The Altar, “Witness”  - A Memorial/Reminder

-Introduction

-It had been a long time coming.  Forty years earlier, the former generation had been

 delivered out of the bondage of Egypt by the strong arm of the Lord.

            -They received the Law at Sinai and continued toward the land of Canaan - the

             Promised Land - the land God would deliver into their hands.

            -Unfortunately, the people failed to obey God.  Due to their rebellion, God caused

             them to wander in the desert wilderness.

-Now, the next generation had their opportunity to enter in.  As Moses led the people

 to the Eastern edge of the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the

 half tribe of Manasseh requested an inheritance east of the Jordan.

            -Num. 32:5-7, 16-18, 28-33 (Deut 3:12-22)

-Canaan Conquest

-So, the Canaan conquest began and lasted seven years (Deut. 2:14, Josh. 14:6-10).

            -middle Canaan conquered first (Josh 5-8), then southern Canaan (Josh 9-10),

             northern Canaan last (Josh 11-12)

-This seven-year process took a tremendous amount of dedication from the men of

 Reuben, Gad and Manasseh!

-Josh. 13-24 - dividing of the Promised Land

            -Josh. 22:1-6  (Deut 6:4-5, Matt. 22:35-40)

-“Why had they been so loyal to their leaders and fellow soldiers? Because they were

 first of all loyal to the Lord their God. It was His mission they were carrying out and His

 name they were seeking to glorify. In the service of the Lord, far above our devotion to a

 leader, a cause, or even a nation is our devotion to the Lord. "And whatever you do, do it

 heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the

 reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ" (Col 3:23-24, NKJV).

 (The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe).

-“The general war of invasion being ended, and the enemy being in so dispirited and isolated

 a condition that each tribe, by its own resources, or with the aid of its neighbouring tribe,

 was able to repress any renewed hostilities, the auxiliary Israelites from the eastern side of

 the Jordan were now discharged from service. Joshua dismissed them with high

 commendations of their fidelity, and earnest admonitions to cultivate perpetual piety in life.

 The redundancy of the language is remarkable, and shows how important, in the judgment of

 the venerable leader, a stedfast observance of the divine law was to personal happiness as

 well as national prosperity” (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic

 Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

-Trouble Arises

-Joshua 22:10-20

-Notice the concern:  “breach of faith” (vs 16), “rebellion against the Lord” (vs 16), “sin”

 (vs 17).  (Num. 25, Ps. 106:29-31)

-Their concerns were valid.  Their intentions were pure overall.  Unfortunately, though, they

 had jumped to conclusions.  They simply didn’t know the facts.

            -How many times have we made similar mistakes?

-Ironically, these people - concerned with the perceived sin of their brethren - would fail

 to follow God’s commands in fullness by allowing the inhabitants of the conquered

 nations to remain.  The presence of their influence would eventually prove tragic.

            -Sometimes it’s easier to see faults in others more so than those of our own.

            -Let’s always remember to carefully consider what we see in the mirror.

-Now, let’s not be too hard on these people who had gathered together.  They did send

 a delegation of which Phinehas was a part.  And, they offered assistance (Josh. 22:19).

-And, we see evidence that they had learned a very valuable lesson:  There are serious

 consequences for being disobedient to God.

-A Memorial

-Josh. 22:21-29 - The Jordan River formed a natural boundary.  The people of Reuben, Gad

 and Manasseh did not want it to become a barrier.  Therefore, the altar was to serve as a

 memorial, a reminder of their common bond as God’s children.

-Think about this in terms of our worship and fellowship (encouragement, instruction,

 motivation, support, etc.)

-When we gather together to study God’s word and worship Him, doesn’t that serve as a

 memorial/reminder of who we are?

            -We belong to God.  We are His people.  We are His children.  We are brethren.

-Invitation

-We are called by God and delivered by Him.  We are called by the Gospel (2 Thess. 2:14)

 and delivered from sin (Col. 1:13).  We are placed into His family (Gal. 3:26-29) where we

 are to abide in unity and harmony (1 Cor. 1:10).

-Every time we gather together to study and worship - every time we share in fellowship - we

 should be reminded of these facts. 

-What a blessing it is to be a Christian - something we should remember each day.

-Are you a Christian?  If not, won’t you become one by obeying the Gospel?  Believe in

 Jesus (John 3:16, 8:24), Confess your faith (Matt. 10:32, Rom. 10:9-10), Repent of sin (Luke

 13:3,5; Acts 17:30), Be Baptized into Christ for forgiveness (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38).

-We are then to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4) by remaining faithful.  If you’re a

 Christian who has become unfaithful, realize the danger this brings upon your soul -

 acknowledge your shortcomings, repent and seek forgiveness through prayer (1 John 1:7-9,