Joshua 22 A Charge

Joshua 22 A Charge

In this chapter, we see that Joshua was giving the rest of the tribes of Israel their inheritance in the Promised Land.

Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:

Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.

But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.

Joshua probally understood that the Israelites would go their own way, sooner or later, and would disobey the Lord their God. So he gave them instruction to obey the Lord, and to keep His commandments. Now, his heart most likely grieved to know that

God's beloved people would sooner or later turn away from Him. They were such a stubborn rebellious people, always wanting their own way. But both God and Joshua did not give up

on the Israelites; they continued to love them, even though they were sheep wandering from their shepherd.

God will forgive us, even though we go astray. Not some of the time, but all of the time. That's not an excuse for sin, but it is a comforting thought.

Though we go astray, He will still forgive us and lead us back to the true and narrow way.