keep to do the command(ment) and the Torah

that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you

by loving Yahweh your Elohim/God,

by walking in all his ways/roads,

and by keeping his command(ment)s,

and by clinging to him,

and by serving him with all your mind and with all your inner being,

(6) And Joshua blessed them,

and he sent them away,

and they went to their tents,

(7) while to the half tribe of Menashah, Moses gave in the Bashan,

while to the other half Joshua gave with their brothers from beyond the Jordan to the west,

and, what's more , when Joshua sent them away to their tents and he blessed them, (8) he said to them, saying,

"With much wealth return to your tents, and with very much livestock, with silver and gold, and with bronze and with iron and with very much clothing.

Divide the loot of your enemies with your brothers,"

(9) and they returned,

and the sons of Reuben and the sons of God and the half tribe of Menashah walked from with the sons of Israel from Shiloh that [was] in the land of Canaan to walk to the land of the Gilead-- to the land of their possession that they acquired of it by the mouth of Yahweh through the hand of Moses.

So at this point, we expect that we are done hearing about the 2 1/2 tribes. We assume that AJ has very kindly, and neatly, wrapped up the details for us so we can finish the book happy. But real life is messier than Hollywood, and we find ourselves still reading about them in verse 10:

(10) And they [the 2 1/2 tribes] went to the region of the Jordan,

that is in the land of Canaan,

and the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Menasha built there an altar on the Jordan-- a large altar in appearance--