It's About Relationship: What Joshua 22-24 Teaches About Covenant

Our daily lives can be filled with what sometimes feels like an endless stream of transactions. So often, these transactions seem to tell the whole story of how we interact with other people.

Many of us have jobs that are one big transaction. I do what my employer or boss tells me to do, and they pay me money. Nothing more to it than that. Our personal lives can be equally transactional. I did this favor for you, and now you owe me one. We’re constantly engaged in transactions to buy the things we want or need, such as at the grocery store, or when we’re shopping online. Some of us even enjoy selling things, like through Facebook Marketplace. Not me.

But if you stop and think about it, and if you’re honest with yourself, you will realize and admit that deep down we desire to interact with other people through relationships, not just transactions.

Where do these feelings come from? It’s just a business transaction, right? If they offer what I want or need at a fair price, I give them my money and they give me the item, and that should be enough. But somehow it’s not enough. Somehow we want more. Why is that?

I’ll tell you why. Because we were made in the image of God. And a transaction alone is never enough with God. God desires relationship, first and foremost, not transaction. This is a huge point.

As we look at the final few chapters of Joshua, we’re going to see this is the dominant theme. Joshua is going to make sure the people of Israel realize and don’t forget that more than anything else, they are special because God chose to have a close, personal relationship with them. And everything God has done for them up until now is because of this relationship. And everything He desires for them from this point forward is all about this relationship.

And by the way, the same is true for you and me today. God desires a relationship with us too, not a transaction.

So let’s take a look at these last few chapters of the book of Joshua, and find out how it concludes. After Joshua led the Israelites to the west side of the Jordan River, they had conquered and possessed a majority of the land God promised them. But not all of it. There was still work to be done.

Nevertheless, much of the heavy lifting had taken place, and they were not under threat of imminent attack, so in some sense things had calmed down. For this reason Joshua decided it was finally time to let 2 ½ of the 12 tribes of Israel return to the land Moses had given them on the other side of the Jordan River. The tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh had been asked to cross the River and fight for the rest of the tribes, even though they had already conquered and possessed their land on the eastern side.

So let’s find out what happens in Joshua, Chapter 22.

Joshua 22: A big misunderstanding

Joshua 22:1-6, 10-16, 18, 21-23, 30-31 (NLT)

1 Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 2 He told them, “You have done as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, and you have obeyed every order I have given you. 3 During all this time you have not deserted the other tribes. You have been careful to obey the commands of the Lord your God right up to the present day. 4 And now the Lord your God has given the other tribes rest, as he promised them. So go back home to the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you as your possession on the east side of the Jordan River. 5 But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went home…

10 But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Geliloth near the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar.

11 The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River. 12 So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them. 13 First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 In this delegation were ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten tribes, and each the head of his family within the clans of Israel.

15 When they arrived in the land of Gilead, they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 16 “The whole community of the Lord demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the Lord and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him? … 18 And yet today you are turning away from following the Lord. If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow…

21 Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the clans of Israel: 22 “The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the Lord. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day. 23 If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the Lord or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord himself punish us…

30 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community, the heads of the clans of Israel, heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied. 31 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them, “Today we know the Lord is among us because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of the Lord.”

So, there’s this big misunderstanding. The 2 ½ eastern tribes build this altar, for a good reason, it turns out. Though we didn’t read the entire chapter, they explain that they built it as a memorial, so the western tribes would never forget that the eastern tribes were there for them, and always would be. But the western tribes immediately jump to the conclusion that they had built this altar in rebellion against God, supposing they were going to start their own religion and worship their own god in their own tabernacle.

Why do you think the western tribes of Israel so quickly jumped to the conclusion that the 2 ½ eastern tribes built the altar as an act of rebellion against God?

How many of you enjoyed watching situation comedy, or sitcom, back in the heyday of TV? You know why sitcom was so relatable? It’s all about misunderstanding, which causes conflict, the foundation of any great story. But in the case of misunderstanding, the conflict isn’t really anyone’s fault. So it’s low-stakes drama.

And if you think about some of the greatest misunderstanding-based sitcoms, like Three’s Company or Seinfeld, the misunderstanding almost always arose from jumping to conclusions on the basis of preconceived, and usually incorrect, assumptions. Three’s Company was the top sitcom for 8 years, and it followed almost exactly the same formula on every show. Someone who thought Jack was gay, which he wasn’t, jumped to some conclusion based on overhearing some conversation.

