Joshua 22:1 – 34 “Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manassehand said to them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”
So, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.
FIGHTING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEVER BE THEIRS! This was the task Moses and Joshua assigned to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half – tribe of Manasseh when they asked for land on the east side of the Jordan. In those days, there were vast grazing lands on the east side of the Jordan, and after the Israelites had conquered King Og and King Sihon, these tribes asked for those lands because they had huge herds of livestock. Moses gave them those lands but demanded that they should settle their families, their flocks, and herds and then the fighting men should accompany the rest of the Israelites across the Jordan and help conquer Canaan.
Joshua 1:12 – 15 “But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
Notice that when the Israelites crossed the Jordan, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half – tribe of Manasseh actually preceded the rest of the people as a guard against possible attack as soon as they crossed the Jordan. The families of these tribes were already safely ensconced in their cities, so those families were not at risk.
Throughout all the campaigns in Canaan, the fighting men of these tribes were constantly involved. It’s likely that this conquest took as many as seven or more years, during which time these men served faithfully. Now it was time for the fighting men of Reuben, Gad, and the half – tribe of Manasseh to return home; however, they were not returning empty – handed. “When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.” Who were these fellow Israelites? It is likely that when the fighting men left their families behind, they left a contingent to guard their newly – won lands. Had these men accompanied the rest of the Israelites, they too could have gotten great wealth. This is why Joshua is ordering those returning to the east of the Jordan to share generously. Hundreds of years later, King David issued a similar order when he insisted that those who remained behind with the luggage should share equally with those who had gone into battle.
“Families don’t do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!” said David as he broke up the argument. “You can’t act this way with what God gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us. Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights—equal shares. Share and share alike!” From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel—and it still is.” 1 Samuel 30:24 The Message
APPLICATION: One of the challenges of being a missionary is that you are constantly having to re – invent yourself. Those tasks that you did a few years ago must be taken up by others if any organization is to develop. Twenty – nine years ago, I was the only doctor in a small clinic; eventually I also became the first surgeon and the first laboratory technician. At times, I was also the chief midwife, handling all the difficult deliveries. At times during my career, I have served as both Medical Superintendent and Administrator out of sheer necessity. Sometimes I have also handled most of the official correspondence for the hospital. At this point, we have entire departments to handle the duties I used to shoulder alone. My husband has had similar experiences. At one point, my husband handled all the preaching for a local church for a year until they were able to secure another pastor. When we were first in Saboba, my husband headed the maintenance section; now there are several workers.
There is a saying painted on buses and tro – tros’s here that reads, “No condition is permanent.” Changes and transformations are a part of life. There is another saying we encountered when we were first being trained to learn languages, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall never be bent out of shape.”
I wonder how the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the men from the half – tribe of Manasseh must have felt the morning that Joshua told them they could go home. Were they happy? Relieved? Worried about what they would find when they crossed the Jordan? After all, many of these men had probably left young families. Now they were returning to wives and half – grown children whose memories of them might be quite dim.
These men were returning with great wealth, easily enough to share with those left behind. And these men were returning to take up lives of peace. No longer would they have to wake up each morning, wondering where the next battle would be fought, how many giants there might be, and how rough the terrain would be. Now these men would be able to rest, although they would still have to be on guard for raiding parties. But these were serious fighting men who knew how to protect themselves and their families. All those battles in Canaan had taught them how to wage war when necessary, skills they could pass on to their sons.
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and those from the half – tribe of Manasseh now faced the challenge of raising families and livestock while maintaining the worship of the One True Living God who had sustained them during all those years of fighting. Were there ever times when these men longed to be back in battle where the choices were far simpler? About the time that their kids were asking “Why?” for the hundredth time, battle might have looked pretty good! Did any of these men suffer from PTSD? If they heard any sudden loud noises, did they begin looking for attackers? Did they have nightmares? We don’t know. What we do know is that these men made it home to their families with God’s blessing.
Have you been serving in a difficult situation? Are there times when you long for rest? Take heart! If God has called you there, God will keep you there until He chooses to move you somewhere else. All of us face the challenge of perpetually reinventing ourselves; the day we stop is the day we die spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. But remember this: God is still on the throne! God sees your efforts! And if you are fulfilling God’s perfect will for your life, one day you will hear the most wonderful words anyone has ever imagined. “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matthew 25:21
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us! Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Help us to be good and faithful servants, knowing that You are a loving and faithful master and that one day we will share Your joy. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
March 11, 2022 at 4:53 pm
Your message is so good, and you have lived the effect of change and demand. The men in Joshua’s army gave so much for the privilege of having their families safe, and no way for them to communicate without a runner going to see them. i like the part about reinventing themselves, shifting gears to go from warrior to husband a father again. Hoping their wives had been faithful…And I see me here, unwilling to enter into a fray again full knowing that God has blessed every time I hung it out for him. Thank you.