A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
THE Two and Twentieth of Joſhua, declareth, Firſt, the diſmiſſion of the two Tribes and half to their Land beyond Jordan, from, ver. 1. to ver. 10. and, Secondly, The Conſequences of their departure thither, they building an Altar of Remembrance, and being miſunderſtood therein by the Ten Tribes, had like to have occaſion'd a Civil War betwixt them, but the Quarrel was fairly compoſed by an Amicable Treaty, &c. from ver. 10. to ver. 31.
The Remarks on the First Part, are,
Firſt, The Time when Joſhua disbanded and diſmiſſed them, this was done when the War was done, which laſted Seven Years (as is obſerved above from Joſh. 11.18. and 14.10.) then had God perform'd his Promiſe of the Conquest of Canaan, and had given his People Peace and Reſt, ſo that they had no farther need of the Aſſiſtance of thoſe Reubenites, &c. to fight for them. Therefore is it the more probable, that thoſe two Tribes and half ſtayed not till the new conquer'd Canaan was divided among the other Ten Tribes, for theſe Reaſons.
1. This Diviſion of the Land (as 'tis judged) took up as much time as the Conqueſt had done, other Seven Years.
2. They were not ſo much concern'd in the dividing of Canaan, wherein they expected no ſhare, as they were under more ſtrong Obligations for returning home to their Wives, Children and Families, from all which they had been (upon a publick Account) abſent full Seven Years.
3. Nor did the Covenant they made with Moſes require their longer ſtay than the War laſted, Numb. 32.18.20.21. wherein they are obliged to go armed before the Lord to War, until he had driven out their Enemies from before him, and ſubdued the Land, after which they were to return unto their own Poſſeſſions, and be guiltleſs before the Lord, and before Iſrael. All this, and only thus far the Reubenites, &c. engaged themſelves to Moſes, ver. 27. where not a word is mentioned of their ſtaying, till the Ten Tribes were ſetled in their ſeveral Inheritances.
4. Nor doth this Story of their departure (mention'd in this Chapter, after the whole Land was divided) contradict the probability of this Opinion: Becauſe (ſaith Dr. Lightfoot) it was fit, the whole Story, which concerned the Conqueſt and Poſſeſſion of the Land, ſhould be handled all together, before any other Particulars, and Emergencies ſhould interpoſe and interrupt it.
The Second Remark is, The manner how Joſhua diſmiſt them, namely, with the higheſt Character of Commendation, ver. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. and not only ſo, but alſo with a very Rich Reward, or Remuneration, ver. 8. as to the Character Joſhua commends them,
Firſt, For their Obedience to their General, which deſervedly takes the firſt place upon their Military account and whereby they had diſcharged that univerſal duty of Military Diſcipline, and for this, their Generous General Joſhua highly applaudeth them at the end of their ſervice under him, ver. 1, 2.
Secondly, For their Faithfulneſs, in not forſaking their Brethren during the Wars, tho' their Service was very hard (and the harder) if that Phraſe [before the Lord] Numb. 30.20. be meant, their marching continually in the very fore front of the Lords Army, and 'tis expreſly affirmed that the Front was their Station [they paſſed over Armed before the Children of Iſrael] Joſh. 4.12.) This was hard ſervice indeed, which ever did expoſe them to the firſt ſhock of the Enemy, they bearing the brunt of every Battel; nor was this all, but this hard ſervice was long alſo, even ſeven years long, yet all this long time they Cowardly deſert not their Brethren: This uſhers in the
Third Character of Commendation, that their Noble General gives them, Namely their Conſtancy in this hard and long ſervice; [ye have kept right to your work, and to the War] ſaith he, ver. 3. no fear of either difficulty or danger, no tediouſneſs of time in ſo hazardous an undertaking did diſcourage them into a deſertion: Nor did their Natural love to their Wives, Children, Friends, Families, Eſtates, (the comforts of all which they had wanted ſo long) draw them back from the War.
N.B. This muſt needs be a moſt eminent Act of rare ſelf-denial in them eſpecially conſidering how they had left all thoſe comfortables afore-mention'd behind them in a Land but lately Conquered; yet expoſed to the inroads of many malicious Neighbours, and where all that was near and dear to them, were out of reach of their protection, ſeeing Jordan, as well as much of the Country lay between them.
