Lesson 11 Living in the Land

 Lesson 11 Living in the Land

                           (Joshua 22)

     

Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.  Scripture quotations are

from the ESV  Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard

Version ), copyright   2001 by Crossway, a publishing

ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All

rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within

parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail,

but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this

link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the

Holy Spirit as you study.

 

Introduction: One of my habits, which I believe is generally

a good one, is that I am often thinking ahead. If I'm

driving my car, I try to anticipate problems in the road

ahead.  If I'm walking in an area in which there might be

danger, I consider what I will do if a problem arises. When

I'm litigating a case, I always try to anticipate how the

other side intends to argue. This habit has sometimes

created problems, if only in my mind. If I come to the

conclusion that someone wants to harm me, then I imagine

what I will do in response. In 1 Timothy 6:4 the Bible

discusses the person who creates problems based, among other

things, on "evil suspicions." That is exactly how my mind

works sometimes; I imagine problems where likely none exist.

Our study this week shows that I'm not the only one who has

to be careful about evil surmising.  Let's leap into our

study of the Bible and learn more!

 

I.   The Division

 

     A.   Read Joshua 22:1-4. Do you recall what we studied

          about the two and a half tribes that wanted to

          settle on the east side of the Jordan River (the

          side opposite Jericho)? (They did not want to cross

          over the Jordan because the land on their side was

          great for cattle and they had cattle.)

 

          1.   When Joshua 22:3 refers to forsaking brothers

               and keeping the charge, to what does that

               refer? (Joshua 1:14-15 reviews the past

               agreement. The two and a half tribes can claim

               the land on the east side of the Jordan River

               as their land if they agree to cross the

               Jordan with the others and fight to conquer

               the land promised to all the tribes.)

 

          2.   Have the two and a half tribes kept their

               promise? (Yes! They have done as promised and

               are now crossing back over the Jordan to the

               land promised to them.)

 

     B.   Read Joshua 22:5-6. What final reminder does Joshua

          give the two and a half tribes before he blesses

          them and sends them on their way? (To love and obey

          God. To live a life that is consistent with

          obedience, and do it wholeheartedly.)

 

          1.   Is that the goal of your life?  The goal you

               suggest for your children?

 

II.  Alleged Treachery

 

     A.   Read Joshua 22:9-10. What would you conclude if you

          were present and saw this huge altar built by the

          two and a half tribes?

 

          1.   Could you sacrifice on such an altar? (Likely

               not. If it is huge, you could not reach the

               top except with a ladder.)

 

          2.   If an altar is not built to sacrifice to God,

               then is it intended to serve another god?

 

          3.   What would be the reason for building it, if

               not to sacrifice to the true God?

 

     B.   Read Joshua 22:11-12. Whoa! What has happened at

          lightning speed? (They are gathered for war! This

          huge altar was built on the west (Jericho) side of

          the river, according to the ESV and NIV

          translations.)

 

          1.   If this placement is true, for whom is it a

               message? (It would seem to be a message for

               the other tribes, not a stranger who has just

               passed through the land of the two and a half

               tribes.)

 

     C.   Look again at Joshua 22:12. Why are the rest of the

          tribes planning to go to war? (Because the two and

          a half tribes had built an altar.)

 

               a.   What did they think was wrong with that?

 

     D.   Let's read on, Joshua 22:13 15. Let's just stop

          here. Phinehas is leading the delegation of the

          tribes. Why is he leading? (Read Numbers 25:5-8. If

          you want someone serious about stopping idol

          worship, Phinehas is your man!)

 

     E.   Read Joshua 22:16-18 to continue following the

          confrontation. What is apparently wrong with

          building this altar? (The other tribes thought it

          was part of idol worship. The two and a half tribes

          would be using it to offer sacrifices to another

          god.)

 

          1.   The people have a good sense of history; they

               refer to the "sin of Peor." What is that?

               (That is the idol worship where Phinehas

               played a leading role in stopping it. This

               makes clear why the tribes chose Phinehas to

               confront the two and a half tribes.)

