From Joshua 22

As the Eastern tribes return to the land God had set aside for them, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh built an imposing altar.  The other tribes of Israelite catch wind of this and confront the tribes, concerned that they have built an altar to a foreign God.  They were afraid that this breach of faith with God would bring calamitous retribution on the entire people of Israel.  The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh explain that the altar was built to God because they were afraid that some future rift would separate their descendants from Israel’s other places of worship.  They built their own altar to ensure that their future generations would still be connected to the one, true God.  Once they explain their motivation, the rest of the Israelites turn away from the impending war and the altar is consecrated as a witness that the Lord is God.

This single case study provides an excellent historical case study for reconciliation.  Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh operated out of fear for the future. The other tribes made an negative assumption about what Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh were doing.  These two attitudes combined to create a conflict.  To the Israelites’ credit; however, they did stop to have a conversation that cleared up the misunderstanding and reconciled the relationship between tribes.  These events can remind us that sometimes people are motivated by a fear of what could be, a fear that might not occur to others.  We can avoid the trouble Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh experienced by sharing our own fears for the future, relying on the community God surrounds us with to support us.  We can avoid the trouble Israel almost started by making an effort to put the best possible construction on things we see others doing (e.g., first assuming that the altar was to God, not to some idol). Finally, we can avoid many of the conflicts in our lives by taking the time to stop and ask for the more complete picture.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously leads His people to peace and reconciliation.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to communicate and empathize with one another.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

  • Thank God for the support system in your life.
  • Confess to God the times where you have failed to communicate or have assumed the worst about someone else.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to bless God’s church with faithful unity.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious