When Lord Nelson reported to the British admiralty his greatest victory, over the French fleet in the battle of the Nile he said, "Victory was not a big enough word to describe what had taken place."

When we consider the fact that the Lord has rescued souls from a lost eternity, that we have had the pleasure in sharing in this ministry, surely we too can not find words big enough to describe it, don’t be afraid to rejoice over souls being saved, sad will be the day when we fail to be like the one who dwells in the midst of angels.

Israel have reached perhaps one of the greatest moments in their history, they had known many great victories, the land had been divided out, yes there was still much to do, and yet they were enjoying a time of rest the Lord really had blessed them.

What lessons can we learn from Israel’s experience? How can we really enjoy victory?

Firstly let us consider:

Joshua 21:43-45 And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. [44] And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. [45] There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

Here we read about the victories and blessings they had enjoyed.

• God didn’t forget His promises.

• God showed them His power.

• God failed not in His purposes

Joshua 21:1 Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;

The Levites were those who faithfully served the Lord. They were not allowed to receive any land as a possession.

But God would provide for them, they were given forty-eight cities to dwell in throughout the land.

Joshua 21:10-12 Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot. [11] And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. [12] But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

Caleb doesn’t complain, doesn’t moan, God had blessed him and now he would give back to the work of the Lord.

How much have you appreciated God’s blessing?

Blessing and how it should be appreciated.

Let us see secondly:

Sometimes I fear we are so afraid of boosting someone’s ego that we hold back on our encouragement.

The ministry of encouragement needs to be exercised frequently.

Henry Ford, the man who gave us the Ford motor company said, "The ability to encourage others is one of life’s finest assets."

• Let us see what is recommended here.

Joshua 22:1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

The battle was over, the land was distributed then Joshua speaks to these two and one half tribes.

Joshua 22:2-3 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: [3] Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God.

Notice how Joshua encourages them.

Joshua 22:4 And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan.

Now you are free to go back to the East Side of the Jordan. Joshua give encouragement where it was due, and surely that is a good lesson for us all.

During the Boer wars at the siege of Ladysmith, at a crucial moment, a man would walk around the town; he was a civilian and not a soldier.

He would discourage the men on the line, he was a discourager at a crucial time, and he was court martialed and sent to prison for a year.

Not only do we see what is recommended but also:

• Let us see the responsibility.

Joshua 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

The verse speaks for itself,

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 Cor. 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Joshua 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Look at the last line.

Don’t serve Him half heartily.

1 Kings 10:8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

Luke 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

We have looked at what is recommended, and we have noticed the responsibility:

• Let us also see the recognition.

Joshua 22:8 And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.

Joshua divides the spoil with those who had laboured from the East Side of the Jordan. Look what he says at the end of verse eight, "Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren."

Remember, the wives and little ones who remained at home, remember those who couldn’t come and fight, for many varied reasons they must share in this victory.

I praise God for those who pray continually for the work of God, I praise God for those who are humble enough to do the little things that to many seem unimportant.

Blessing and how it should be appreciated.

The Battle and what needs to be acknowledged.

These men had just finished battling the enemy, within a few verses; we find the threat of them battling each other.

Satan is never happy when God is blessing, after victory we need to look out.

The two and one half tribes, on their way back home, decide to build an altar. It is described as a great altar to see to.

Trouble was brewing consider:

Joshua 22:11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.

Words start to pass; news reaches the whole nation.

Joshua 22:12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.

These men had stood shoulder to shoulder as they battled the Caananites, they had watched each others blood being shed, They had known blood, sweat and tears.

These men had been mightily used by God, - and now they would kill each other

Wouldn’t it make more sense than going to war over it?

Perhaps you are feeling angry about nothing, have words reached your ears that make you mad? Have you got the weapons out ready to devour someone?

Did you ever consider checking the matter out?

Joshua 22:16-20 Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord? [17] Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord, [18] But that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the Lord, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel. [19] Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God. [20] Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

From v 21-34- the two and one half tribes, explain their reason behind the building of the altar.

They didn’t want to feel separated from their brethren plus they give an assurance that it was never their intention to have blood sacrifices upon it.

Joshua 22:26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

Joshua 22:30 And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them.

Finally let us consider:

I want to finish considering again the plight of the two and one half tribes who chose to dwell on the East Side of the Jordan. Consistently we have viewed them as borderline believers. I believe here they had opportunity to remain in Canaan, perhaps you are a borderline believer, and here again you have opportunity to live a victorious Christian life.

• The Sadness.

From v1-4 in Chapter twenty-two we have already noticed how they had been used of God, how sad that such talented gifted people should go back to the wilderness, moving away from Shiloh and nearer Egypt.

• The seriousness.

It was these borderline believers, who nearly caused a war and caused division.

• The scope.

Joshua 22:19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God.

They were offered a place in Canaan, there was room for them on resurrection ground.

• Their spirtualness.

Joshua 22:24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel?

What a question for a child to ask, it would be obvious to the children that they were not in a place where God was honoured.

Numbers 32:1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

They thought more of their cattle than their children.

Joshua 22:25 For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the Lord: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord.

They blamed God. Borderline believers have always someone else to blame.

Joshua 22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the Lord is God.

This Altar they called ‘Ed’ which simply means witness. They needed something to show to others that they belonged to God.

Sad when our lives are not our ‘Eds’. They lived so far away from the Lord you wouldn’t have known they belonged.

Praise God it need not be the case, you can live a Victorious Christian life.

You could alter you ways, begin now.