Joshua 22, An Altar at Geliloth

There are still more conversations required about land distribution.  One of them will be viewed as a threat to one group.

Joshua 22: 1-9, The transjordan tribes released

Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh and said to them, "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 brothers but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you.

"Now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that 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 all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul."

Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes.

(To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan with their brothers.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, saying, "Return to your homes with your great wealth--with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing--and divide with your brothers the plunder from your enemies."

 

So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the LORD through Moses.

These people, of Reuben, Gad and some from Manasseh have been given land east of the Jordan. They have aided the other tribes in conquering the land west of the Jordan.  Now they are allowed to return home with the blessing of Joshua and the other Israelites.

Joshua 22: 10-14, Confusion about an altar

When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.

 So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead--to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. With him they sent ten of the chief men, one for each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.

On way home, the transjordan tribes build an altar.  There is a misunderstanding about the reason for this.

The Israelites have been instructed to worship YHWH in one place, where the ark resides.  They are not to follow the Canaanite custom of placing altars on every hilltop, regardless of whom they worship. That one place of worship has moved as the people invaded Canaan, first at Gilgal outside Jericho (Joshua 5: 10), then at Mount Ebal after the victory at Jericho (Joshua 8: 30-33), and then at Shiloh (Joshua 18: 1.) The location will change again, eventually settling on Solomon's temple in Jerusalem. Later Jeroboam will bring Israel to ruin by setting up a competing altar at Bethel (I Kings 12: 25-33.)

Joshua 22: 15-20, Accusations against the transjordan tribes

When they went to Gilead--to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh--they said to them: "The whole assembly of the LORD says: `How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now?

"Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the LORD! And are you now turning away from the LORD? "`If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel.

"If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the LORD's land, where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the LORD our God.

"When Achan son of Zerah acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things, did not wrath come upon the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.'"

The majority of tribes warn the transjordan tribes, "Why do you do this?  Remember, if you sacrifice to other gods, there is destruction!"

Joshua 22: 21-29, Reassurance

Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the LORD, do not spare us this day. If we have built our own altar to turn away from the LORD and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the LORD himself call us to account.

"No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, `What do you have to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?  The LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you--you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the LORD.' So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the LORD.

"That is why we said, `Let us get ready and build an altar--but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.' On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the LORD at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, `You have no share in the LORD.'

"And we said, `If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the LORD's altar, which our fathers built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.'

"Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle."

The Transjordan tribes explain their reasoning.  This altar is dedicated only to worshiping YHWH. The altar is intended as an act of unity with the other tribes, not a breakaway. 

The two-and-a-half Transjordan tribes have a legitimate concern; the "Promised Land" has been viewed as the land west of the Jordan and as they have settled east of the Jordan, there is a real possibility that they will be left out. (Today that territory mostly belongs to the country of Jordan with a far northern portion claimed by Syria.)

Joshua 22: 30-34, Approval

When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community--the heads of the clans of the Israelites--heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, "Today we know that the LORD is with us, because you have not acted unfaithfully toward the LORD in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the LORD's hand."

Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.

And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God.

The priests are relieved.  This is not a threat. They support the actions of the Transjordan tribes.