 

     F.   Read Numbers 25:1-3. The background for the "sin of

          Peor" is found in Numbers chapters 22-24. The

          Moabites were very concerned about the Israelites

          as they approached the Promised Land. So the

          Moabite King Balak asked the prophet Balaam to

          curse the Hebrews. That did not work. So Balak got

          advice from Balaam that instead of trying to beat

          the Hebrews militarily, they should try to lead

          them into sin. This resulted in the Moabite women

          seducing the Hebrew men into temple prostitution

          involving Baal. That worked for a while. A plague

          broke out. And Phinehas brought the episode to a

          violent end. With Phinehas leading, would this be a

          no-nonsense meeting?

 

     G.   Read Joshua 22:19-20. The people have a good

          memory. What is it they fear might happen to them

          if the two and a half tribes are involved in idol

          worship? (All the tribes would be punished.)

 

          1.   Do you think this concern is justified?

 

     H.   Look again at Joshua 22:18 where it says that

          "tomorrow [God] will be angry with the whole

          congregation of Israel." Is it true today that sin

          affects the entire church? (Yes. Sin is contagious.

          Sin is demoralizing.)

 

          1.   In our church today we find some sloppy

               thinking. We start with the true premise that

               we are all sinners. From that, some conclude

               that because we all sin, we should welcome

               sinners who demand that the church accept

               their sin. What is the logical problem with

               this argument? (Promoting sin and teaching

               others to accept sin is far different than

               acknowledging our sinful state.)

 

III. The Conversation

 

     A.   Let's read what the two and a half tribes said in

          response to these charges. Read Joshua 22:21 23. Do

          all the tribes agree on the nature of the sin of

          idol worship? (Yes. There is no theological

          dispute.)

 

     B.   Read Joshua 22:24-25. Does this seem to be a

          reasonable fear? That the descendants of the rest

          of the tribes might tell the children of the two

          and a half tribes that they were not allowed to

          worship the true God?

 

          1.   Let's step back and discuss evil surmising.

               Were the main tribes engaged in evil surmising

               against the two and a half tribes when they

               saw the huge altar?

 

          2.   Were the two and a half tribes engaged in evil

               surmising when they thought their children

               would be prevented from worshiping the true

               God by the rest of the tribes? (I think the

               answer to both these questions is "Yes." This

               problem arose because of evil surmising on

               both sides.)

 

     C.   Read Joshua 22:26-28. We earlier discussed what

          could be the purpose of a huge altar on which

          sacrifices were not made. What purpose do the two

          and a half tribes have for building it? (It is a

          sign, a symbol, a witness that the two and a half

          tribes believe in sacrificing to the true God.)

 

     D.   Read Joshua 22:29. When people in the church accuse

          you of wrongdoing, or engage in evil surmising

          against you, how do you react?

 

          1.   How would you grade the reaction of the two

               and a half tribes? (It was exactly right. I

               can imagine some thinking, "The last thing

               Joshua warned us about was idol worship, and

               now the rest of the tribes are accusing us of

               the same thing." It might make you

               oversensitive about the subject and cause a

               less than gentle response.)

 

     E.   Read Joshua 22:30-31 and Joshua 22:33-34. What

          results from this "almost war" situation? (It was a

          renewal of commitment to the true God. The huge

          altar, as intended, was a "Witness" that "the Lord

          is God.")

 

     F.   What lessons do you see in getting along with one

          another in church? (1. Don't assume the worst. 2.

          Discuss it. Do not pick up your weapons first. 3.

          When someone accuses you of something, be kind.)

 

     G.   Read Psalm 133:1. What can you do to promote this

          goal in your church?                   

 

     H.   Friend, if you want peace in your church, determine

          not to assume the worst about others. When problems

          arise, talk them out. Like me, work on avoiding

          evil surmising. Will you agree to this?

 

     IV.  Next week: God is Faithful!