Joshua, Chapter 22 - Crisis Averted! | Prophets of Israel Daily

[music] >> Shalom and welcome to the Prophets of Israel daily. This is the book of Joshua [music] chapter 22. This series is brought to you by the land of Israel network. In this chapter, the battles are over, the land has been divided. Israel is finally settling in to their inheritance. But then something surprising happens. The threat to Israel is no longer coming from outside enemies. This time it appears to come from within. Chapter 22 tells us the story of the first national crisis in the land of Israel. And it's a moment where the tribes nearly go to war with each other. And so what begins as suspicion almost becomes a civil war. But what we'll see is that the deeper story here is really about unity, identity, and communication. And so the most dangerous conflicts in the nation usually don't start with hatred. They start with a breakdown in communication and misunderstanding. I feel that powerfully right now in the land of Israel. There's so many different tribes and different political philosophies, religious philosophies, and the breakdown in communication, we saw that right before October 7th where the country was just so divided. And that's why this story, the first crisis that hits Israel is saying, "When you have a breakdown in communication, that's going to lead to civil war." And so let's check it out. The chapter opens up with a moment of closure. Joshua gathers the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. The tribes that had received their land on the other side of the Jordan, east of the Jordan. And years earlier under Moses, these tribes were asked to settle on the eastern side, but Moses made them make a promise. They said they would cross the Jordan with their brothers and fight in the conquest of the land of Israel, and only after the battles were complete would they return home. And now that moment has finally arrived. So Joshua calls them together and acknowledges their loyalty. You look at verses two and three. "You have kept all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you. And you have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not left your brethren these many days up to this day." These tribes fought in battle for the land that wouldn't be theirs personally. It didn't belong to their tribes. They had no personal vested interest. It didn't belong to them. They fought for it as a country, as a nation, not for their own territory, but really was for their brothers. And it was an expression of pure unity. And it doesn't matter where you live. If you're a part of Israel, when Israel is at war, you stand with Israel and fight for Israel. And Joshua blesses them and sends them home. Before they go, he leaves them with this final message in verse five. "But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses, the servant of Hashem, commanded you, to love Hashem your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all of your heart and with all your soul." In other words, the conquest may be finished, but living out the covenant and working to build God's kingdom on earth is just beginning. Jeremy, I just want to jump in here for a second because this verse really is one of those rare moments where the entire Torah feels like it's being distilled, you know, into like one single breath. But it's it's more than just you know, a summary. It's really a turning point. Because more than ever at this stage of the journey, the greatest danger is no longer external, it's internal. And Joshua knows it. Right? These tribes are about to cross back over the Jordan, and with that comes distance, a distance from the Mishkan, right? Distance from the Tabernacle, distance from the national rhythm, from their brethren. And what happens with that distance? What happens with distance in general? It's Often it's like a drift. You just drift away. And that's exactly why this language is so rich and so layered. Love him. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments. Cleave to him. Serve him with everything. Because each one is speaking to a different part of who we are. Heart, behavior, discipline, consciousness, just the totality. Joshua isn't giving them one instruction. He's building an entire human being. One that can withstand distance, hopefully, right? One who cleaves to God not only in prayer or study, but in eating and working and building and farming and parenting and everything. Every single moment becomes a point of connection, complete integration. That is really what Israel's about. There's no such thing as a regular moment. There's no neutral space where drift just happens. Either we're connecting or we're slowly disconnecting. And uh and I think that's the whole deal here. The the the war they just fought, that was the easy one. Because now they're entering a new battlefield. Distraction and comfort and distance and routine, materialism, exactly what we're dealing with today. And the only way to win that battle is through constant conscious connection. And that's why Joshua wasn't only speaking to them, but to us. Exactly. Exactly. He is speaking to us, a prophecy for all generations. And you know, after they set up their spiritual boundaries, and he goes on to focus the physical geographic boundaries. And that becomes the center of the entire story. Their portion of the land of Israel is different from the entire nation. There's a river that divides the land, really separating them geographically and emotionally from all the other tribes. And these tribes, you know, they begin their journey home. They stop near the Jordan River and they build something huge. The text describes it in verse 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 altar to see." It's not a small memorial. It was a massive structure, something so large it could be seen from miles away. And when the rest of Israel hears about it, panic spreads