Joshua 22:1

Joshua 22:1 says. Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, Then verse two adds, And 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:  Joshua called together the tribe of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh and told them they had fulfilled the commandment of Moses to them and had also done all that Joshua had commanded them.  We need to be just as faithful in our commitment to God, even when it is made to other people under the guidance of God.  Verse three states, Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.  These two and a half tribes had stood with the rest of the people of Israel in their fight to possess the land, even though their inheritance was already secure on the other side of the Jordan.  We cannot just rest secure in our own possessions when there are other people struggling  in their life, especially our fellow Christians, no matter where they may be.  Verse four declares, And 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 of Jordan.  Joshua gave God the credit for the victory and he acknowledged that God was their God as well.  God had given rest to all of them, and now it was time for these two and a half tribes to return to their land beyond the Jordan.  Until He returns, Christ will not give us the total victory over sin and death, but He will give us peace.  We will be scattered throughout the world until then, but as long as we are following God's guidance, then we will be where we should be.  Verse five adds, But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.  Joshua reminded them that even though they were to be physically separated that they were to still obey God's law.  So must we today, no mattwr where we are in the world.  Verse six says, So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.  Joshua actually pronounced the blessing of God on them I believe.  I don't believe that we can really bless people, but we can ask for God's blessing on them.  Verse seven states, Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them,  At the same time, Joshua sent the half of the tribe of Manasseh on this side of the Jordan to possess their land with God's blessing on them.  Verse eight adds, 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.  They were to go and return with a lot of the spoils that they had gained and divide them with the other half of the tribe.  I don't believe that God expects us to hoard our possessions that He blesses us with, but that He expects us to share them with our fellow believers when they have need.  Verse nine continues, And 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.  The two and a half tribes went on their way.  We may gather together at times today as followers of Christ, but eventually we go our own way physically, but we are still a part of God's people spiritually.  Verse ten concludes, And 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.  When they got across the Jordan, they built an altar to God, for all to see.  We need to let people see today that we are worshiping God in all that we do.