t If you apprehend it ro be ſo for want of the Tabernacle and Altar thefe; as the following words imp:y # if you now repent of your former choice in preferring the wor'dly commodities of that Countrey before the advantage of Gods prelence and favour, and more frequent opportun'tics of his Service, 4 We will readily re- fign pirt of our polk:f115ns to you for the prevention of this fin and miſchiefy wherein they ſhew great zeal for Gods honour, and great pity and char'ty to their Brethrer, w For all the Tribes were uni. ted in one Body Politick, and made one Commonwealth, and one Church; and each Tribe was ſubj-& to rhe Laws and Commands of the whole Society ; ard of the chick Ruler or Rulers thereof, ſo its diſobedience to their juſt commands was properly Rebellion agiinſt them.
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 7 in his iniquity & ?
x (:7.e ) One of bs Poſterity, Joſt 7:17, 18+ y But brought de- ſtruction upon his whole Fzmily, and parr of our Forces tfent a- gainſt Ai. z Or, for his fn ; of which ſez Joſ: 78 24. |
21 Thenthe chiidren of Reuben.and the children of Gad,and the half tribe ot Manaiich. anſwered and ſaid unto the heads of the thouſands of Ifrael a,
2 Either Firſt properly, each was a Governour of a thouſand : for there were among them divers Ru'er', ſome of Tens, ſ-me of Hundreds, and ſome of Thouſands ; or 1ather, Secondiy, impro- perly, and indefinitely, z. e. of the Pcopie of Jj-a:l, which confilt of 1o many Thouſands more than you, whole Authority therefore you owe a reverence to. For by comparing v: 14» theſe ſeem ro be greater Perſons than thoſe that were Rulers of Thouſands,
22 The LORD God of gods b, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth & and Uraei he ſal know F, if it be d in rebellion, or if in tranſgreflion againſt the LORD ( fave us not this day e. )
b That Jehovah, whom we no leſs rhin you acknowledge and adore as the God of gods, infiaitely ſuperiour to ail rhar are call<d Gods, The multipiying cf his Titles, and the reperition of rhete words, ſhew their zeal and earneſtnels in this matter, and their ab- horrency of rhe very thoughts of it. c To him we appeal who knoweth all things, and the truth of what we are now laying, + Nor only our preſent words, but our future and conſtant courte ſhal fatisfie all 1ſ-ael of our perſeverance in the true Religion. d If this have been done by us with ſuch deſign, or 1a ſuch a manner. e Thou, O Lord. to whom we have appealed, and without whom we cannot oe ſaved or preſerved, fave us not from any of cur Enc- miesy nor from the Sword of vur Brethren. Ir is a ſudden Apo- ſt:aphe to GOD, uſual in ſich vehzmenr ſpeeches.
23 That we have built us an altar co turn from fo]- lowing the LORD; or if co offer thereon burat-offer- ing,or meat-offering,or if to offer peace-offerings there- on, let the LORD himſelf require zr f.
f( 4. e-) Call us ro an account and punith us for it; as that Phraſe is oft uſed, as Der: 185 19. x Sams 20; 16g Job 10: 6. P[al. ICs 13s
24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of his thing, ſaying, + In time to come your children might ſpeak unto our children, ſaying, What have ye to do
with the LORD g Gud of 1trae] :
g Ycu haveno rtlauon to him, nor intereſt in h1m, or his Wor:
nn
gt For the LORD hath made Jordan a border be- tween us and you þ; ye children of Reuben, and chil- dren of Gad, ye have no part in the LORD z: fo hal your chidren makg- our children ceaſe from tearing the LORD. :
JOSHUA «
s With you for do:ng fo, and with us for fufferingy or not ]
þ To ſhut you out of the Land of Promiſe
Liz
the Covenant made between GOD and ous Fatkers.
See the like Phraſe. 2 Sam. 20. 1. Ezra 4. 8. Joh. 13+ 3.
altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for facrifice :
ings,that your children may nor fay to our children in time to come, Ye have no partin the LORD.
preſence, in your Tabernacle, and upon your Altar.
28 Therefore ſaid we, Thar it ſhal be, when they
that we may ſay again, Behold the pattern / of the Aitar of the LORD, which our fachers made,nort for burnt- otfcrings,nor for ſacritices, but it zs a witneſs between us and you m,
I An exaCtt repreſentation and reſemblance. m That we both ſerve one God, and approve aad make uſe of one and rhe ſame Altar.
29 God forbid that wethould rebel againſt theLORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt-offerings, for meat-offerings, or for {acrifices,beſides the altar of the LORD our God that #s before his tabernacle. |
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 Manaileh fpake, F-it pleaſed them ». n» They were fully fatisfied with this anſwer. 31 And Phinehas the fon of Eleazar the prieſt ſaid
Gad, and to the children of Manaſſeh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us o,becauſe ye have
ye have delivered the children of Ifrae! out of the hand of the LORD p.
o By his gracious preſence, and preventing goodneſs, in k:eping y ou from 10 great an offeace,and aliot us from choſe diſmal calami- ties that wouid have toilowed upon it. - p ( ze. ) From the Wrath and dreadful Judgements of GOD, by avording that Sin which would have involved both you and us in a molt Bloody War; you have delivered us from tute evils we feared. He that prevents an unex= petted or approaching Diſcafe or Miſchief, doth as truely deliver a man from it, as he thae Curcs or removes 1t after it hath been in« flicted.
32 4 And Phinehas the ſon of Eleazar the prieit, and the princes, returned from the chiidren of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, our of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Iſrael, and brought them word again.
33 And che thing pleaſed the children of Iſrael, and the chi:dren of Ilracl blefied God, and did noc intend co go uP againſt chem in batte], to deſtroy the land p wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelr.
fp As they were by the Law of GOD obliged to do, if they had been guilty and perfitted therein ; as afcerwards they did the Tribe of Benjamin forthe fame reaton. | 34 And thechiidren of Reuben, and the children of eween us, that the LORD is GOD, EMAP. AXH
jor them: and would work in expell.ng the Canaanites, x ==5, Exhorts
them to be couragious : to obſerve ths ' law: and beware of Iaolatry,