A Promised Land and a Promised rest -- a study of Joshua 22:1-8
- mww
- Dec 29, 2016
- 14 min read
There is a promised rest for all of us; obedience can help us enjoy it even now.
Bible Study Ideas and Commentary for Joshua 22:1-8
Because the Transjordan tribes upheld their duty to the rest of Israel, God released them to peace and rest in their new homes. But the ongoing blessing would be dependent on their ongoing obedience. What responsibilities do we have in God’s kingdom? What blessings are out there for us in 2017?
Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they went to their homes. (22:6)
Getting Started: Things to Think About
It’s a New Year!
In addition to celebrating the previous year (what was a spiritual highlight of 2016?) and talking about personal plans and goals for 2017, you really should spend some time talking about group goals. Here are a few things you can talk about: (1) plan a beginning-of-the-year social; if you just did something big at Christmas, then this can wait until February; (2) identify some outreach prospects; come up with 3 or 4 people who are not on your roll but that someone can invite to Sunday School; (3) during our “contact challenge” from December, you probably identified a few group members who like to call people and some who really don’t; get with those who do and give them a couple of names from your inactive list—then next month give them one or two more; (4) encourage everyone to be a part of David’s Bible reading challenge. Listen, we all have our limits. If you’re in a Bible study and doing personal devotional reading and keeping up with this reading plan, that’s a lot! But 2017 is “the year of the Bible” for FBC, so we want to emphasize Bible reading like never before. Why? Because the Bible is the Word of God and the truth of God. If we truly want to see revival, it will be sparked by spirit and truth, not our clever ideas and creativity. We need to get back to the basics, as they say. Try to put some mechanisms in place to help your group make progress throughout the year in Bible reading and Bible study.
“Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You.”
One of the biggest laments I hear from older generations is the loss of civic responsibility. People today (and I’m not just talking about the young people—lots of people have given up on this ideal) are focusing on what’s best for themselves and their immediate families. On the one hand, it means that people aren’t caring about big-picture ideas like conservation, recycling, public works, clean up, environmental regulations (like it or not, God did command us to be good stewards of this planet). On the other hand, it also means that people aren’t really into service any more—not unless they get paid. The best and brightest aren’t donating their time and expertise to help local causes or to serve on local committees and councils (again, unless they get paid). And we absolutely see this in churches around the country. Church members have “more important” things to do than help the church think long-term or be outwardly-focused. People have so many options with what to do with their time (think about it—your kid’s class or school, neighborhood group, sports team, a club, civic organization, city government, professional society, church committee, etc.) that they’ll pick the one that’s the most likely to benefit them (or make them money).
God wants us to be very careful with that attitude. The whole point of this lesson is to describe a sacrifice that some tribes made for the benefit of the other tribes. They had to put the community before themselves. Today, God wants us to put our Christian community (and specifically our church) way up on our list of priorities. Look, you can’t do it all! But God has given you responsibilities. Have your group take a look at their schedules. Is the “big picture” a part of their focus, or are they only worried about themselves? In 2017, let’s look for ways to put what we read in the Bible into practice in our church and community.
This Week's Big Idea: The Land
Guess what? We can’t agree exactly where the boundaries are for the twelve tribes. It really bothers some Christians to see Bible study tools that don’t completely match up, but don’t let it. The Hebrews scriptures don’t include a map; they include descriptions of places which are rough, to say the least. In other words, we have a general idea that people nitpick, but the debate doesn’t affect what we know to be true.