Fourthly, and laſtly, Above all, Joſhua commends them for their Piety, which is rare to be found in thoſe that follow Tents. He ſaith to them [ye have kept the charge of the Commandment of the Lord your God,] ver. 3. Hebr. Ʋſhemarrem…eth Miſhmereth: Cuſtovidiſtis cum cuſtodia, ye have kept God's Precept with the beſt keeping, or (as 'tis tranſlated, Prov. 4.23.) Keep with all diligence. This their Piety towards God is named laſt, as the Foundation and Original of their obedience to their General, of their Faithfulneſs to their Brethren, and of their Conſtancy in the War, &c. As if Joſhua had ſaid thus to them, ye have not been like Soldiers of Fortune, meer Mercinaries, that drive on War as a Trade only, nor like other Warriours, who either from Vain Glory, or from a Natural Magnanimity do Exploits in Battels, but your Undertakings have been out of Conſcience, and from a Religious fear of God, for you have look'd upon your whole work, not only as having God's Warrant, but alſo, as God's Charge impoſed upon you by the Lord of Hoſts for your Generation work in the World.
Hence follows the Second Part, their Rich Remuneration, ver. 8. This Noble General doth not Disband theſe Brave Men without their Pay (as ſome brutiſh Generals in the World have done) but ſaith to them [Return with much Riches, with very much Cattle, with very much Raiment, with Silver, Gold, Braſs, and Iron,] theſe all were the Rewards of their good ſervice, the Spoils of the Conquer'd did thus enrich them: Solomon ſaith [by Humility, and the Fear of the Lord, are Riches, and Honour, and Life,] Prov. 22.4.
All this Hiſtory may be thus improved in the Myſtery, there is a day coming, wherein our Joſhua, our bleſſed Jeſus (the Captain of our Salvation, Heb. 2.10.) will call us to him, as this Joſhua did the Renbenites, &c. unto him, ver. 1. we have here our Spiritual warfare, Oh that we may endure the hardſhip of this warfare like good Souldiers of Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Tim. 2.3. May we be but made able to ſay, I have fought the good fight, I have finiſh'd my courſe, I have kept the Faith, then will our General Jeſus both Commend us, and Reward us, as General Joſhua did the Reubenites here, he will ſay, [ye are they that have continued with me in my Temptations, and I appoint unto you a Kingdom, Luke 22.28.29. a Crown of Righteouſneſs is laid up for you, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8.] The Praiſe-worthy practices Chriſt's good Servants and Souldiers ſhall be publickly Celebrated in that laſt and great Day, Math. 25.34, 35, &c.
The Third Remark is the Grave Admonition that General Joſhua gave thoſe Tribes at their Diſmiſſion, and that in two Points,
The Firſt is, Love to God, the grand duty of the firſt Table, ver. 5.
And the Second is, Love to our Neighbour, which likewiſe is the grand Duty of the Second Table, ver 8.
As to the firſt of theſe, this Religious General doth not only commend and reward them for what they had done well, but alſo he commands them, that after their departure, they perſevere in well-doing, and abound more and more, 1 Theſ. 4.1. 1 Joh. 5.13. Intimating to them, that this could not be done, unleſs they had a ſincere Love to God, from whence all true obedience to Gods Commandments muſt flow as from its Genuine Fountain, then would they cleave to God, and not to Idols, ver. 5.
And as to the Second Point, of Love to their Neighbour, he Commands them, that their other Brethren, who had ſtay'd beyond Jordan to protect their Wives, Children, Goods, Cattel, and Poſſeſſions in their abſence, and to preſerve them from the incurſions of their bordering Enemies, might be made partakers of the Prey and Spoils, according to God's Command, Numb. 31.27. N.B. which Law being worn out by length of time, David revived it in his day, 1 Sam. 30.24, 25. Where the ſhare of thoſe that ſtayed with the ſtuff, was equal, becauſe their Danger was equal, but no ſuch equality could be enjoined by Joſhua here, for there were but forty thouſand to whom the other Moyety is judged by Joſhua as their part, but there were more than ſeventy thouſand ſtayers at home, to whom the other moyety is granted: therefore they that had born the brunt of the War, muſt have the greateſt part by Poll, otherwiſe there had ſeemed no equity nor juſtice in the Caſe, if the ſtayers at home had an individual equality with the Warriours.
