Joshua 22:9-20 – A Watchful Loyalty

In these verses we see the watchful, vigilant loyalty to God that the western tribes display. The ‘East of Jordan’ tribes returned home and built a giant altar. The ‘West of Jordan’ tribes heard about it and gathered together to make war against them. First, though, they sent a delegation to investigate the matter and express their alarm to the eastern tribes. But why was there such a fuss over building an altar? Deuteronomy 12 holds the answers. Israel was commanded to offer their sacrifices only “at the place that the LORD will choose” (Deut. 12:5, 13-14). “The place” stands opposed to “all the places” where the Canaanites had conducted their ‘worship’ orgies. Restricting sacrifices to one place was a precaution, intended to preserve the purity of Israel’s worship. To simplify, it meant: one altar, one faith, one people. If such worship took place anywhere folks felt like ‘experiencing God’, then worship could very quickly take on a Canaanite colour, soak up Canaanite belief, adopt Canaanite practices and even adore Canaanite gods. In short, with one blow it would kill both devotion to the LORD and the unity of Israel.

So to the western tribes, hearing word of another altar suggested man-chosen worship and sacrifice. To them it stank of the first step towards abandoning the LORD. The western tribes stressed that unfaithfulness by some tribes would bring the LORD’s anger against all Israel – as at Peor and with Achan. They knew that permitted sin brought judgement on all and that tolerated unfaithfulness was a spreading infection.

The church needs to show such passionate holiness and such infatuation for the true worship of God. We should be watchful for even hints of unfaithfulness among fellow believers. Joshua 22 shows why discipline by the elders can be necessary. The church is not a democracy, but operates under the kingship of Jesus – who has entrusted the care of His flock to elders who are to guard and protect its faithfulness.