No Boundaries

Jan. 29

Read: Joshua 22

No Boundaries

“…Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.” (v.5,6)

It is odd to think of any of God’s people going back to the other side of the Jordan River. Why go backward!? The Jordan River was a geographic boundary between the “wilderness” and “the promised land”… so why settle on the eastern side of it amidst the Canaanites? Why not stay hunkered down and “safe” alongside your fellow Israelites?

These two-and-a-half tribes had asked for the land east of the Jordan during the time of Moses. These tribes of Israel kept livestock and saw that these were prime grazing lands. (cf. Deut. 33:21) It took a while for Moses to agree, but in the end, he granted their request as long as they pledged to fight alongside their brothers in the land. (cf. Num. 32) So in Joshua 22, we see these tribes having fulfilled their pledge and being freed to return to their land. (This is yet another sign that the land was occupied and the promises fulfilled, cf. Joshua 21:43-45) So these two and a half tribes - in a sense - leave the promised land and settle back on the east side of the Jordan River… a side more closely connected to the “wilderness” than the “promised land”. Yet, this land is BLESSED by the Lord and becomes a place of fullness and reward for these tribes. (Again, see description in Deut. 33:13-16,21, etc.) This is a tremendous foreshadowing of what God is going to do in Christ! The blessing, redemption, and “good news” of Jesus will not stay contained within geographic boundaries either! One day, what starts in the land of Israel will spread beyond the Jordan River to the ends of the earth. The ministry and work of God most high will never be isolated to any one geographic region… it will always spill over and spread to the ends of the earth!

Joshua knew the dangers and temptations of living “over there” amongst the Canaanites. Joshua knew the draw that would exist for them to worship other gods. So he warned them to stay true to YHWH. (Josh 22:5,6)  When they got to the land they built an impressive altar on their side of the river. It must have been massive because word spread quickly to the rest of Israel. They assumed it was an altar in opposition to the one in Shiloh… an altar to another god. Thankfully, a delegation is sent and the misunderstanding is cleared up. This was a replica of the altar in Shiloh to prove to future generations that these tribes truly were part of the people of Israel. (Josh 22:21-29) These tribes remained faithful to YHWH in the midst of these pagan nations.

What a powerful picture of the work of the Lord. Think about it… God takes what was once “the wilderness” and makes it a place of blessing. God expands his blessing and work so that it spills over the usual boundaries and spreads into places that are unexpected. Through Jesus Christ, God has taken his Kingdom and his presence “on the road” by dwelling in each and every one of his children… we are “temples” of the living God after all! (cf. 2 Cor. 6:16, etc.) Through his people, God is bringing the good news message of Christ “beyond the Jordan” and into the far-off places. There will always be those people of God who are called to live “east of the Jordan river”… to stand as examples of faithful worshippers of YHWH God in the midst of those who are far from him. Thank you Lord for the example we get from the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. Love you guys!