Now come we to the Conſequences of the Reubenites, &c. departure to their own Lands.
The Remarks on this Second Part.
The Firſt is, No ſooner is all well with Iſrael on both ſides Jordan, but preſently the envious one ſows ſeed of diſſention betwixt them; and ſuch a diſſention as had like to have been blown up into a Civil War, which ever is [in utram que partem triſte] ſad enough on both ſides, and cannot be carried on without great loſs to the Conqueror, as well as to the Conquered; and tho' Victory be obtained by the one party, yet can there be no true Triumph over the other party that are beaten down, becauſe they are brethren, and ought not to ſtrive one with another, Exod. 2.13. having ſtrife and ſtroaks enough from an evil World, ſo one Hebrew need not ſtrike another: The occaſion of this difference was the Building of an Altar by the two Tribes and half in Gilead, overagainſt the Land of Canaan, upon the Borders of Jordan, ver. 10, 11. N.B. This Altar was Gadol Lemareeh, ſpectandae magnitudinis, a great Altar to ſie to, and it was built after the pattern of that in the Tabernacle, but for a Civil, and not for any Sacred or Religious uſe. according to the Intention of the Builders: they did not deſign to offer any Sacrifices and Oblations upon it, but that it might remain as a Monument unto all ſucceeding Ages, to teſtifie in their behalf, that tho' the River Jordan did divide them from Canaan, yet they in Gilead were true Iſraelites, deſcended from Jacob, and ſo had a right to all the Promiſes of God's Peculiar People, and to all the Priviledges both of the Tabernacle and of the Temple, as well as their Brethren that dwelt in the Land of Canaan: However, this Altar was miſ-repreſented to their Brethren within Canaan, as if it were intended to offer Sacrifice upon, which was diametircally contrary to Gods expreſs command of Worſhipping him at one only Altar, Exod. 20.24. Levit. 17.8, 9. and Deut. 12.5.7.11.13.27. Hereupon the Ten Tribes and half (not only hearing, but believing this falſe report) do prepare to wage War againſt the two Tribes and half, as againſt a company of Apoſtates and Idolaters that were ſetting up a falſe and ſuperſtitious Worſhip; conceiving they had plain Warrant for this Civil War from God's word commanding it, Deut. 13.13.14, 15. From whence they look'd upon themſelves as bound in Conſcience to proſecute the War, ver. 12. Here we may learn what ſad conſequences may be produced by an over-haſty creduity of Flying Reports: 'Tis an Old and a true Saying, Fama Mendax, Fame is a Loud Lyar, Virgil ſaith, Tam ficti pravique tenax, quam Nuncia Veri.
Common Fame is as tenacious of falſe and feigned News, as it is of True, but Charity hopeth all things, and thinketh no evil, 1 Cor. 13.5, 7. Iſrael cannot be excuſed here, neither for their ungrounded jealouſies, nor for their inconſiderate raſhneſs. Men may rather be blind in Charity, than raſh in cenſure; 'tis better to be over credulous of Good, than over ſuſpicious of Evil.
The Second Remark is, The Means whereby this miſtake was rectify'd, and the miſchief impending was ſo happily prevented; Namely, by an Amicable Embaſſage [Ten Princes are ſent to treat with the two Tribes, &c. whereof Phineas (who was bonus Vir, & Dicendi peritus, a good Man, and well ſpoken) is placed the principal Embaſſador, ver. 13, 14, &c. in this Friendly Treaty, the cauſe of this preſent diſcontent is fairly canvas'd pro and con on both ſides, from ver 15. to ver. 30. wherein the Plaintiff firſt opens the cauſe of offence with many ſad Aggravations, then the Defendant puts in his Plea, and giveth a Plenary Anſwer to all the Plaintiff…s Accuſations. This teacheth, that before open War be proclaimed and proſecuted, cuncta prius Tentanda: All means muſt firſt be made uſe of for compoſing of Quarrels, and for preventing the ſhedding of Bloud: Therefore God's Law laid upon Iſrael in all their Wars, was firſt to proclaim Peace, Deut. 20.10. This is the Law of Nations to this Day. The Romans had their Caduceum whereby they tendered Peace, and in caſe of refuſal, then their Haſtam whereby they proclaim'd War. 'Tis a true ſaying, Penes Regem incipere bellum, penes verò Deum Terminare.
