Joshua 19-22
Brotherly Misunderstandings

Canaan was firmly in the grasp of the Israelites. The tribes to the east of the Jordan had fulfilled their commitments to their brothers to the west, and it was time for them to cross the Jordan and go back to their families whom they had left to fight alongside their brethren.

They were commended by Joshua for their service, and blessed as they left. Joshua had one charge for them, though: remain faithful to the LORD. With these words, there must have then been an emotional farewell between these brothers-in-arms.

But, after they left, word got back to the tribes in Canaan that their newly departed brothers had constructed an altar, like the one used in worship to Yahweh, at the Jordan. As they saw things, there could be only one explanation-the 2-1/2 tribes to the East had departed from serving the LORD as He had ascribed. "And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them" (Joshua 22:12).

Fortunately, they first sent envoys to the eastern tribes to find out what was really going on. Once they met and explained their concern, they must have been relieved to hear the explanation of their brethren to the east. "Therefore we said, Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, You have no portion in the Lord. And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you. Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!" (22:26-29). It was all a misunderstanding! There was no rebellion purposed, only a reminder to the people of the oneness of the tribes on both sides of the Jordan.

Problems often abound among the Lord's people. Sometimes they are real problems, but often, if examined, they are found only to be misunderstandings. How do we tell the difference between the two? First, as we see exemplified in the tribes to the west of the Jordan, we must talk to one another about perceived problems. We must do so not to attack, but to learn and express concern. Second, when spoken to, like the tribes to the east, we must not react defensively, but we must listen to the concerns of our brethren and seek to either explain or learn from their concern. At all times, all sides must "pursue what makes for peace" (Romans 14:19) and speak "the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).

The tribes to the west were willing to fight to truth if they had to, but they loved their brethren enough not to if they could avoid it. In doing what they could to avoid conflict, they set a wonderful example for us thousands of years later.