Bible lesson
Chapter 46: The Eastern Altar and Joshua’s Final Covenant
Study notes, questions and the Bible passages that Kingdoms of Scripture Chapter 46 covers, as the game’s chapter map shows them. Read the passages first in the Kingdoms of Scripture Bible, the text the game quotes: the game’s choices, maps and staging are reconstructions, not scripture. This page is not a church lesson and adds no doctrine.
Study notes
Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh build an altar and tell the leaders of Israel that it stands as a witness, not a place for offerings. The people are asked to choose whom they will serve, and after they say they will serve Yahweh, Joshua makes a covenant with them at Shechem before he dies.
From Joshua 22:21–29 (KoS), Joshua 24:14–18 (KoS), Joshua 24:25–26 (KoS), Joshua 24:29–31 (KoS).
These notes and questions are original study helps written for this site, not scripture. The verses shown with each question are quoted from the Kingdoms of Scripture Bible.
- Chapter
- 46
- Title
- The Eastern Altar and Joshua’s Final Covenant
- Bible passages
- Joshua 22:1–24:33
- Read in the Kingdoms of Scripture Bible
- The chapter opens with
Then Joshua called the Reubenite, the Gadite, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and he said to them, You have kept all that Moses, the servant of Yahweh, commanded you, and you have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not abandoned your brothers these many days, to this day, and you have kept the charge of the command of Yahweh your God. Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Now turn and go to your tents, to the land of your holding, which Moses, the servant of Yahweh, gave you beyond the Jordan. Only be very careful to do the command and the instruction that Moses, the servant of Yahweh, commanded you: to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commands, to cling to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. Joshua blessed them and sent them off, and they went to their tents. To one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to its other half Joshua gave land with their brothers, from across the Jordan westward. Joshua also sent them to their tents and blessed them. He said to them, saying, Return to your tents with much wealth, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very many clothes. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers. The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh turned and went from the sons of Israel, from Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their holding, which they had taken hold of by the mouth of Yahweh, by the hand of Moses.
Note · Text The written consonants are מעבר, “from across.” The Masoretic reading is בעבר, “on the side of.” The written “from across” is printed.
Notice and discuss
Read each passage, then think about the question on your own or talk it over with others. No answers are collected.
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What does the congregation accuse the builders of the altar of doing, and which two earlier events do they bring up?
They came to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, This is what the whole congregation of Yahweh says, What is this breach that you have committed against the God of Israel, turning today from following Yahweh by building yourselves an altar, to rebel today against Yahweh? Was the iniquity of Peor too small for us, from which we have not been cleansed to this day, so that there was a plague in the congregation of Yahweh, that you turn away today from following Yahweh? If you rebel today against Yahweh, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. If the land of your holding is unclean, cross over to the land of Yahweh’s holding, where Yahweh’s dwelling stands, and take holding among us. Do not rebel against Yahweh, and do not rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of Yahweh our God. Did not Achan son of Zerah commit a breach in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on the whole congregation of Israel? He was one man. He did not perish alone for his iniquity.
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What are the people told to keep doing, and what are they warned not to do with the gods of the nations that remain?
Be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the scroll of the instruction of Moses, so that you do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, so that you do not go in among these nations, these who remain with you. You shall not mention the name of their gods, you shall not make anyone swear by them, you shall not serve them, and you shall not bow to them. But you shall cling to Yahweh your God, as you have done to this day. Yahweh has driven out great and strong nations from before you, and you, not a man has stood before you to this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand, for Yahweh your God is the one who fights for you, as he spoke to you. Be very careful for yourselves, to love Yahweh your God.
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What does Joshua warn the people about serving Yahweh, and how do they answer when he calls them witnesses?
Joshua said to the people, You will not be able to serve Yahweh, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not lift your transgression or your sins. If you abandon Yahweh and serve foreign gods, he will turn and do you harm and finish you off, after he has done you good. The people said to Joshua, No, for we will serve Yahweh. Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh for yourselves, to serve him. They said, We are witnesses. Now put away the foreign gods that are among you, and turn your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel. The people said to Joshua, We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice.
Note · Translation Elohim kedoshim uses a plural adjective with God. The line is printed “a holy God.” El qanna is “a jealous God.”
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Kingdoms of Scripture Bible (KoS). CC BY 4.0. Source: bible.kingdomsofscripture.com. Quotations are whole published verses, matched to the game’s chapter references.