Joshua 22

As a second example, the delegation mentioned the sin of Achan (verse 20) and his stealing of the devoted things that belonged to God (see Joshua 7:1 and comment). Their point, once again, was that because of one man’s sin, God’s wrath came on the entire community. This was why the western tribes were so upset with their eastern brethren: if so much trouble came upon Israel because of one man’s sin, what would happen if an entire two and a half tribes should be unfaithful to God!

The delegation even invited the eastern tribes to come over and settle in Canaan proper, if it would help keep them from being defiled (verse 19). Here the writer calls the land west of the Jordan the LORD’S land, thus suggesting that the land on the east side was not part of the “promised land.”⁶⁶

21–29 It was a good thing that the western tribes had not rushed off to war on the basis of their assumption! Their assumption had been totally incorrect. What a lesson there is here for all of us!

The two and a half tribes were easily able to explain why they had built that altar. It was not a “rival altar”; it was not for the purpose of presenting offerings to the Lord.⁶⁷ Rather, they had built it to be a witness that they were indeed faithful to God (verse 27). They feared that, in the future, the western tribes would begin to think that the eastern tribes were not true Israelites, that they had no share in the LORD (verses 25,27). If that happened, they could point to this altar as a witness to their faithfulness. They fully intended to bring their offerings to the one altar of the Lord at the tabernacle (verse 27). There need be no division between the eastern and western Israelites; they all worshiped the same God.

30–34 Phinehas and the western delegation were pleased (verse 30). When they returned to Shiloh, the Israelites there were glad . . . and praised God (verse 33). War had been averted. God’s wrath no longer threatened Israel.

The altar that the eastern tribes had built was given this name: A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God (verse 34). One God, one faith, one people—on both sides of the Jordan River.

Christians often find themselves in the same situation those ancient Israelites were in. We too have “eastern” churches and “western” churches. We Christians not only have geographical differences; we also have differences over secondary doctrinal matters. We have cultural and ethnic differences, gender differences, generation differences. Such differences are inevitable in a worldwide church; indeed, they are healthy. But they must not be allowed to turn into divisions; they must not be allowed to break our fellowship. When we sense that this is happening, we must at once turn to that altar called, “A Witness Between Us that the Lord is God. ” Our “altar,” however, is not made of stone; it’s made of wood. It’s called the cross.

But going beyond this, the cross is only a witness, a symbol of our unity. True unity is of the heart; it is spiritual. True unity can exist only when we are spiritually one in Christ, when we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, when we share the same basic faith that states: Jesus is Lord, and He alone.