From time to time, difficulties and disagreements arise among church members, and very often those situations are not handled in a Christ-like manner, which then leads to alienation, and ongoing feuds that can hamper our prayers. Families can be torn apart, brethren end up hating other brethren, and in some cases, there is cold formalism, and a settled uneasiness manifested against those who may have done wrong. In the days of Christ there arose a division among His disciples, and were it not for the intervention of Christ, the peace that He came to give would have been prematurely shattered.
Misunderstandings, and suspicions gave rise to backbiting and wounded pride sought revenge for perceived hurts that were done. God’s will is that all of us who have entered into a covenant relationship with Jesus, should be in one accord, and even though we are still living in an evil world, yet it is still possible for us to have peace and brotherly love in our hearts.
The unity that exists in the courts above is the very essence of Christianity, and should be earnestly sought for, even at great cost to ourselves. Therefore, the turmoil and unrest that is percolating in the political realm should not produce a trickle-down effect in the followers of Christ because, as it is written in the scriptures, Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, else would His servants fight. In other words, we should esteem the unity of brotherhood as being of far more value, than the violations that may occur among ourselves from time to time.
Charity, kindness, and a forbearing, forgiving spirit should characterize our actions, our intents and our purposes, because the very atmosphere with which we are surrounded often produces ripple effects far beyond our immediate sphere of influence. Thus, several passages of scripture clearly delineate God’s will as it pertains to fostering and maintaining the peace of God among brethren and we should all earnestly seek for it, for, if as brethren we can’t get along down here, we certainly would not get along up there. Let’s read:
Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments. 3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Every person who has given their life to Christ is a member of the Royal family, and as such, is in a very special sense attached to God. Therefore, when one is hurting Jesus feels it directly, and where there are unresolved difficulties between brethren efforts are to be made so as to produce a friendly resolution as quickly as possible.
The following therefore is the sacred history of one volatile situation that could have blown up amongst the Hebrews, but the reactions implemented served to diffuse the misunderstanding. Therefore, several valuable lessons can be learned and implemented where difficulties among us may exist. We will read the narrative first, and then we will extract some of the important points to consider. Let’s read:
Joshua 22: 10 And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. 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.
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. 13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.
15 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, and they spake with them, saying, 16 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 built an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord? 18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord? and it will be, seeing ye rebel against The Lord , that tomorrow, 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. 21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,
22 The Lord God of gods, he knows, and Israel shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord, 23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it. 26 Therefore we said, Let us now build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord. 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 spoke, it pleased them.
31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the Lord is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the Lord: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord. 33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God and did not go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
Several common mistakes are made by some of us in the handling of difficulties, misunderstandings or problems, and they will be outlined and highlighted from the various passages, with the intent that all of us should consider carefully, how to resolve issues. We will start with the most common errors that are made, and then we will move on to the resolutions. [1] Rushing to premature conclusions without knowing the facts in the case. Let’s read:
Joshua 22:15 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, 16 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? 18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord? and it will be, seeing ye rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.
Those words that were used up front demonstrate a very common problem we may have in dealing with difficulties. Instead of thoroughly researching all the facts in a case some tend to draw hasty conclusions about the intentions and motives of others. But it is always better to give them the benefit of the doubt; it is always better to err on the side of caution, rather than rush to judgment on matters we may not know or understand with certainty.
There are thousands of persons now sitting in some prisons who have been incarcerated wrongfully and there are about 167 who have been cleared from the death row, according to the innocence project. In cases where wrongdoing has been suspected by someone, let there be an unbiased, and thorough investigation of all available facts, before persons are proscribed.
The love of God dwelling the heart will move us to always place the most favorable construction upon the motives and actions of others, until more might be known in the case; then, even if we are proven right in our conclusions, the default setting should be mercy. Love can be costly at times, for it is this same element of character which caused Christ to die for us on the tree. Let’s read:
Romans 5:6 For when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
[2] Incorrect reading of one’s intentions, which in many cases God alone knows. Let’s read:
Joshua 22:10 And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. 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.