Promised Land / Promised Rest
There are a lot of sub-themes in Joshua: God fights for His people; God keeps His promises; God’s people must choose to be faithful to their end of the covenant. But in the wider narrative, the book of Joshua mainly serves to put the people in the Promised Land. Every Old Testament theme has a New Testament counterpart. The covenant with Abraham points to the New Covenant through Jesus (faith). The law of Moses points to life in the Spirit. The kingdom of Israel under David points to the Kingdom of God over the whole earth. As the author of Hebrews says, those things are shadows pointing to a greater future. Hebrews 4 also talks about a “promised rest” that God would not let His rebellious people enter. But that context specifically relates to the failure in the wilderness—which means that God saw the Promised Land as a foretaste of rest. And that should make sense! They had been slaves, that had gone to war, they had wandered in the desert for decades. But when they had a land of their own (and a God who would protect them in it), all of that would go away and they would have rest. Kind of like what Adam and Eve gave up in the garden. Some people (like me) obsess about the condition of their home. When it is safe and sturdy and comfortable, I rest when I go home. (Of course, that “nest building” mindset can go too far, but that’s because sin infects everything.) In God’s plan, our perfect rest is in heaven, our true home. See the importance of the Promised Land?
The Transjordan
This word might sound kind of funny, but it refers to the land 2 1/2 tribes chose to settle on the east side of the Jordan and not in the Promised Land proper. The central part of that region is called Gilead. Why did they do that? It’s certainly not as fertile as the western side, plus it is shared by Ammon, Edom, and Moab. It had more wide open fields that were more suitable for livestock, of which Gad and Reuben had more of than any other tribe. Further, Ephraim and Manasseh (both sons of Joseph) were lumped together in the land allotment, meaning they did not have enough space (note that Joseph gave them both a great blessing), so half of Manasseh had to go elsewhere.
Was it worth it? Almost certainly not. While individual members of those tribes played roles in David’s leadership, their fear of being marginalized and misunderstood came true (almost immediately). Further, and more importantly, the Transjordan was almost always the first to be conquered by the great empires of the Near East. For example, 2 Kings 15 says that Gad was the first to go into exile by the Assyrians. And the northern extreme of Manasseh was the first to be lost to the Syrians. It was just too exposed for the other tribes to effectively defend.
The Land that Remained
We learn in Josh 13 that there was still land left to be conquered. (1) Philistia. You should remember from our time in 1/2 Samuel that the Philistines caused major trouble for the Israelites, even capturing the ark. There were 5 major Philistine city-states. All of them were eventually conquered, but only after a long time. (2) Phoenicia (the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon). This region was never conquered, although it was allied with the governments of David and Solomon. (3) Lebanon (the mountain region north of the Sea of Galilee). Solomon had commercial ties to this region, but the Israelites never came close to conquering it.
Solomon came a lot closer than anyone to controlling all of this territory, and the borders of Israel expanded greatly under his reign. But they almost instantly collapsed when the kingdom divided, meaning the Jews never actually conquered those regions. What does it mean that after this first wave of conquest, even though God said there was more to do, that the conquest stopped? I’m not sure. Did they get complacent that quickly? Were they just tired of warfare? Or was this an obedience issue? My guess is the latter.
The Book of Joshua in a Nutshell
Because this lesson has picked a pretty straightforward passage (“thanks for keeping your end of the deal; you can go home now”), you might take some time to make sure your group understands why we even have the book of Joshua in the first place. You might remember that graphic from 1/2 Samuel. There are three “heroes” in Israel’s history—Abraham, Moses, and David—who are all related to God’s plan for Israel. God had created a good world, but humans messed it up. So God would call a people to demonstrate to everybody how God wanted to interact with them. Through Abraham, God gives a covenant. Through Moses, God gives a law. Through David, God gives a kingdom. But there is one other major theme of the Old Testament—promised land/promised rest—that is specifically fulfilled in the book of Joshua. Today, we take that bit for granted (look: Joshua doesn’t even make that diagram above!) because we don’t live in the land; but to the Jews, Joshua is just as important as any figure (remember that “Jesus” and “Joshua” are the same name in different languages: “Yahweh saves”; it’s no coincidence that Joshua is the main person in the Old Testament given that name).
Here's a graphic created by Stuart Houghton that I like very much:
Part 1: A Promise Kept (22:1-3)
Joshua summoned the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh and told them, “You have done everything Moses the Lord’s servant commanded you and have obeyed me in everything I commanded you. You have not deserted your brothers even once this whole time but have carried out the requirement of the command of the Lord your God.
