Joshua, in his 80s, gives final words to 40,000 fighting men he may never see again.
The episode is a sermon from City Church in Evansville, focusing on Joshua chapter 22. The speaker begins by describing a 'red-letter day' for Israel, comparing it to milestones like graduation or adoption. He explains that after 80 years, the Israelites have taken the Promised Land, but two-and-a-half tribes—Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh—had stayed east of the Jordan. These tribes' fighting men crossed over to help the others for seven years. Joshua affirms them for their obedience and sends them home with an admonition to love God with all their heart and soul. The tribes build a large altar by the Jordan as a memorial to maintain unity. However, the other Israelites assume it's for pagan sacrifice and gather to go to war, nearly causing civil war. The speaker illustrates the danger of assumptions with a story about a wife finding women's shoes and accusing her husband of infidelity. He references Proverbs, comparing rash words to sword thrusts and wise words to healing scalpels. The two-and-a-half tribes respond humbly, appealing to God as witness, which stops the conflict. The sermon applies this to relationships, urging listeners to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, as per James 1:19. It concludes with a prayer for unity and against assumptions in the church family.