throughout the nation. Because Israel already has a central place of worship, the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. It stands in Shiloh. What are these guys doing? According to the Torah, sacrifices must only be brought at the place God chooses. So when the news spreads that these tribes have built another altar, the people of Israel assume the worst. They assume rebellion. They're assuming idolatry. I mean, they assume that the eastern tribes are breaking away from the nation. And suddenly the nation prepares for war. I mean, think about that for a moment. After years of unity in battle, the first war in the land might be Israel against Israel. But before drawing their swords, Israel does something very wise. They send a delegation, and leading that delegation is the famous priest Pinchas, Phineas, the son of Eleazar. Pinchas was specifically sent. He was known for his passion and to be a zealot for God. In the desert, when the priest of Shimon publicly committing idolatry and sexual immorality in front of the Tabernacle for all to see, it was Pinchas who slayed him and put an end to that debauchery. So they sent Pinchas because he was trusted by everyone. And if there was any funny business, they know he would take it and he would take care of business, and he just wouldn't let it slide. So Pinchas speaks to them and reminds them of like their past national sins. When Israel's disobedience, it brought consequences to the entire nation. And his message is clear, "If you rebel against God, you don't only endanger yourselves, you're endangering all of us." And so the tribes answer, and their response changes everything. Verse 22. "Hashem, God of gods, Hashem, God of gods, he knows, and let Israel itself know, if this if it is in rebellion or if it in treachery against Hashem, do not save us this day." They call out twice. Hashem El Elohim. Hashem is the God of gods. He is the one and only. We serve no one else. It rings like the last prayer we say on Yom Kippur, the final declaration. Hashem Hu Elohim. Hashem, he is God. And so when they explain that the altar was never there for sacrifices, it wasn't meant to replace the altar in Shiloh. It was meant to be a witness. Because they feared something really human. They feared that one day their children would be told, "Listen, you live on the other side of the Jordan. You're not really a part of us here. You're not really a part of the nation." So they built this monument, a visible reminder that even though a river separates them, they remain a part of the same people, the same covenant, and the same God. And by the way, that actually changes the entire story. Right? What looked like a rebellion turns out to be the exact opposite. They weren't trying to separate from Israel. They were afraid that Israel might separate from them. So the altar wasn't a declaration of independence or rebellion. It was a declaration of belonging, a declaration of loyalty, and and commitment. Basically, this wasn't a breakup speech. It was them saying, "Just so you know, we're still very much in this relationship. We're not just dating, we're married." Exactly. And so when Pinchas hears that explanation, the entire crisis dissolves. Verse 31. He was pleased. "This day we know that Hashem is among us because you have not committed this treachery against Hashem. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of Hashem. The altar then is given a name, Ed, meaning witness. A witness between tribes, a witness between brothers, a witness that even when geography separates us, the covenant still unites us. And maybe that's the deepest lesson of this chapter. So many conflicts in history, they don't begin with evil intentions, but just misunderstanding, assumptions, fears, and suspicions. And Israel was one conversation away from a civil war, but instead of rushing to battle, they asked questions, they listened, and truth was restored. And so as the tribes settle into the land west of the Jordan and east of the Jordan, the altar stands as a permanent reminder. Different territories, different landscapes, but we are one people with one covenant and one destiny. And I feel like this chapter has a deep lesson for our generation. I mean, today, we are made up of so many different tribes in so many different places around the world. And the chapter is teaching the tribes can be different, they can live in different places, even in different ways, but the only thing that can't happen is a breakdown in communication. And what I admired most about Charlie Kirk was his absolute commitment and belief in communication. Just answering questions, asking questions, just talking with each other. And what's being taught here is that the first internal breakdown in crisis [snorts] in society was avoided only through the power of communication and speaking to each other. Mashiach in Hebrew literally is the same exact letters as Mashiach, which means to communicate. And so the power of Mashiach is that he will be the one that will create that sicha, that Mashiach, that communication, that ability for us to finally speak in one pure language where we can all understand each other. And I believe the only language that has the power to bridge all the gaps and bring the world together is the Bible. It's exactly what we're doing. One chapter a day, learning the Bible together. Thousands have joined us, and it's the most respected and honored book in the world. It's the foundation for everything and for everyone. So each chapter we learn together, we're building another foundation for a really beautiful future. And so, that's it, my friends. That was chapter 22 of the book of Joshua. We will see you tomorrow for chapter 23. And if you're enjoying this series, you're invited to join our global community at the Land of Israel Fellowship. You can find out more [music] at the landofisrael.com and take your step, next step, on the journey.