Joshua 22:7-10 - "A Great Impressive Altar"

10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan--a great, impressive altar.   When we come to Joshua 22, the conquest of the Promise Land by the twelve tribes of Israel is complete. The battles have been fought and won. The inheritance of the land has been successfully distributed to all the tribes. It is at this point, after seven years of battles, that Joshua gives an honorable discharge to the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh (v. 1). In verses 2-8, Joshua commended them for keeping their promise and being obedient. He gives them permission to go back to their families on the east side of he Jordan River. He reminds them to love the LORD and keep His commandments and he blesses them.   As the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh made their way east and passed landmarks that brought back memories of the great things God had done, their hearts began to disturb them. They were going home to the land that they had chosen for themselves; but somehow they began to feel isolated from the nation of Israel.   There's no question that Canaan was God's appointed land for His people; anything short of Canaan wasn't what He wanted for them. The two and a half tribes made their decision, not on the basis of spiritual values, but on the basis of material gain; for the land east of the Jordan was ideal for raising cattle. Remember the decision Lot made when he pitched his tent toward Sodom (Gen. 13:10-11). In both instances, the people walked by sight and not by faith.   By making this decision, the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh divided the nation and separated themselves from the blessings of the land of Canaan. They were farther away from the tabernacle and closer to the enemy. In a previous chat we called them "borderline believers." You'll recall that Egypt represents the world and Canaan the believer's inheritance in Christ. The wilderness wanderings represent the experience of believers who don't enter by faith into the rest God has for them (Heb. 3-4). The two and a half tribes portray believers who have experienced the blessings and battles of Canaan, their inheritance in Christ, but prefer to live on the border, outside God's appointed place of blessing.   How did they decide to solve the problem which they themselves had created? By building a large altar of stones by the Jordan River, on the Canaan side, as a reminder to everybody that the two and a half tribes also belonged to the nation of Israel. Had these tribes been living in the land of Canaan where they belonged, nobody would have questioned their nationality. But living outside the land, they gave the impression that they were not Israelites.   This is now the eighth memorial erected in Canaan (Josh. 4:9, 20-24; 7:26; 8:29-32; 10:27). But it's unfortunate when believers have to resort to artificial means to let people know they're God's people. In recent years we've seen a spate of "religious" bumper stickers, jewelry, decals, and other items (including mirrors and combs with Bible verses on them), all of which are supposed to help identify the owners with Jesus Christ. While these things might occasionally open doors of opportunity for witness, how much better it would be if our Spirit-led conduct and speech made the lost sit up and take notice. When we're living as God wants us to live, we're salt and light; and the Lord uses our witness for His glory.   We could call this “great, impressive altar” that they built on the border of the Jordan “a pretend altar”. It might look attractive and get attention and make them look “spiritual”, but the only worship God accepts and that pleases Him, was at the tabernacle at Shiloh!   We are called to live holy lives, not a pretend religion.   God bless!