Today's Scripture Reading (February 26, 2022): Joshua 22
American Author Daniel Wallace in "The Kings and Queens of Roam," argues that "A storyteller makes up things to help other people; a
liar makes up things to help himself." It might be a little simplistic in
its formation, but explaining the difference between a storyteller and a liar
has some merit. Maybe the problem is that sometimes what helps the author of
the tale and what helps others is a very fine line and one that might only be
seen as we look back at events.
The Transjordanian tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the
tribe of Manasseh are heading home after helping the rest of the tribes take
Canaan. But when they get to the Jordan River, they decide to build "an
imposing altar" (Joshua 22:10) just on the west side of the Jordan River.
The altar is a "replica of the Lord's
altar, which our ancestors built" (Joshua 22:28). But the altar becomes a
source of, at best, a misunderstanding between the tribes. At worst, the
building of the altar is an indication of open rebellion by the eastern,
Transjordanian Tribes. The Law of Moses strictly prohibited any sacrifice at
the altar built by the eastern tribes. The problem was that the only place
where a sacrifice was to be offered was at the Tabernacle in Shiloh. And the
western tribes are ready to go to war over the perceived slight of the illegal altar.
But the eastern tribes quickly explain what they have done.
The altar they had built was not for sacrifice; it was an altar that was created
as a reminder that both the Tribes in Canaan and the Transjordanian Tribes had
a share in Israel. The altar was meant as a witness between them. The idea was
that, if at some time in the future, the descendants forgot that it was their
cousins who lived on the other side of the river, this altar would remind them
that the God of Israel guided the tribes on both sides of the river. And so,
the altar was named "Ed" (Pronounced ayd or aid), which means "A
Witness Between Us."
Maybe there is a larger question that we can ask as we look
back at history. Was the explanation given by the eastern tribes truthful, or
was it a story to get them out of a tight situation? And that is probably
something that we will never know. The explanations defused a situation that
could have resulted in a civil war between the eastern and western tribes. But the
illegal altar presented another danger. This "Altar called Ed," even
though it wasn't built for unlawful sacrifices, could have been misused for
that purpose in the years of apostasy that were yet to come in Israel. And,
sometimes, it really is better to avoid even the appearance of evil.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 23
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