The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 119
SECT. CXIX.
THe Land being thus conquered, and the Children of Iſrael ſetled in a peaceful poſſeſſion of it, Joſhua now calls the Companies of the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-Tribe of Manaſſeh (who came over Jordan to help their Brethren in this Atchievement, and had left their Wives and Children ſo long, and had ſtuck to their Brethren till they had ſeen them peaceably ſetled in their Inheritances,) and commended them for their great faithfulneſs, and obeying of the Lord therein. He therefore now permits them to return to their own poſſeſſions, but firſt gravely and religiouſly exhorts them to love the Lord their God, and to walk in his Ways and Commandments, and to cleave to Him, and to ſerve Him with all their Hearts and Souls, and that they be very careful and watchful over themſelves, that they be not drawn away from doing what he had enjoyned them. Then He tells them, They had got very much Spoil in the War, and would return to their Tents laden with Riches, with Silver, and Gold, and Braſs, with Iron, and very much Rayment, and with much Cattel; Therefore when they came home they ſhould divide the Spoil they had gotten with their Brethren; that is, that they that had been engaged in the War ſhould have one half, and the reſt of their Brethren that ſtayed behind ſhould have the other, as Moſes had before ordered it in that War, when they went out againſt the Midianites, Numb. 31.27. and 'tis probable Joſhua followed the example of Moſes in this direction. Then earneſtly praying to the Lord to bleſs them, he kindly diſmiſt them. They having taken their leave of Joſhua and their Brethren, began their March home-ward, and when they came to the Fords of Jordan, they thought fit, before they paſſed the River, to build a great Altar there, after the pattern of that in the Tabernacle, not with any intent to offer Sacrifices thereon, but only that it might be in future times a Memorial that thoſe Tribes that dwelt without Jordan were of the ſtock of Iſrael, as well as thoſe that dwelt within, and had a right to come to the Tabernacle, and to offer their Sacrifices on Gods Altar there, as well as they, and that in ſucceeding Generations it might be known that that Altar was built by the Tribes without Jordan, when they returned that way home, from helping their Brethren againſt the Canaanites at the firſt conquering of the Land. The Children of Iſrael within Jordan hearing of this Altar which their Brethren had built on the banks of Jordan, and ſuppoſing they had done it with a purpoſe to offer Sacrifices thereon (which would have been a manifeſt Rebellion againſt Gods Law, whereby all the Tribes of Iſrael were enjoyned to bring all their Sacrifices to that one Altar that was in the Tabernacle, Deut. 12.5, 6.) And conſidering that God had enjoyned them, that in caſe any of their Brethren, of any City in Iſrael, ſhould fall off from the true Worſhip of God, to the Worſhip of falſe gods, (and conſequently to any Idolatrous Worſhip whatſoever) they ſhould then gather themſelves together, and utterly deſtroy the Inhabitants of that City, Deut. 13.13, &c. In purſuance of this Command the Iſraelites within Jordan unanimouſly gather themſelves together at Shiloh, with an intent (if they found the matter as they ſuppoſed) to make War immediately againſt thoſe Tribes that had built this Altar. But they thought it requiſite firſt to ſend Meſſengers to enquire concerning what had been done, and the reaſon of it. And accordingly they ſent Phineas, the Son of Eleazar, and ten Princes, of each chief Houſe a Prince unto them. When they came to them, Phineas, in the name of the reſt, ſpake to them after this manner; What Treſpaſs is this (Brethren) that you have committed againſt the God of Iſrael, in building you an Altar that you might rebel this day againſt the Lord? Is it not enough, and too much, that we did many years ſince highly provoke God to Diſpleaſure againſt us, by ſuffering our ſelves to be drawn by the Daughters of Moab, to the Worſhip of Baal-Peor? and ſhall we now afreſh provoke Him againſt us by a new Rebellion againſt his Law, and by a new way of Idolatry? The ſtain and infamy of that ſin of Peor ſtill lies upon us, and we have all cauſe to bluſh at the remembrance of it even now at this day. And I am afraid the Infection of that Idolatry does ſtill cleave to ſome particular perſons among us. And ſeeing ye have now rebelled againſt the Lord, this I tell you before-hand will be the fruit and effect of it, He will immediately and forthwith be angry with the whole Congregation of Iſrael; and we muſt expect a dreadful puniſhment to fall upon us all for this your Tranſgreſſion, as you may remember when Achan tranſgreſſed in taking the accurſed thing, [Ch. 7.1.] wrath fell on the whole people for it, and that Man periſhed not alone for that Sin, but ſeveral others with him. If you think the Land without Jordan unclean, becauſe you have not Gods Tabernacle and Altar with you, as we have, then paſs over to us; We had rather diminiſh our own Inheritances to give you a ſhare of them, than that you ſhould fall off from the true Worſhip of God; Gods Glory and your Salvation obliges us to make this kind motion to you. The Children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-Tribe of Manaſſeh having heard theſe words, made this reply, Firſt, They appeal to the great God, the Searcher of all Hearts, that they had not built this Altar with any ſuch intent as their Brethren ſuſpected. The Lord God of Gods (ſay they) the Lord God of Gods, he knows how hateful the very thought of any ſuch thing is unto us, and you our Brethren ſhall know by our conſtancy in the Worſhip of God, how far we were from building that Altar with any intent to Sacrifice thereon. If we did it in rebellion againſt the Law of God, we deſire the Lord ſhould not ſpare us, but puniſh us according to the hainouſneſs of ſo great a Sin. Alas! (ſay they) our true and only intent in doing it was this, for fear leſt in time to come your Children might ſay to our Children, What have you to do with the Lord God of Iſrael? The Lord hath made Jordan a border between you and us. You have no part in the Lord. And thus in Generations to come, your Children may come not to ſuffer our Children to offer their Sacrifices on God's Altar, alledging, They were not of the Church and People of God, nor of Abraham's Seed, and ſo ſhall your Children make our Children ceaſe from fearing and ſerving the Lord. Therefore we agreed to build this Altar not to offer any Sacrifice thereon, but only to be a Memorial and Witneſs between you and us, and our Generations after us, That we were the people of God as well as you, and had liberty to come and offer our Sacrifices on the Altar that is before the Tabernacle equally with you, and that your Children might not in after Ages bar our Children from this Priviledge. Phineas and the Princes that were ſent with him hearing this, were very glad, and much pleaſed therewith, and Phineas replied, This day we perceive the Lord is indeed among us, in that He hath kept you from falling into that ſcandalous Sin, which we feared you had committed. Now we perceive that you have delivered the Children of Iſrael out of the Hand of the Lord, by having kept your ſelves from that Sin which might have drawn ſome heavy Judgment not only upon your ſelves, but upon the whole body of the people, had you fallen into it. Then Phineas and the Princes took their leave of them, and returning to Shiloh, made their Report hereof to the Elders of Iſrael there met, who were exceedingly well ſatisfied therewith, and bleſſed God, who had hereby prevented them from going againſt their Brethren. And ſo the Altar was called Ed, that is a Witneſs or Token that they did all on both ſides Jordan acknowledge and own Jehovah for the true God, and their God, whom they would Worſhip in no other way than that which He Himſelf had preſcribed.
Joſh. Ch. 22. whole Chapter.