Joshua 22
King James Version (KJV)
15 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,
16 Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord?
17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord,
18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the Lord, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.
19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God.
20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
Comments:
When the Israelites mistake their brethren (the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh) for rebelling against God, they say in verse 19 that rebelling against God is also rebelling against them: "but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God."
How could this be the case? There are at least two possible ways in which the Israelites would have seen rebellion against God as rebellion against them as well.
First, in a nation that is committed to God, such an act is subversive of the God-centered social order. Rebellion to God—especially by such a large group—would be an act of high treason that could threaten the culture and laws of a godly society. As Scripture says, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9). It could be destructive to the goal of God's people to live "a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Timothy 2:2b).
Second, such an act could lead to God's judgment. As we've noted, God deals with nations corporately, so that the sins of others might bring God's judgment on a nation as a whole. In fact, prior to and following Joshua 22:19, the Israelites warn about God's judgment for acts of rebellion, and thus say, "and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the Lord, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel."
