Hasty Judgment (Joshua 22:15-20)

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:

While the tribes of Israel rightfully sought to discuss the matter of the altar with their kinsmen before waging war with them, they still wrongfully assumed their guilt before giving them a hearing.

In civil matters, before judgement is made the accused should be given an opportunity to speak in his own defense (Deuteronomy 1:16, 17; Joshua 20:4; 1 Kings 3:16-28; Proverbs 18:17; John 7:51; Acts 7; 23:1-6; 24:10-21; 25:8-11; 26:1-26; cf. Deuteronomy 25:1). In this situation, the Israelites did in fact go on to allow their kinsmen to speak in their defense (which would clarify matters and show their innocence), but prior to this they judged their brethren prematurely.

In life, what is often the case is that things are not what they initially seem. And so "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him" (Proverbs 18:17, ESV). How often do unnecessary wars and the punishment of the innocent occur because of a failure to carefully hear what the accused has to say in his defense? "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him" (Proverbs 18:13).   

  

Faithful, Zealous Ambassadors (Joshua 22:13, 14)

Joshua 22

King James Version (KJV)

13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

14 And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

Comments:

Before the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh could be attacked for apostasy, it had to be made certain that such a thing actually took place. As the law states in reqards to a city suspected of apostasy: 

14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. (Deuteronomy 13)

Phinehas, along with ten princes, are sent as ambassadors. While proceeding verses indicate that they wrongfully assumed their brethren's guilt before giving them a hearing, as least they didn't attack first and ask questions later. This gave their brethren the opportunity to prove their innocence before war erupted.

 In such a tense situation, Phinehas was a wise choice for an ambassador. John Gill calls him 

a man zealous for the Lord of hosts, and his glory, of which there is an instance in (Numbers 25:7 Numbers 25:11 Numbers 25:13); and so a fit person to be employed in this affair, who would be faithful, bold, and zealous, as well as capable of giving advice and counsel to both parties, if needful.

As a man zealous for God, Phinehas was the kind of man who would neither refrain from war if God's honor was in fact being attacked, nor needlessly provoke war if his brethren's guilt was in doubt. It is this kind of man that nations should employ as ambassadors. 

Joshua's Criminal Investigation (Joshua 7:14-18)

Joshua 7

King James Version (KJV)

14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man.

15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

Comments:

God instructs Joshua on how to conduct a criminal investigation in order to determine who took the spoil for private use. While criminal investigations can be tedious, inquiring diligently (Deuteronomy 17:4; 19:18) is necessary for rulers concerned about arriving at the truth.