So what is Joshua Chapter 22 all about?
In a nutshell, it’s about the 2 1/2 tribes of Gad, Reuben and 1/2 of Manasseh being allowed to return to their homes located on the east side of the Jordan River.
Why?
Because their military services were no longer needed since the successful conquest of Canaan had been achieved.
They had been true to their word in helping their brothers conquer the Promised Land and now Joshua was being true to his word.
And that meant allowing Reuben, Gad and 1/2 of Manasseh to settle in the land on the east side of the Jordan (in spite of it NOT being Promised Land territory) and keeping it as their own forever.
So when was this agreement established in the first place?
Let’s rewind the tape back to chapter 1 of Joshua.
Here’s what we were told:
“To the Re’uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M’nasheh Y’hoshua said, ‘Remember what Moshe the servant of Adonai ordered you: ‘Adonai your God has let you rest and will give you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones and your livestock will stay in the land Moshe gave you on the east side of the Yarden; but you are to cross over armed as a fighting force ahead of your brothers, to help them; until Adonai allows your brothers to rest, as he has allowed you; and they too have taken possession of the land Adonai your God is giving them. At that point, you will return to the land which is yours and possess it, the land Moshe the servant of Adonai gave you in ‘Ever-HaYarden to the east, toward the sunrise.'”-Joshua 1:12-15
Therefore, what we’re witnessing here in Joshua 22 is a conclusion of what began in Joshua Chapter 1.
This was a happy conclusion, an honorable discharge from military service so to speak.
And I’m positive that what’s being described here was a type of formal proceedings.
The 2 1/2 tribes of Reuben, Gad and 1/2 of Manasseh had kept their word according to Hashem’s command which verse Joshua 1:15 states is“…you are to cross over armed as a fighting force ahead of your brothers, to help them”.
And as a fitting closure, Joshua 22:4 says...”Now Adonai your God has given rest to your kinsmen, as he told them he would”.
So everything has come around full circle.
War began and now the promised rest from that war has been provided.
Thus the timing is now ripe for the 2 1/2 tribes to return to their homes and families in the Transjordan and begin growing their economy.
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