'Tis in the power of a King to begin a War, but 'tis in the power of God only to end it: The Lord of Hoſts alone hath this prerogative, He makes Wars to ceaſe to the ends of the Earth, Pſal. 46.9. And therefore ſaith Solomon, [With good Advice make War, Prov. 20.18. and [By Wiſe Counſel make thy War,] Prov. 24.6. And thus the Historian ſaith, That K. Philip of Macedon wrought more by Treaties than by Arms, ever eſteeming it the far better way: Sure I am this Treaty proved it true here, which won a Victory without a War, as the Sequel demonſtrates.
The Third Remark is, The Plantiff's Objection againſt the Reubenites, &c.
1. He begins with his Letters Credential, that he was God's, and God's People's Plenipotentiary, and chargeth them home with Idolatry, which is a Treſpaſs with an Accent, a wickedneſs with a Witneſs (though there was no true Witneſs hereof in them) and that ſo ſoon as God had conducted them ſafely to their own Homes to reap the Benefit of all their Deliverances from their many Dangers in a Seven Years War. All which Divine Favours obliged them to better things than to Apoſtacy, &c. Intimating, that if they drew back to any ſtrange God from the true God, his Soul would have no pleaſure in them, Hebr. 10▪ 38, 39.
2. The Plantiff lays before them both the fearful fruits of the Sin of Baal-peor, Numb. 25.4. where for that Sin God left ſo many Bloody Blows upon the Backs of Iſrael, as we are not cleanſed from them until this Day, ver. 17, 18. where he tells them, if they dare to ſin afreſh, God will pay them home for the new and for the old; and likewiſe he tells them of the Sin of Achan, wherein but one ſinned, yet all ſuffered, ver. 20. If all Iſrael ſuffered for that one Man's Sin, how much more ſhall we all ſuffer for you, who are many, if we ſuffer your ſin to paſs unpuniſhed?
3. He Anticipates a Tacit Objection, ver. 19. ſaying, If ye have any Miſgivings of Heart, that the Land, which ye firſt choſe be Unclean, by the want of the Tabernacle, &c. the viſible Signs of God's Preſence, then leave it and come dwell among us (tho' we have room little enough for our ſelves) rather than ſin; better we be Diſtreſſed, than God Diſhonoured, we will truſt God in our Conquering more of the Canaanites for us, to make more room both for you and us: This was an eminent Act of Brotherly Love to diſpence with their own Inconveniencies, rather than admit of a miſchief, being deſirous to give them all lawful content, &c.
The Fourth Remark is, The Defendant's Anſwer, to the Plantiffs Objection, from ver. 21. to ver. 30. This Defence made here, is twofold: Firſt, The Negative Part: And Secondly, The Poſitive. The Negative is expreſs'd, ver. 21, 22, 23. and the Poſitive is contain'd in ver. 24. to ver. 30.
Firſt, In the Negative part, the Defendant peremptorily denies the Charge, that their Altar was not erected for any ſuch ends, as for Sacrifice or Oblations upon it, or to any ſeparation from the reſt of our Brethren, in the Service of the true God, much leſs for ſerving any Idol, &c. And this abſolute denial of the Charge comes ſtrongly corroborated with a moſt Grave and Pathetical Obteſtation, wherein [El Elohim Jehovah, the Lord God of Gods (twice over) the Seacher of all Hearts, is ſolemnly appealed unto for their ſincerity in God's Service, notwithſtanding the foul Calumny very unjuſtly caſt upon them: They make their Appeal from Man's Court, which was fallible, unto God's Court that was Infallible, ſaying, If God ſee us guilty, Let the Lord himſelf Require it, and not ſave us from either the Sword of our Brethren, or from the Sword of our Enemies, let him deny us both Safety here and Salvation hereafter.
