Joshua 22:1-9
1 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.
3 You have not abandoned your brothers these many days to this day, but have fulfilled the obligation of the commandment of the Lord your God.
4 And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan.
5 Only be very careful to follow the commandment and the Law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways, and keep His commandments and cling to Him, and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.
7 Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave a possession among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he also blessed them,
8 and said to them, “Return to your tents with great riches and with very many livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers.”
9 So the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, leaving the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession in which they had settled, in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.
The Return of the Two and a Half Tribes
Obedient tribes
The conquest of the land of Canaan had concluded. Though battles were still fought at the local level, the greater battle where all tribes must fight together was over. So, Joshua relieved the two and a half tribes that inherited the land east of the Jordan River (Rueben, Gad, half tribe of Manasseh) from their obligation and sent them back to their inherited land. During the time of Moses, they made a covenant to fight with the other tribes until the end. (1) The two-and-a-half tribes remained obedient to the Lord, Moses, and Joshua. This is trifold obedience. (2) Joshua, as he sent them back, exhorted them to be very careful to keep Moses’ commandments and the law. Joshua’s greatest fear was that they would come in contact with idolatrous teachings and lean toward idolatry. Joshua’s words, “hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,” are a teaching applicable to us also. (3) Next, Joshua blessed them and commanded them to divide the spoil of the enemies with the people who remained in the east of the Jordan River. Some men remained on the eastern bank of the Jordan River to protect their wives and elderly. They, too, deserved to be rewarded. All who had joined the Lord’s battle were rewarded fairly. They departed from the other tribes at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and returned to their
Lesson for us
The trifold obedience of the two-and-a-half tribes was based on obedience to the Lord. One who is obedient to the Lord is obedient also to the organization and the leader that the Lord has established. Whether in favorable or unfavorable circumstances, they kept the promise made before the Lord until the end. Therefore, they received a blessing from Joshua and were able to return home. The Lord is faithful to His promise. His promise will never change, which is why He expects those obedient to Him to keep the promises. “O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. […] He swears to his own hurt and does not change; […] He who does these things will never be shaken” (Psalm 15).
Today's prayer
God of Israel, please allow me, like these two and a half tribes, to participate faithfully in the Lord's battle until the end. At the end of my earthly life, may I be blessed with the words of blessing from the true Joshua, Jesus Christ. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.