The real background for this passage is Numbers 32, and it really kind of sets up the whole book of Joshua. Reuben and Gad take a liking to the land east of the Jordan because it has lots of space for their herds. Moses interprets it as disobedience to God (God commanded them to take the Promised Land). So the tribes say that they will build protective cities for their families and then join the rest of Israel in their war, returning home only after the war is complete. Moses accepts their promise and says that God will hold them to it.
Now that the battles are over (but note—not all of them! see above; this will be a problem for the Israelites) and Joshua has distributed the land, he dismisses the Transjordan tribes in peace. It seems that the author of the book wanted to keep the theme of obedience very clear; God’s blessing and Israel’s unity was rooted in continued obedience. And further note that the obedience was with respect to the good of the whole community. If you didn’t use that “Ask Not” icebreaker topic, use it here. Do you see value in taking care of others? How about future generations? If this proves to be a tricky concept, maybe just list some priorities and ask your group to sort them (individually, not as a group—that would be impossible). I wrote out some in the left sidebar. They don’t have to be exclusive (you can care about the environment and your family and your job at the same time), but when push comes to shove, what’s more important to you. Here’s the purpose: once you have these sorted, think about how you actually spend your time and talents. Does that line up with what you say is important?
These tribes had to think outside of themselves, and they did. Of course, what was best for the community also was what’s best for them — but some of those men lost their lives, so we can’t say it was best for everyone!
Aside: Conquered Peoples
Joshua 11-12 describes the peoples the Israelites conquered in some detail. This has been controversial in that not all of the listings have been corroborated by external sources. Of course, being completely wiped out by the Israelites may have something to do with that. Anyway, the Anakites were considered giants, and there are records in Egypt of Canaanites more than 7 feet tall. The same is said of the Rephaimites and their large King Og, who was likely the last of that people. We have identified some of the cities because of extrabiblical sources (usually Egyptian conquest lists): Aphek, Shimron, Taanach, Megiddo (a very important ancient city), Jokneam, and Dor. All the rest of the cities (Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, etc.) are disputed. There are tentative consensuses on some, but they’ve really only been narrowed down to a “short list” of nearby excavated sites.
Aside: A List of Priorities
Related to the “big question” I ask in part 1, these competing priorities came to mind: · me, · my health, · my future security, · my dependents, · my immediate family, · my extended family, · my family’s future security, · my current job, · the job I’m trying to get, · my church, · my relationship with Jesus, · my family’s relationship with Jesus, · my local government, · my local school, · my child’s class, · my child’s sports team, · my neighborhood, · the environment, · local activism, · local needs, · my hobbies, · my friends, · my pets, and I’m sure you can think of more. You can’t equally prioritize each one; there’s just not enough time in the day. How do you think you should order them?
Part 2: An Ongoing Responsibility (22:4-5)
Now that He has given your brothers rest, just as He promised them, return to your homes in your own land that Moses the Lord’s servant gave you across the Jordan. Only carefully obey the command and instruction that Moses the Lord’s servant gave you: to love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, keep His commands, remain faithful to Him, and serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.”
This covers both the theme of “rest” and the ongoing theme of “obedience”. This then leads to the followup of the priorities question I encouraged you to ask: why did you set those priorities in that order? Why do you do what you do? Are you mainly concerned about enjoying today? Having a secure financial future? Being healthy? The tribes had to ask themselves that question, and this seems to be their answer: obedience to God, the good of my brothers, the security of my family. For making the right choice, God gave them rest when it was over. This was rest in the best earthly sense: go build a home, raise a family, and not have to fight any more. They still had to do the hard work of farm and ranch, but it was a life that they desired, that they could enjoy. That’s why they spent years on the road, so to speak, taking many risks. Anyone who has fought in a war on foreign soil knows what these Israelites sacrificed, but they had a promise to hold on to.
BUT. Have your group flip back to Deuteronomy 28. God promised them a life of peace and prosperity if they obeyed Him. Kind of like Eden, if you want to push it to an extreme: just obey one rule, and you can live in absolute peace and live out your years with your family and friends to a ripe old age. Sounds good, doesn’t it? But the price of disobedience is that the land would be taken from them by force and they would doom their descendants to exile, slavery, and sorrow. Which is exactly what happened. Thank God that our true rest (heaven) is no longer dependent on us!
