Joshua 22
Leaders Prep Section
Watch this video, read these notes, and send the pre-written email (below) to your group 2-3 days before you meet.
Notes
Scholars estimate the time from Joshua Ch. 1 (when Joshua told the people to be strong and courageous) until now is seven years. Think about all that can happen to a man’s family in seven years. And think about the kind of commitment these men made to their brothers, country, and God.
Group Guide Starts Here
Context of scripture
After seven years, the Transjordanian tribes (he ones who live on the other side of the river) are being released from duty. They have fought hard alongside their brothers and now get to go home.
Read Joshua 22: 1-5
Notice Joshua asks them to keep their commitment to God. He knows it’s this shared commitment that will connect them with the rest of Israel, forever.
Other than family, what other group do you feel a connection with? And what’s the glue that creates that connection?
Read Joshua 22: 6-9
Joshua is clearly showing generosity with these tribes saying go back with very much. There was no negotiation or maneuvering; Joshua was treating them like family.
Do you feel connected with someone just by sharing beliefs? Or do you have to go through some shared experience to really connect?
These next two points of information will help the next section of scripture make more sense.
Gods law says Israel cannot sacrifice offerings outside the temple (Leviticus 17:8-9). When the tribes on the east of the river build an altar (which we’ll see in the next section), the tribes on the west jump to the conclusion they are going to use it for sacrifices to God.
There’s an Israelite priest named Phinehas with an important backstory. Earlier in Israel’s history, Israel worshiped other gods, prostituting themselves with the Moabites. God sent a plague as a result. When the son of an Israelite chief was flaunting this idolatry in front of Phinehas (by and having sex with a Moabite princess), Phinehas ran to them while they were having sex and shoved a spear through both of their bodies, killing them and ending the plague which, by that point had killed 24,000 people. (Numbers Ch. 25).
Read Joshua 22: 10-20
Notice that even though the western tribes believed the eastern tribes were about to disobey God, they first sent a delegation to talk first (instead of attacking). However, they did send Phinehas.
Why do you think were they so committed to going to war over this? Are they over-reacting? Or is this reasonable given the circumstances?
Read Joshua 22: 21-29
This was a misunderstanding that almost got very bloody. They’re essentially saying, “We aren’t turning against God. We’re setting up a reminder for future generations that we are bonded with you, based on our desire to follow God.”
Read Joshua 22: 30-34
What are the shared beliefs that connect us a group?
Are there any other things you think we should believe in as a group?
Note for leaders: This is a good opportunity to talk about your commitment to the guys in the group.