What does that have to do with Joshua Chapter 22? I think the key is in verse 18: “If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow.” In other words, the western tribes are so caught up in the transactional nature of their interaction with God, that they have forgotten about relationship, both with God and with their very own family, the 2 ½ eastern tribes. All they can think about are the consequences, what will happen to them if they do this or that. And they assume the same is true for the eastern tribes. Their fixation on the transactional interaction with God has blinded them, preventing them from seeing that their fellow tribes might have actually had good intentions.

Discussion

The altar was a memorial and it was read as rebellion. What made the misreading so easy?
Verse 18 is all consequence: “he will be angry with all of us tomorrow.” How does fear of consequence change the way you read other people’s motives?
They sent a delegation before they sent an army. What does that one decision save?

Let’s continue with the next chapter, Joshua 23. We’re going to read just the key portions of this chapter as well.

Joshua 23: Like I said, it’s about relationship!

Joshua 23:1-4, 6-9, 11-13, 16 (NLT)

1 The years passed, and the Lord had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old, 2 called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them, “I am now a very old man. 3 You have seen everything the Lord your God has done for you during my lifetime. The Lord your God has fought for you against your enemies. 4 I have allotted to you as your homeland all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea in the west…

6 “So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left. 7 Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them. 8 Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now.

9 “For the Lord has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you… 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

12 “But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them, 13 then know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive them out of your land… 16 If you break the covenant of the Lord your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.”

Now Joshua is beginning the process of concluding his role as leader of Israel through its conquest of the lands God provided them, so not surprisingly he reminds them that God has fulfilled his promises. He’s made good on His end of the deal, the transaction. “I said I would do these things, and I did.” And, He desires the people of Israel to uphold their end of the deal as well. What does that entail? Well, not surprisingly, the law. Verse 6 says, “Be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.” But, I want you to look more deeply than that.

What do you see God asking of the people of Israel, beyond just following the rules? What key words jump out from these verses which indicate that God desires much more than a band of rule-followers?

Don’t associate with the people from the lands you are conquering. Relationship. Don’t swear by, serve, or worship their gods. Relationship. “Cling tightly to the Lord your God.” Relationship. “Be very careful to love the Lord your God.” Relationship.

So God cares about the rules, that the people uphold the law perfectly. But the law is not an end in and of itself. The law was there for a purpose. And the purpose was to enable a relationship between God and the people.

The loving relationship between God and us is sometimes best understood like the relationship between a parent and a child. Because the child is not capable of seeing and understanding everything the parent does, it is sometimes necessary for the parent to have rules and exert authority over the child to protect them. That’s just part of loving them.

By the way, you can’t ignore the fact that there was certainly something very transactional about the interaction between God and the people of Israel. The Old Testament is full of “if this, then that’s.” And to some extent, transaction also plays a role in our interaction with God today. Even though the sins of a Christian are forgiven, that doesn’t mean a Christian is without sin. And sin has consequences, even for a Christian.

However, as verse 16 reminds us, there was a specific covenant between God and Israel that no longer applies to you and me today. The purpose of that covenant was fulfilled, which was to show all of humanity that a law-based system of overcoming the sin barrier between God and people doesn’t work. We live under a New Covenant today. Jesus brought that covenant into the world. We cannot achieve sufficient holiness to have a relationship with God simply by repressing sin in our lives. That holiness is only possible through an act of sacrifice by God, and our decision to accept that act.

Discussion

Four times the answer to “what is God asking?” comes back as relationship. Why does the law keep getting read as the point instead?
“The law was there for a purpose. And the purpose was to enable a relationship.” Where do you still treat a rule as the destination?
Joshua warns them at the moment things are going well. Why is rest a dangerous time?

Let’s move on to the very last chapter of Joshua, 24

Joshua 24: Love takes action

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-24 (NLT)

1 Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God. 2 Joshua said to the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: …

14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

16 The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. 17 For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. 18 It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”

19 Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”

21 But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!”

22 “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the Lord.”

“Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.”

23 “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.”

What word jumps out at you again and again in this chapter? Why do you think that word is important in describing our relationship with God?

In Chapter 23, Joshua made it clear to the people of Israel that despite the importance of the rules and of obedience, what God desires most is relationship. Remember chapter 23 verse 11: “Be very careful to love the Lord your God.”

