Clinging to a Commitment...

As a church we are nearing the end of a sermon series that is looking at a letter in our Bible, called the book of Joshua that records the frustration, tension and trouble that the Jewish people experienced as they attempted to restart their lives as individuals and as a nation. This past week we came to a story that reveals a powerful principle that is necessary in order to restart our lives so that we would be living in the relationship with God and one another that we were created and called to live. This story begins in Joshua 22:1:

Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. "You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. "And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan.

We see Joshua here proclaiming the faithfulness of the tribes of Rueben, Gad, and the ½ tribe of Manasseh for keeping the commitment that they had made that is recorded for us in another letter of our Bibles, called the book of Numbers. In Numbers 32:20-22, these tribes made an agreement with Moses, who was the previous leader of the Jewish people that would allow them to settle in land that was east of the Promised Land on the other side of the Jordan River on the condition that these tribes would help the remaining Jewish nation take over and possess the Promised Land.

And here we Joshua praise these tribes for keeping their commitment. These tribes left their families behind and laid their lives on the line in order to help their fellow Jewish countryman. As a result of their faithfulness God had given rest to the entire Jewish people. As we talked about last week, the word rest refers to the blessings that come from faithfully living in the relationship with God and one another that we were created and called to live. So, having faithfully fulfilled their commitment, Joshua releases them to go back to their families and their land which was located east of the Jordan River. As Joshua releases them, however, he provides some parting commands and counsel, which is recorded for us in Joshua 22:5-6:

"Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

As these three tribes began the journey back to the land that they were to occupy and settle, Joshua reminds them to carefully keep the commandments that God had given the Jewish people through Moses, their previous leader and are recorded for us in another letter in our Bibles called the Book of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 10:12-13 and 11:22, Moses commanded the Jewish people to do five things.

First, the Jewish people were to love the Lord with all of their heart and their soul. In the language that we use in our culture today, we would say that we are to love the Lord with our total being. Second, they were to walk in His ways. In other words, they were to live their life in light of how God called them to live; they were to reflect God in their character and conduct.

Third, the Jewish people were to keep His commandments that were recorded in the Torah, which is the first five books in our Bibles. Fourth, they were to serve God with their total being. Fifth, the Jewish people were to hold fast to Him. What is so interesting is that this phrase “hold fast” literally means to cling to someone or something. It is a word picture of a child clinging to their parent. In other words, God desired that the Jewish people live in a relationship with Him that relied upon Him and would not let go of Him.

Joshua then dismissed these three tribes with a prayer asking for God’s enabling power and blessing to be upon them as they began this new chapter in their lives. However, before crossing the Jordan, these three tribes made a decision that had the potential for devastating and destructive consequences, which we will look at tomorrow.

So how faithful are you when it comes to keeping your commitments? To following God? To others around you?