The Common Rope

Edited by Steve Fountain. From a sermon on November 11, 2012

The last few verses of Joshua 21 prepared us for the commencement of life after war.  Because of the faithfulness of God to keep his promises — including the land He promised to their fathers — it is Israel’s natural response to gratefully be faithful to God in return.

Chapter 22 starts with the Reubenites, Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh heading home to their inheritance. Back in Numbers 32, prior to the crossing of the Jordan, these 2 ½  tribes asked Moses for land on the other side of the River. Moses said, “The west side still has to be taken.  Are you going to stay here in peace while your brothers who fought for you have to go on in war?”  

Those fighting men responded, “We’ll go with the rest and fight as long as the war is on.”  And Moses said, “Good.  Then all is well.”

Seven years have past since these men went to fight. They have been separated from their wives, their families, their inheritance. With the campaigns were over and the land divided, it was time to go home.

Joshua sends them off with words of wisdom and warning:“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (22:5)

As we reach verse 10, the 2 ½  tribes build an altar by the Jordan. The well-intentioned act instead spurs the western tribes to worry about a rebellion against the unifying altar in Shiloh. 

By verse 12, “... the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.”

Did you catch the last few words of verse 12? They were prepared to go to war with their friends over this issue. Why? 

There is only one explanation. Although they loved their brothers to the east and were certainly tired of fighting, they nevertheless loved the honor of God more and were determined to let nothing intrude on that honor of God more.

In the verses that follow, there is a conversation between brethren that results in a happy ending.  I say a conversation, because it was a delegation of 10 men from the west who were sent to talk with the leaders of the east side.  In verses 13-20, the men from the west go and inquire what is going on.  In verses 21-29, the tribes on the east side respond.  In verses 30-34, war is avoided and faithfulness to God is preserved.  How was this possible? 

I believe that the flow of their conversation demonstrates that because they loved God so supremely, it moved them to ensure that the holiness of God would not be compromised and in a way that ensured a lasting relationship.  The love they had for God was such that it caused them to love their neighbor, too.  

It is important to recognize that there is humility on both sides of this conversation.  In presenting to the Eastern tribes the way they saw the situation, the Western tribes allowed a gentle explanation.  

The courage to go and find out the truth was done with a courageous love and was met with a courageous humility.  

Sadly, we don’t even take the necessary steps find out answers for ourselves.  We stew on things until the water boils dry.  Or we talk to people we think will be sympathetic to our cause or viewpoint, or share a ‘prayer request’ with them.  If we would take the bold steps of love shown to us in these verses then we have less messes.

Make no mistake! For unity to be that good, that sweet, we must guard the glory of God.  

We cannot have a false unity around error, we must be like the West, and ensure that our brothers are remaining faithful to God, when we go, we must do so with a spirit of love, or all will be lost.  We must grip the common rope of God’s faithfulness and be faithful.