Devotional - April 21, 2004

After the Reubenites, Gad and half-tribe of Manasseh assisted in conquering the land for their brothers, they set out to go home to Gilead with Joshua's blessing. But as they approached Geliloth near the Jordan, they decided to build an big replica of God's altar. Why would they do such a thing? Building an altar to a false god was worthy of condemnation. But then, replicating one of God's most holy articles of worship seemed like an insult to God and another invitation to trouble. At least it seemed that way to those who saw it.

What was so wrong with building an altar? The first problem was the fact it rested on Israel's side of the border. The second problem was their failure to communicate what they were doing and why.

We're the same way, aren't we? We believe in privacy. That is, what you do in your own space is your own business - until it affects me and becomes my business. If you want to sin, do it in your own space. Why provoke us by doing it in our space?

Achan sin taught the Israelites the hard lesson that what a person does in private can most certainly affect other people. Israel responded to the seeming threat by preparing to go to war against their own brothers. But before they did, they sent Phinehas to tell the offending party why they were doing it. When he got there and earned the truth, he went back to stop the rumors and false accusations. The intention was good and their purpose was holy.

What happened could have been big trouble. Good intentions can divide unless affected parties are kept "in the loop." Silence may be golden, but in and among God's people it's the source of division and disunity.

Likewise, in church congregations today, unity is seemingly derived from ignorance and applying worldly wisdom. That is, 1) What you don't know can't hurt you; 2) You put me in control - it's far easier to ask forgiveness that permission, 3) I was afraid you'd make the wrong decision, 4) If there is discussion they'll certainly be disagreement and that means trouble.

For the world that logic may work, but among God's people everyone of us should make personal decisions on the basis of how the rest of the family will be affected. It's just like God's people to hear all the information and come to the wrong conclusion, isn't it?