Secondly, In the Poſitive part 'tis ſtrenuouſly Aſſerted, That their deſign in building this Altar, was to a quite contrary end than that their Brethren charged them with; for their purpoſe therein was only to prevent Apoſtacy, both in themſelves and in their Poſterities, therefore was this Altar erected as an exact Reſemblance of that Altar in God's Tabernacle, that it might be a ſtanding Monument and Witneſs of our holding Communion with you in God's Service both in the Tabernacle now, and in the Temple hereafter, and this Argument is Amplified with many Emphatical, and moſt Pathetical Expreſſions, from ver. 24. to ver. 30. all to make it undeniably evident to their falſe Accuſers, that they had an utter Deteſtation of the very thought of any ſuch Notorious Abomination.
The laſt Remark upon this Chapter is, The Amicable Compoſure of this Difference among Brethren.
Firſt, The Embaſſadors depart fully ſatisfied with their Apology, ver. 30, 31, 32.
Secondly, The Satisfactory Account they give at their return, cauſeth Iſrael to ceaſe all thoughts of Warring againſt their Brethren, ver. 33. which they did not in the caſe of the Obſtinate Benjamites, Judg. 20.
3. The Monument of the Alter in its right uſe and end is confirmed, ver. 34. for this happy Concluſion of the Treaty all Iſrael bleſſeth God, ver. 33.
N. B. Thus Quarrels among Brethren oft ariſe from meer Miſtakes, as betwixt Cyril and Theodoret, who Excommunicated one another for Hereſie, &c. yet afterwards coming to a better underſtanding of each others Meaning, and finding they both held the fame truth, they were cordially reconciled: We muſt juſtly wonder at the over haſty Jealouſie of the Ten Tribes againſt their Brethren, whoſe Faithfulneſs and Valour for God and his People they had ſo long experience of in the Seven Years War; yet now to find fault, when themſelves were fowly faulty of a raſh Cenſure, having only Allegata's Matters alledged, but no Probata's, or things proved; but alas, how oft doth Inconſiderate Zeal tranſport even Religious Men to Uncharitable Cenſures: Would to God, all ſuch differences upon miſtakes in our day, may be as happily ended as this was here, then God is among us, (as ver. 31.) perceivingly; but Diſſen…ion drives God from us, and will let in Diſſolution among us. If we avoid not all giving offence careleſly, and all taking offence cauſeleſly. Oh that the Lord would take away that Moroſity and Malignity of a Cenſorious Spirit from us, and give to us more meekneſs of Wiſdom, Jam. 3.13. The Renbenites, &c. here were really to be commended not only for their care in building this Altar for the Spiritual good of their Poſterity, (leaſt they ſhould forſake the ſincere Service of the true God in their following Generations) but alſo for their Meekneſs when thus foully calumniated. They did not briſtle and ſet up the Creſt in a way of ſcornful Defiance, but they calmly ſought to give due ſatisfaction to their offended Brethren: And the Ten Tribes were verily more Blame-worthy, for miſconſtruing their Religious Meanings and Doings upon ſuch ſlender grounds as a bare Report (without any ſolid proof) miſrepreſenting the Matter to them N. B. Yet herein were they truly Praiſeworthy, not only that they were ſo bleſſedly blown up with a Zeal for God's Glory, in preparing War againſt Idolatry, yea. even in one half of the Tribe of Manaſſeh againſt the other half beyond Jordan, when the purity of their Religion came in competition with Brotherly Affection, like Levi in that Heroick Act of Divine Juſtice, Exod. 32.26.29. would not ſpare their own Brethren, Deut. 33.9. but alſo, and more eſpecially, that the Ten Tribes firſt ſent Phinchas (ſo famous for his Heroick Fact againſt Zimri and Cozbi, whereby God's Wrath was appeaſed, Numb. 25.8.11. Pſal. 106.30.) to compromize the Controverſie, which he happily effected without any imbrewing their Hands in one another's Blood: Sure I am we want ſuch a Phinchas in our Day, to put an Happy end to our Unhappy Differences.