The Meek Shall Inherit the Land
Joshua 22:21-22a & 28b
Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, “The Mighty One, God, the LORD! … He knows; and let Israel itself know … ‘we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.”’”
There’s a touch of irony in this exchange here because it mirrors the previous exchange in Numbers 32 between these same tribes and Moses. To refresh your memory, before crossing the Jordan, the chiefs of Reuben and Gad saw that the land on the other side was perfect for their flocks, so they asked Moses if he’d give them that region as an inheritance. Moses, however, assumed the worst of their motives, thought they were trying to cleverly dodge the coming wars, and berated them for wanting to abandon their brothers. Yet, amazingly, upon being falsely accused, they responded to Moses’ scolding with meekness, vowing to lead the line till all twelve tribes received their inheritance. Well, fast forward now to Joshua 22, and these same two tribes find themselves once again on the receiving end of another scolding. This time, it’s from their fellow Israelites, who share the same unbending zeal for God’s glory that Moses expressed in Numbers 32, and who’ve come to wage a war over a perceived breach in faith.
Imagine how these wrongfully accused chiefs of Reuben and Gad must feel right about now, friend. Wouldn’t they be vindicated to rise up in self-defense and shout something like, “Hey—how dare you call us idolaters when we’ve been keeping our vows to the LORD at every turn! How dare you insult us when it was us who led you into battle against the LORD’s enemies! You come at us with swords?!—Oh no, it is you, not us, who are guilty of treachery!” However, there’s no hint of spite like that in their reply. None. The moment they recognize how their altar appears, they clear up the confusion humbly, even apologetically, saying in effect, “You’re right, brothers—the fault is ours for not messaging you sooner.”
Oh to think how many wars we’d avert today in our own lives if we’d respond to conflict so meekly.