Here the Levites are allotted their towns and adjoining pasturelands, with the priestly families given precedence. It’s important to remember the three sons of Levi were Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands as their inheritance.
The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. There were 13 cities.
The rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. There were 10 cities.
The Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. There were 13 cities.
The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. There were 12 cities.
Then it went on to explain specific names and locations of the cities allotted according to the clans. There were a total of 48 cities allotted to the Levites, with surrounding pasturelands.
The concluding summary of this section was that the Lord fulfilled his sworn promise to give Israel this land. The occupation of the land was not yet complete, but the national campaign was over and Israel was finally established in the promised land. No power was left in Canaan that could threaten or dislodge her.
“Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”
-Joshua 21:43-45
At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and told them they could go home. They had fulfilled their duties to the Lord by commanding and obeying his voice. They had not forsaken their brothers in the conquering of the land. Now their brothers had received rest, so they could also.
They were sent home to their land on the other side of the Jordan. But they were told:
“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
-Joshua 22:5
So Joshua blessed them and sent them away. They were to go back to their tents, but also to divide the spoils of their enemies with their brothers. Then they returned to their own land of Gilead, which they possessed themselves by command of the Lord through Moses.
When they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar. They built it on the side that belonged to the people of Israel.
When the people of Israel heard this, the whole assembly of the people gathered at Shiloh to make war against them. They sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel. This prestigious delegation was sent to try to turn the Transjordan tribes from their (supposed) act of rebellion against the Lord.
They went to the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh asking what the breach of faith was they committed against God by turning away from him and building an altar in rebellion against the Lord. These accusations were very grave, saying they committed apostasy and rebellion.
They reminded them of previous acts of rebellion by people turning to false gods and how wrath fell upon the people of Israel for it, and those people perished.
However, the Transjordan people answered by saying that was not their intention at all. Basically, they were to be living so far away they wanted to create something as a testimony that would show their commitment to remain loyal to the Lord.
The Tranjordan tribes were remaining loyal as the altar was to be used to continue worshiping the Lord even though they were so far away from the tabernacle, and lived outside the land of promise. It was not going to be used for sacrifices, but to be a witness between generations after them.
Meaning, future generations would not be able to say the Transjordan tribes did not have any claim to the inheritance because they were on the other side of the Jordan.
When Phinehas and the chiefs of the congregation heard all of this, they agreed that there were no laws being broken or acts of rebellion. They saw that the Lord was in their midst because they had not committed a breach of faith against the Lord.
Then Phinehas and the chiefs returned home and brought back a good report in terms of the Transjordan people. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manessah.
They called the altar Witness, for it was a witness between them that the Lord is God!
[…] Day 75, Joshua 21-22 […]