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Joshua 22:21-23:16

An altar is a place of exchange. In the case of Israel, their alter was a place where they exchanged their personal and national sins for God’s righteousness through daily blood sacrifices. For the 2 ½ tribes, their memorial, their large memorial was to be a reminder to whom? What one says and what one’s true intentions are is two separate things. It can be said that one’s actions speak so loudly that what is being said is drowned out. So unless we know what is truly in their hearts, we cannot discern their true intentions. However, we do have a record of what happened to both those on the east of the Jordan and those on the west. Their fruit, like our fruit gives evidence of what was in the heart.

The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh had requested land not intended as their Promise, to be there substitute Promise. So what was the real intent of this memorial/altar. Had they since realized after really seeing the Promise that God had for them, that they had made a mistake and were to proud to say so? The problem with “memorials” is this: unless one is interested in history, they either become a place for pigeons to sit on and/or they become part of the scenery and all meaning is lost except by the tourists and the lovers of history and architecture.

To truly keep your mind focused on something, one must have a heart felt love for what is before you. Altar or no altar, memorial or no memorial the issue at hand is what is going on in the heart of both the 2 ½ tribes, east of the Jordon, and the 9 ½ tribes on the west. That is the same predicament we have today. Whether we have statues/paintings/icons of those, we have decided by consensus, to be godly saints, or we have sparse places of worship with plan walls, the issue is and has always been what is going on in the heart.

We justify our actions by appearances; GOD examines our motives. Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to GOD than religious performance. (Proverbs 21:2-3 MSG)

Grace and peace,
Ramona

Same like Ramona..the actions of people speak louder than words. Reuben especially with all that conspired as a young rebellious man I feel his tribe still feels jilted with being the oldest of Israel's children. However, he slept with his fathers concubine which defiled the firstborn right. So, now it's like having squatting rights. But really what's the point? Joshua is getting ready to be with the Father's in Heaven. He is a ripe old age. It's interesting that Joshua tells the 2 1/2 tribe not to defile the marriage bed so to speak. That is a sure fire way to get on the wrong side of God and have a thorn in your side throughout life is to have a someone who is against your religious beliefs in your household and your bed. Ouch!

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