You might point out that “walk in His ways” is a metaphor for all of life. Everything they did was to be according to God’s Word. And saying “with all of your heart and soul” simply reinforced what God expected of them (of us!). And it should only make sense. Let’s say you’re great about exercise but terrible about diet, or great in homework but terrible about turning it in, or great as a husband but terrible as a father. Your “greatness” won’t completely overcome your weakness. God cares about the whole process.
Part 3: Welcomed Blessing (22:6-8)
Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they went to their homes. Moses had given territory to half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, but Joshua had given territory to the other half, with their brothers, on the west side of the Jordan. When Joshua sent them to their homes and blessed them, he said, “Return to your homes with great wealth: a huge number of cattle, and silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a large quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.”
Here’s what bugs me the most about the soon-to-come failure of the Jews: they had it all. Today, God doesn’t give us promises of financial blessing or security. But to them, God did offer that blessing. Because they had obeyed in time of war, they had accumulated great spoils of war. And if they continued to obey, God would make sure their crops were watered and herds protected. But they couldn’t do it. And this isn’t even getting into the big picture that the Jews were only worried bout themselves and not being the light to the world (which is why “Christian” isn’t an ethnicity). They couldn’t even get that far—they simply disobeyed the basic laws of God.
I would recommend closing with a time talking about blessings (and curses); it feeds in to looking at 2017. In what ways has God blessed you? What do you think prompted the blessing? What did you do about that blessing, and what do you think God wanted you to do with it (if that’s different)? Looking ahead to 2017, what kind of blessings are you hoping for this year? What behaviors or attitudes are in your life that might interfere with God’s blessings that you need to eliminate? Be very careful how you go explain this question—don’t let your group have the impression that we can manipulate God into blessing us for good behavior (that’s the “Santa Claus” approach). Today, God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others. But we still have to appreciate that our sin and our misplaced priorities can and will prevent God from “opening the storehouses of heaven” for us. That’s what happened to Israel. Being settled in the Promised Land was a picture of the blessing of rest God has for His children, contingent on their ongoing obedience. But they were disobedient (see Judges) and so God removed the blessing and sent a curse. God wants to bless His children today. And I can tell you from personal experience that He blesses in spite of our sin and unworthiness! But how much greater might His blessing be if we were to se it for the good of those around us, even for future generations?
Closing Thoughts: Lingering Disagreements
If you continue into the next few verses after our passage, you’ll see that all of this positive happy ending stuff is immediately followed by a major argument—bad enough to almost start a war! The Transjordan tribes build a huge altar right next to the Jordan, large enough to be easily seen by anyone on the other side. The western tribes view this as an act of apostasy, building a worship center to rival theirs at Shiloh (remember Shiloh?), and they gear up for war! The Transjordan tribes quickly explain that the structure is not an altar at all but a monument to unity, a remembrance that all the tribes fought together to conquer the Promised Land, a call to the other tribes not to forget that they are all in this together. It is almost incomprehensible just how wrong that gesture went.
The fact that the western tribes were willing to go to war with the eastern tribes is not in and of itself a shock. After Ai, the Israelites were on high alert, knowing how quickly any disobedience could be punished by God. Holy War did not restrict from tribal brothers who had left the right path. From the other shore of the Jordan, it might look like the eastern tribes were building a rival cultic center.
Here’s what we should notice: the western tribes immediately assumed that the eastern tribes had rebelled against God, in direct contradiction to the stated purpose of the eastern tribes (“we built this replica of the Lord’s altar as a witness to our children of the bond we have with our brothers across the Jordan”). But rather than send an envoy to ask, the western tribes mobilized for war. That’s not a healthy relationship. Perhaps it was residual mistrust over the fact that they asked to settle on the Transjordan in the first place. But this lack of unity was not a good sign for the prospects of the people. Sure enough, the next book is Judges, followed by Samuel—the people’s desire for a king would be their undoing.
Comments