“And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of God and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them” (Joshua 22:30).
TEXT — Joshua 22:11-34
Message
Over the centuries, degenerate man has permitted small arguments to snowball into massive destructive conflagrations. These infernos have gotten out of hand to eliminate entire civilizations, which cost man fortunes to build, leading to untold emotional and material hardship. What needless suffering godless humanity unleashes on itself! The two world wars ever fought started with a misunderstanding of issues and speedily turned into shouting bouts and later involved gunshot and other destructive weapons.
The whole nation of Israel was close to that tipping point. But God helped them to allow dialogue to prevail. Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh had moved to the other side of Jordan to take up permanent possession of the lands earlier released to them. Without consulting the different tribes, they erected an altar to serve as a memorial that they were united with the rest of Israel in the worship of the true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Unfortunately, the other tribes, fearing that a rebellion was brewing that would bring God’s fierce wrath on them as it did in the past, sought to stop them, even if through war. But before the military option, the two parties met and amicably resolved the wrong perceptions.
Until we sit down to objectively discuss what we view from contrasting angles, we will likely hold on tenaciously to our respective (often faulty) positions. There must be opportunities for dialogue and room for concessions by the disputing parties, all in the interest of peace. The larger group wanted to go to war to halt a perceived drift into idolatry. But they were ready also to listen to their brethren, who diligently presented their case. What saved the situation was that both parties were genuine in their resolve to serve the Lord despite misunderstandings.
Christians can make a difference in this world rattled by pride-induced conflicts. Our encounter with Christ takes away our depraved nature that tends to lord it over others even when wrong. God expects us to adopt a conciliatory approach in our dealings with fellow believers and non-believers. We should rather suffer personal injury than seek redress through a method that dishonours the cause of God.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
