Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 48
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IMMERSE
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KINGDOMS
22:24–23:4
burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord himself
punish us.
“The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future
your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have to worship
the Lord, the God of Israel? The Lord has placed the Jordan River as a
barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have
no claim to the Lord.’ So your descendants may prevent our descendants
from worshiping the Lord.
“So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,
but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants
that we, too, have the right to worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our
burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants
will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no claim to the Lord.’
“If they say this, our descendants can reply, ‘Look at this copy of the
Lord’s altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the Lord.’ Far
be it from us to rebel against the Lord or turn away from him by building
our own altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. Only the
altar of the Lord our God that stands in front of the Tabernacle may be
used for that purpose.”
When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads
of the clans of Israel—heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the
half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the
priest, replied to them, “Today we know the Lord is among us because
you have not committed this treachery against the Lord as we thought.
Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of
the Lord.”
Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the other leaders left the
tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to
tell the Israelites what had happened. And all the Israelites were satisfied
and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad.
The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar “Witness,” for they said,
“It is a witness between us and them that the Lord is our God, too.”
The years passed, and the Lord had given the people of Israel rest from all
their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old, called together all the elders,
leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them, “I am now a very
old man. You have seen everything the Lord your God has done for you
during my lifetime. The Lord your God has fought for you against your
enemies. I have allotted to you as your homeland all the land of the nations