Clear Consciences

Israel is standing on the brink of civil war. A delegation from the Israelite tribes living in Canaan has come to the tribes settled east of the Jordan to inquire why they have built “a great, impressive altar” beside the river. The western tribes suspect that the easterners—the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh—have forsaken God’s command that Israel sacrifice to Him only at His designated location, which at the present is Shiloh. Desiring to preserve covenant faithfulness among their eastern brethren lest divine wrath fall on all of the nation, the westerners ask the reasons for the altar and prepare to go to war should the reply prove insufficient.

In their answer, the eastern tribes do not object to the question, ask by what right it is asked, complain about the western tribes’ war preparations, or tell the delegates to mind their own business. Instead, they begin with words that give great reassurance to their brethren. “ ‘The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, He knows’ ” they say. These words leave no doubt that the easterners still have the highest regard for God; they have not sinned against Him willfully. “A profound awe and reverence of God are expressed in the form of their appeal,” Matthew Henry writes. “This brief confession of their faith would help to obviate and remove their brethren’s suspicion of them, as if they intended to desert the God of Israel, and worship other gods: how could those entertain such a thought who believe Him to be God over all?” The obvious answer is that they could not.

So certain are the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassehites of their integrity before God that they invite both Israel and God Himself to judge them if their actions are sinful. “ ‘If [the building of the altar] is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the LORD, do not save us this day,’ ” they say. “ ‘If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the LORD … let the LORD Himself require an account.’ ” They acknowledge that building any other altar for sacrifice would be a heinous crime, that such a crime should bring them under God’s judgment, and that their fellow Israelites have the right to punish them for such a sin. But they have no fear of judgment. “Nothing but a clear conscience would have thus imprecated divine justice to avenge the rebellion if there had been any,” Henry writes.