Joshua Chapter 22

Daily Devotional
Joshua 22 – “The Altar Called Witness”

Section 1 – A Tender Farewell (22:1-9)
Joshua summons the warriors of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh at Shiloh, the new spiritual capital. They have kept their promise (see Numbers 32) and fought beside their western brothers for almost seven years. Now Joshua blesses them with a striking threefold charge:
• “Keep”—guard the commandment and the law (Torah) of Moses.
• “Love”—cling to the LORD your God.
• “Serve”—with all heart and soul.
Notice how obedience, affection, and service are woven together. This trio anticipates Christ’s summary of the law (Matthew 22:37-40): love that overflows into wholehearted action.

Historical window
Shiloh’s remains have been excavated since the 1920s; storage-jar fragments and animal-bone deposits suggest large pilgrimage meals that fit the period of Israel’s central sanctuary (1 Samuel 1). When the eastern tribes depart from this very site, they are leaving the visible center of worship—an act pregnant with both risk and trust.

Section 2 – A Monument That Alarms (22:10-12)
Arriving at the Jordan, the eastern tribes build “an imposing altar” (New International Version). The Hebrew adds color: mizbēaḥ gādōl lᵊmārʾeh—literally, “an altar great in appearance,” hinting at massive scale and public visibility. To western eyes this looks like a rival shrine, directly contradicting Deuteronomy 12’s command to worship “at the place the LORD will choose.” The nation gathers at Shiloh ready for civil war. Unity bought with blood seems about to crack.

Western readers often miss how shocking another altar was in the Ancient Near East. Altars were not devotional décor; they were sovereignty statements. To erect one outside the authorized sanctuary sounded like declaring independence from Yahweh’s government.

Section 3 – Diplomacy at the Edge of War (22:13-20)
Instead of drawing swords, Israel first sends a delegation—Phinehas (zealous for holiness; Numbers 25) and ten tribal chiefs. Their speech is laced with historical memory: the sin of Peor, Achan at Ai. Past judgments become moral leverage: “Will you now turn away?” Note the pastoral logic—recalling collective pain to prevent repeating error.

Literary device
The conversation forms a mini-chiasm: accusation (vv. 16-18) – example of Peor (v. 17) – danger to whole assembly (v. 18) – example of Achan (v. 20). Centered in the structure is Peor, the archetype of apostasy, highlighting the gravity of split worship.

Section 4 – The Truth Behind the Stones (22:21-29)
The eastern leaders reply with an oath that begins “EL, GOD, the LORD” (ʾEl ʾElohim YHWH)—three ascending names piled up for solemnity. They never meant to sacrifice on this altar. Its name—Ed, “Witness”—testifies to future generations that though the Jordan separates them geographically, it cannot divide them spiritually.
Key Hebrew nuance
Ed (עֵד) is related to ʿēdût, “testimony,” the same word used for the tablets in the Ark (Exodus 25:16). The altar is a silent covenant document, carved in stone rather than written on parchment.

The theology of memory emerges: tangible monuments preserve invisible truths. Today our “rocks of witness” may be baptism, the Lord’s Table, or even a simple journal entry of God’s faithfulness.

Section 5 – Reconciliation and Blessing (22:30-34)
Phinehas declares, “Today we know that the LORD is with us.” Peace replaces suspicion; war preparations dissolve. The final verse circles back to the altar’s name—“It is a Witness between us that the LORD is God.” The chapter closes without sacrifice, yet dripping with worship—unity safeguarded, covenant honored, witness established.

Cross-Reference Treasures
• Centralized worship: Deuteronomy 12:5-14
• Remembering God’s acts: Joshua 4:4-7 (twelve stones at Gilgal)
• Unity amid diversity: Psalm 133; John 17:21; Ephesians 2:14
• Wise conflict resolution: Matthew 18:15-17; James 1:19-20

Voices from the Church
Augustine saw in this story a picture of the Church spread across lands yet united in one faith. Calvin highlighted the importance of charitable inquiry before judgment. John Wesley preached that “misunderstandings arise more from lack of conversation than from lack of love.”

Theological Themes
1. Covenant Fidelity – True rest comes only when promises are kept.
2. Unity in Diversity – Geographic or cultural distance need not fracture spiritual family.
3. The Ministry of Reconciliation – God’s people are called to investigate, listen, and restore before they retaliate.
4. Memorial Theology – Physical symbols guard spiritual truths for generations.

Archaeological Note
On the eastern side of the Jordan, large Iron-Age stone structures—particularly at Tell Deir ʿAlla—mirror communal ritual sites. While not identified as “Ed,” they illustrate that imposing monuments in the Transjordan were culturally plausible.

A Hymn for Meditation
“Blest Be the Tie That Binds” (John Fawcett, 1782) beautifully captures the chapter’s heartbeat:
“Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.”

Prayer
God of Covenant and Peace,
You watch over promises across rivers and across centuries.
Guard our hearts from rash judgment, our lips from hasty words,
and our communities from needless division.
Teach us to listen, to remember, and to build altars of witness—
living testimonies that Jesus is Lord.
Bind us together in the unity of Your Spirit,
that the world may believe You have sent the Son.
In His reconciling name we pray, Amen.

Narrated version of this devotional on Joshua Chapter 22