Joshua 22:1-9 - Faithfulness Honored and Rewarded

Joshua 22:1-9

Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands

1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them: “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. 3 You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

7 Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, 8 and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”

9 So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

This is an example of rewarded and honored faithfulness.  The Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had promised to cross the Jordan and fight with their fellow families until they settled their lands, waging war and fighting for all their inheritance, while being promised they could leave their families on the uncrossed side of the river to settle for themselves and only return to set d roots when all had been won.  Now they were honored and rewarded with the promise of the LORD as given through Moses for their charge of the commandment of the LORD their God to this end.  He who honors Him (1 Samuel 2:30) will be honored!  We have that promise as well to honor our Lord Jesus (John 12:26) and be likewise honored to inherit the promised heavenly country to come as our reward for trusting Him and His sacrificial atoning work on the tree of sin’s curse that we carry to our eternal destination if not for His suffering and death there in our place.  Like these three familial tribes of ancient Israel, we too are to live acceptably because of our acceptance in the Lord and “keep His commandments, hold fast to Him, and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  We are reminded of this in Luke 10:27 and other places as we are to keep the word of the Lord to please Him and demonstrate our true love and devotion to Him above all others and still love others as He does as well since we have such a promised inheritance in the rooms of the heavenly mansion, the New Jerusalem to come.  In the meanwhile, until we cross the river of death, we are to fight the good fight together to bring deliverance for all who hear the gospel call to righteousness in Christ, standing side by side and not leaving others to battle alone until we all find everlasting peace in Him and possess our inheritance there before His face forevermore.  Faithfulness is honored (Luke 19:17, 1 Corinthians 4:2, 2 Timothy 2:2, 4:7, Titus 1:9, Revelation 17:14) and rewarded (Luke 6:35, 1 Corinthians 3:8, 14, Hebrews 11:26, Colossians 3:24) in eternity.  May we then enter the land set before us (Hebrews 6:18, Colossians 1:4-5, Hebrews 6:18, 12:1-2, Titus 1:2-3) to possess as promised by the word of the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have trusted and follow into that place.  We therefore wage spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:11-12, 13, 16-17) together for the gospel against all opposition (Revelation 12:17) until we enter into glory.