It is true that the building of another altar would’ve raise some eyebrows, but before making judgment about their intentions, it would have been right for them to be given a chance to explain their motives. A questionable action can sometimes be justified, if the motive is upright. Many years ago, someone was knocking on his own front door late at night, seeking to be let in by one on the inside. But the person on the inside had put on the safety latch and was fast asleep. So the man on the outside climbed on top of the roof to get to the window where the other was fast asleep.
But a neighbor downstairs had been awakened by the constant knocking, who then drew a long shot-gun, and pointed at his neighbor to shoot him, for he could not recognize him in the dark. In his haste he almost did the unthinkable, and he assumed that it must be an intruder, for who else would be on a rooftop so late at night? Similarly, questionable actions can be justified in certain instances, where the intention is upright.
Under normal circumstances, the plucking of corn on the Sabbath day in the fields would have dire consequences, but if it was being done because of sheer hunger, as the disciples were on a missionary journey to save souls, then the motive makes the questionable action acceptable. In some instances, only God can read one’s motives and therefore, we should reserve judgment on the intentions of others, when we don’t know for sure.
[3] Acting hastily in the heat of the moment without the facts, especially when it’s hearsay. Let’s read:
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. 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.
Great caution must be exercised on hearsay, for a rumor can take on a life of its own as it is passed from person to person. We are at a crossroad as a nation, where there is a deficit of truth, and thus, we must beware of rumors and hearsay. Many such rumors about the current Corona virus, are being spread over the internet, and there are now some websites that peddle in conspiracy theories alone.
Therefore, before taking action against one another as brethren let all the truth in the matter be known, because, if the Hebrews had gone to war against their own brethren, many innocent lives would have been lost. The Bible therefore cautions us against impromptu actions without a clear knowledge of the facts. Let’s read:
Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 18:13 He that answers a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
John 7: 44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. 45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 50 Nicodemus saith unto them, 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 53 And every man went unto his own house.
On the contrary, the prudent handling of a difficult matter amongst brethren could smooth the way for a peaceful, and friendly resolve. God is well pleased, and satan is signally defeated when those problems that spring up among church members are diffused in a Christ-like manner. In the case of the building of the altar, we observe that the accused listened patiently, while ulterior motives were attached to their actions.
They did not blow up at once, against their brethren because they were being wrongfully accused. Instead, they listened to the accusations and waited their turn to explain their actions, and even in their reply, we observe that they were careful to strike a conciliatory tone, rather than use harsh words that would act as gasoline upon the flames.
How often have there been rifts, schisms, and hurt feelings that have resulted from a rude answer. It is important for us as Christians, to maintain our cool, to keep our composure, even when false accusation is flying left and right. Rueben and Gad referred the matter to God for Him to judge rightfully, and we also, should be humble and willing enough to let God exonerate us in those situations where false accusations may have been leveled against us. Let’s read:
Joshua 22:21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of Israel, 22 The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knows, and Israel shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord, 23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it.
26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: 27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the Lord before him, and that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord. 29 God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn this day from following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the Lord our God that is before his tabernacle.
It is a fact that love and kindness, begets love and kindness, and the oratory currency in which we deal will go a long way in determining outcomes. Truth must never be spoken in harshness, for this manner of speaking often tends to negate those very truths spoken. When the accused responded respectfully, the accusers also followed suit, and responded in like manner. Let’s read:
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. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the Lord is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the Lord: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.
When difficulties may arise in board meetings, and church councils, when intentions and motives are impugned, let us all follow the example of Christ in diffusing volatile situations, by the use of courteous words and tones. Even though we may have fallen on this point in times past, yet the grace of God will be given to us, that we may live victoriously, if we are willing to try. We therefore end with a few passages of scripture which will help us to keep peaceful resolutions to difficulties in view. It will not always be easy for us to implement, but practice makes perfect, and God will help us in every emergency, if we walk by faith. Let’s read:
James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, 20 Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Psalms 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
God Bless!