Joshua 22

The Explanation

The war was over. It was quiet again.

Joshua stood in the sunshine. Around him stood many men. Tired men, with dusty feet and heavy bags.

These men had helped for a long, long time. Years and years. Now they could go home at last.

Joshua smiled at them. "You did well," he said. "You listened. You did not leave your brothers. Now go home. Go to your tents. And keep loving God with your whole heart."

Then Joshua laid his hands on them. He blessed them. "Go home rich," he said. "With sheep and cows. With gold and silver. With warm clothes."

And the men went. Home!

They walked and walked. They came to a big river. The river was called the Jordan. Their home was on the other side.

But before they crossed, they stopped. They picked up stones. Big, heavy stones. They stacked them up, higher and higher. They built a big pile of stones by the river. So big you could see it from far away.

Then they crossed the water. Home.

What Does This Mean?

But the people on the other side saw that pile of stones. And they got scared. And then angry.

"Look at that!" they said. "Are they going to pray there, without us? Are they turning away from God?"

They grabbed their swords. They wanted to fight.

Wait. First they sent a man. His name was Phinehas. He went with ten other men, over the river, all the way to the brothers.

Phinehas asked out loud: "Why did you build that? Why?"

And then the brothers said something beautiful.

"No, no! We do not pray there. We will never turn away from God. We built it so nobody forgets. Later our children will ask, 'Do we belong to God too?' And then we will point. Look! Look at those stones! Yes, you belong to God too. This river is not a wall. We are one family."

The Common Thread

Phinehas listened. And his heart grew glad.

"Now I know," he said. "God is with us. You did not do anything wrong."

He went back over the river. He told everyone. And the swords went away. Nobody fought. The people said thank you to God.

The brothers gave the pile of stones a name. Do you know what it was?

"A Witness Between Us that Yahweh is God."

That means: these stones say it out loud. We belong to God. All of us. On this side, and on that side.

A river cannot keep you away from God. Nothing can.

For You

Sometimes you think someone is being mean. But you do not really know.

Then you can do what Phinehas did. First ask. "Why did you do that?"

And sometimes people fight over nothing at all. Then talking helps. Talking is better than hitting.

And when you feel far away, all alone, remember the stones. You belong to God too. You. Really.

Talk About It

What did the men build by the river, and why?

Have you ever been angry at someone, and then it turned out to be a mistake?

Praying Together

Dear God,

Thank you that I belong to you.

Even when I am far away.

Help me to ask first, not hit.

Amen.