Joshua 22:1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 2And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: 3Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.
Joshua 22:8 And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. 9And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 10And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. 11And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.
Rueben, Gad, and 1/2 tribe of Mannaseh wanted to raise their cattle on the east side and let the rest of the tribes go battle for the Promised Land.
Moses agreed to let them settle there if they'd go to battle with the other tribes. Then he said, Be sure your sins will find you out.
If you say you'll do something then don't do it, it's a sin.
1) It's a sin not to get into the battle.
They built an altar on their side in case the other tribes fell away. Everyone has to have their own altar. You can't hang yourself from someone else's coat tails.
How much time have you spent...
in the Bible.
in prayer.
in deeper study of God's Word.
in meditation on the truth.
2) Everyone needs three altars
a) church altar
b) home altar (aka family altar)
c) personal altar
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
a) the strength of the church altar depends on the home altar
b) the strength of the family altar depends on the personal altar
c) the goal is for every child of God to have a personal walk with God
d) God's judgment starts first at the house of God Joshua 7:11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
e) We need a higher standard at the house of God to make it work.
You need to be becoming mature/complete.
