Joshua 22 Verses 1 – 4

•There are a few things that strike me here. First, Joshua calls them. Not the other way around. You’d think they would call him! It’s been 7 years. 40,000 estimated men of war and all of their families, their belongings, their personal matters, they are all on the other side of the Jordan…and yet they don’t storm their commander with their request…they await his call.

•That has far reaching implications in my own life even beginning with heaven. The fact that the work here on earth is not yet complete, the war is not yet over, even though this world is not our home…I’m reminded that I’m waiting on the call of the Commander because so often I impose my will upon God…

•But also this has real and practical implication on my day. In my home. In my job. In my ministry. Many things I want. Many things I think I should rightfully have. But these two and a half tribes, fighting alongside their brethren for land that will never be theirs, no doubt longing for the other side of the Jordan…they did not storm Joshua but rather they waited for his call.

•And so notice Joshua’s attitude towards them. It is utter humility, is it not? He praises them significantly. What more could he say to them in terms of praise? The same will be for you and for me if we wait upon the call rather than even mention what we should have…trusting in God and resting on His promises.

•Also, remember the victories. Jericho and AI and the hailstones as big as boulders…all of the battles won, were they due to these two and a half tribes? No. They were only instruments. But notice, Joshua praises them.

•God is good, and to God goes all of the glory, but please hear me…be an appreciator of persons. Compliment regularly. Endorse those who by faith and patience are bringing honor upon themselves, their families and upon God. Applaud diligence. Honor even the instruments…that is so very important and we see it so clearly here in this humble and powerful leader.

•And so Joshua says to them that the work is complete. They have remained until the children of Israel had peace in the promised land and so go…go home to your families and to your promised possession on the east side of the Jordan.

Joshua Chapter 22 Verses 5 – 6

•I notice a pattern here in Joshua’s exhortation. We may read this and walk away thinking and understanding that Joshua is telling them that as they return to their promised possession, that they should do so in worship and remain in service to the Most High God. And we would be correct. That is what he is saying…but there’s almost always more to the story when you’re digging into God’s Word and I find something here that most will walk away from and not understand…

•Joshua tells them to do the commandments of the law, to love the Lord your God…to hold fast to Him, to serve Him and to love Him with all of their heart and soul. These are the things that lead to a blessed life for sure. The joy of the Lord is our strength Psalm 28 and Nehemiah 8 tells us and for sure when we are walking in the joy of the Lord, we are unstoppable. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. We will run and not grow weary. We will systematically put down with great might every evil that seeks to wreck us with the very power of God from within us…

•But notice…before that list…Love God, hold fast to Him, serve Him and flourish…before that list, the first thing that Joshua said to them, “Take careful heed.” Literally in the Hebrew that phrase can be translated, “Excel in might and forcefully push!” We want to love God. We want to serve Him, to know Him, to be real with Him but so many just simply aren’t willing to get after it. Take careful heed Joshua said because if you don’t, you may as well forget about the rest…and man the same goes for us!

Joshua Chapter 22 Verses 7 – 9

•And so Joshua dismisses them to their possession and he does so with a blessing of mucho dinero! Livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, some new Jordan’s and some sweats! HA! And I dig that because not only had these tribes been obedient to the Lord but that had been obedient to their word. They had agreed, they had said, they had confirmed with their own words that they would stay until now…and they had.

•Moreover, when Joshua was pointing this out he said to them in verse 3, “You have not left your brethren.” That’s family talk! So not only had they performed in accordance with what they said they would do (which is a MAJOR problem in our day and culture and I would even say it’s a worse problem in the church and among the brethren – I mean we expect unfaithfulness from the world right?) but not only were they real about their word being worth something, but they had remained in the bond of family while they carried out their commitment. They had served in love…

•And the result? The same as the result will always be when the Word is mixed with faith in love. Always. It will always be GREAT GAIN! You will always be a gainer. Never a loser. Perhaps not always in this obvious material sense, but in real, wonderful, tangible, permanent gains none the less!

•Listen you’re taking a chance at best following your emotions and logic and rationale and reason and feelings and gut! And I’ll be the first to admit it…I usually end up losing in whatever situation I run into with my carnal senses…I definitely always lose when I say something, sign up to something, commit to something and then let folks down…I HATE THAT WITH SUCH A PASSION! But get this, gain is always the outcome of faithfulness mixed with love. It is always the result.

•What the what are we doing every messing with anything else? Foolishness folks. It’s just utter foolishness and man even the church has become so very foolish in these last days…it should not be so. It cannot be so…not for me.

•What are they to do with the gain? Hoard it, lock it away, lock it down? Joshua says, “Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.” Do you know what the ultimate spoil is of your enemy? When you spoil what he is up to in your life and in your marriage and in your family and in your career and in your church…when you just overcome him…spoil it for him, do you know what the ultimate gain is? Bond with God. Closeness and experiential knowledge of Jesus…and eyes open to truth. Power floods in. Reality arrives…and now what are you to do? Outflow.

•Go into all the world, making disciples and teaching them of this gain…and as you do that you will find yourself in an upward cycle…the opposite of a tailspin which happens, always happens, with foolishness…you yourself, even in the out-flow, even in the sharing, even in the dividing of the spoil, in the going, you yourself continually are enriched with what Paul called in Ephesians 3:8, “Unsearchable riches,” in Jesus Christ!