This verse demonstrates that true worship must align with God’s commands and has the goal of uniting God’s people.
In this passage, the eastern tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have returned to their allotted land east of the Jordan River following Israel’s successful conquest of Canaan. Desiring to preserve their connection to the rest of Israel, they feared that future generations might consider them outsiders because of the physical barrier of the Jordan. That concern led them to declare, “Therefore we said, Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice” (v.26). This statement clarifies that their goal was not to create a competing center of worship nor to replace the altar at the tabernacle; rather, they wanted a symbol to bear witness that they, too, belonged to the covenant community under the LORD. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had originally chosen land on the eastern side of the Jordan (Numbers 32:1-5), and though it was allowed, these tribes were geographically separate from their fellow Israelites. Tragically, centuries after the conquest, these eastern tribes would be the first to face exile by the Assyrian empire.When the text says, Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice (v.26), it points to the deep desire of these tribes to maintain the unity of God’s people. In ancient Israel, the altar in the tabernacle was the only place designated for sacrifices according to God’s Law (Deuteronomy 12:13-14). The eastern tribes recognized that building a second altar solely for sacrifice would go against God’s commands and create division. By clarifying that their altar was for a witness, they emphasized shared allegiance to the LORD, ensuring future generations would remember, “We worship the same God and follow His statutes, just like the rest of Israel.” This pursuit of unity echoes the broader biblical theme of God’s people needing to stay faithful together, demonstrating to surrounding nations the holiness and oneness of the LORD (John 17:21).
Spiritually, the altar testifies to the importance of remembrance and identity. While under Joshua’s leadership, the eastern tribes had faithfully assisted the other tribes in battle before returning home.Their act of building a memorial altar shows the same principle that followers of Christ see in the Lord’s Supper—remembrance that we are redeemed by grace, belonging to one family of faith (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Just as the eastern tribes wanted mutual recognition of their covenant bond, believers in Jesus share a spiritual “altar” that reminds us we are joined to Him and one another (Hebrews 13:10).
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Joshua 22:26 meaning
In this passage, the eastern tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have returned to their allotted land east of the Jordan River following Israel’s successful conquest of Canaan. Desiring to preserve their connection to the rest of Israel, they feared that future generations might consider them outsiders because of the physical barrier of the Jordan. That concern led them to declare, “Therefore we said, Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice” (v.26). This statement clarifies that their goal was not to create a competing center of worship nor to replace the altar at the tabernacle; rather, they wanted a symbol to bear witness that they, too, belonged to the covenant community under the LORD. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had originally chosen land on the eastern side of the Jordan (Numbers 32:1-5), and though it was allowed, these tribes were geographically separate from their fellow Israelites. Tragically, centuries after the conquest, these eastern tribes would be the first to face exile by the Assyrian empire.When the text says, Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice (v.26), it points to the deep desire of these tribes to maintain the unity of God’s people. In ancient Israel, the altar in the tabernacle was the only place designated for sacrifices according to God’s Law (Deuteronomy 12:13-14). The eastern tribes recognized that building a second altar solely for sacrifice would go against God’s commands and create division. By clarifying that their altar was for a witness, they emphasized shared allegiance to the LORD, ensuring future generations would remember, “We worship the same God and follow His statutes, just like the rest of Israel.” This pursuit of unity echoes the broader biblical theme of God’s people needing to stay faithful together, demonstrating to surrounding nations the holiness and oneness of the LORD (John 17:21).
Spiritually, the altar testifies to the importance of remembrance and identity. While under Joshua’s leadership, the eastern tribes had faithfully assisted the other tribes in battle before returning home.Their act of building a memorial altar shows the same principle that followers of Christ see in the Lord’s Supper—remembrance that we are redeemed by grace, belonging to one family of faith (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Just as the eastern tribes wanted mutual recognition of their covenant bond, believers in Jesus share a spiritual “altar” that reminds us we are joined to Him and one another (Hebrews 13:10).