Then, in Chapter 24 Joshua goes on to give a detailed account of everything God as DONE for the people of Israel. Why does he do that? Because God did what He did in order to demonstrate His love for the people of Israel. Love is not a feeling. It is a decision followed by action.

It’s not enough to just feel love for someone. They can’t feel what you feel. It’s not enough to just tell someone you love them. The power of words is limited. We show people we love them through action. And by the way, love demonstrated by action is the very thing that empowers our words when we later on tell someone that we love them.

What does all this have to do with serving? Well, serving is a beautiful way to describe how we put love into action, isn’t it?

Now, I want to be careful. We can go through the motions of doing things for other people for the wrong reasons too. You can throw a grand party that involves a ton of preparation and work, but do it out of obligation, or guilt, or fear of what people will think of you if you don’t do it or do it well. The same is true when it comes to our relationship with God. We can try to “do” a lot for God for the wrong reasons: obligation, guilt, or fear. But that’s not serving. We serve someone out of love for that person. The serving Joshua is talking about here involves doing something for someone out of love.

Unfortunately, as we follow the people of Israel into the next phase of their history, as told through the book of Judges, we find out that they didn’t understand this distinction between doing and serving. There is a hint of this disconnect in verses 23 and 24 we just read. Joshua says, “All right then … turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” And the people respond, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.” Even though they use the word “serve,” we get a hint of their understanding of this word when they immediately follow it with the word, “obey.” To them, serving is about the rules, not, as Joshua exhorts them, about their hearts.

And that is the big takeaway from the book of Joshua for me. God promised the people of Israel a peaceful future in a beautiful and bountiful new land for them, and He came through on that promise completely. He demonstrated his love for them through action, by fulfilling all that He said He would do for them. And in return, all God wanted from the people was for them to love Him, by serving Him with their hearts. They promised to do so with their words, but as history revealed, they were not able to.

The good news for us today is that we live in a different time under a different covenant. Though it is not possible for a person to truly serve the Lord with all their heart through their own efforts, what’s impossible with people is possible for God. God gives us what we need to love and serve Him through the Holy Spirit, when we choose to first accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and give our lives to Him. And when we learn to love and serve God with all our hearts, we also learn to how to love and serve other people selflessly.

Discussion

Joshua tells them they are not able to serve the Lord, and they insist they will. Why does he push back on a good answer?
“Love is not a feeling. It is a decision followed by action.” Who in your life would know you love them from your actions alone?
The people answer “serve” and then immediately say “obey.” What is the difference, and which one is easier?
What is one thing you do for God out of obligation that could be done out of love instead?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the altar controversy in Joshua 22?

When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned to the east side of the Jordan River, they built a large altar near the crossing. The western tribes assumed it was an act of rebellion against God and prepared for war.

But the eastern tribes explained the altar was a memorial, a reminder that they belonged to the same family and served the same God. The conflict was resolved through conversation, not war.

What does “choose this day whom you will serve” mean in Joshua 24?

In his farewell address, Joshua challenged the people of Israel to make a clear decision about who they would follow. He presented the choice plainly: the gods of their ancestors, the gods of the surrounding nations, or the Lord. Joshua declared his own household’s commitment and called the people to do the same. It is a call to decisive, whole-hearted devotion rather than passive drift.

What is the difference between a transactional and relational view of God?

A transactional view treats God primarily in terms of exchange: I obey, God blesses; I sin, God punishes. A relational view recognizes that God desires closeness, love, and trust, not merely compliance. Joshua 22-24 consistently pushes beyond rules and consequences to the language of love, clinging, and serving from the heart. Both obedience and relationship matter, but relationship is the foundation.

How does Joshua 24 connect to the New Covenant?

Joshua warned the people that they would not be able to serve the Lord on their own (Joshua 24:19). History proved him right. The people failed repeatedly in the period of the Judges.

This failure demonstrated the need for a new covenant, one in which God would write His law on people’s hearts through the Holy Spirit. Jesus fulfilled this promise, making heart-level devotion to God possible in a way that law-keeping alone never could.

Why does the word “serve” appear so often in Joshua 24?

The word “serve” appears repeatedly because it captures the heart of what God desires. Serving is love expressed through action. Joshua used this word to call the people beyond intellectual agreement or verbal commitment and into lived, active devotion. True service flows from love, not from obligation, guilt, or fear.

This lesson is part of the Encouraged by What’s Ahead series.