HIGHLIGHTS IN JOSHUA
Number 19
ONE ALTAR, ONE SACRIFICE
Joshua 22
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THIS CHAPTER recounts the return of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh to their portion of the promised land, after they had completed helping the rest of Israel to possess their portions. Because this land was on the east of Jordon, it had been obtained before even Jericho was taken. Joshua had required these tribes to help the rest of Israel to their possessions, before they went back to rest and enjoy their own portion of land. This was an important milestone in Israel's history because it marked the complete possession of their inheritance.

The chapter revolves around the fact that these two and half tribes built an altar on their side of Jordan, and the rest of Israel thought they meant to offer sacrifices on it. This caused fear and anger in the rest of Israel, because God had specifically commanded that sacrifices, etc. should only be offered on the one altar in Israel, and they perceived this building of another altar as a serious violation of the direct command of God. Israel feared the judgement of God for this sin. The command of God about one altar is found in the following verses taken together - Exodus 20:24; Leviticus 17:8,9; and Deuteronomy 12:5,11,13. The rest of Israel gathered to punish these eastern tribes, but when they asked them why they had built this altar, the eastern tribes replied that they had not built the altar for sacrifice and worship of God, but only that it may be a witness, to them and to the rest of Israel, that Jehovah was their God, as he was of all the rest, and that they were under the covenant of God for all Israel. It was their witness that they had a right to worship at the one altar in Israel in the west and that they had a title to the blessings and privileges which such worship brought them.

OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WORD

First of all let us note the plain lesson on the surface of this chapter, which is the importance of obedience to the commands of God, and how essential this is. The importance lies in the fact that God has commanded it, and we have an obligation to obey God because we are his creatures by creation. As believers we are doubly obligated to obey God's commands because not only are we God's creatures by creation, but we are his doubly because also we have been redeemed by the precious blood of God's one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Even if we do not understand the command and its purpose, we still must obey. We understand by faith that God's commands are good and wise and for our blessing, so whether we know why the commands are uttered or not, we should still obey.

However it is good and important to obey God's commands because they are for our good, and to break them or neglect them means that we put ourselves into danger, not just from God's displeasure, but from the forces of evil and human sinfulness. The command to have only one altar was essential, for as we are going to see, bound up in this one altar, was all God's purpose of acceptance, forgiveness and blessing for Israel. The reason we live by the Word of God is because God has given his Word so that we may live in blessing and in his good and perfect will.

ONE ALTAR

The importance of the one altar for all Israel has very special significance. The altar of God in the tabernacle was essentially the altar of atonement. God had made plain that 'without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin'. The fact embodied here is that because 'the soul that sins must die', unless there is satisfaction for sin by the giving of a life, there is no cancelling of the debt of sin, and the sinner therefore is under the sentence of death and must die for his or her own sin. Under the Old Testament system God provided for the cancelling of the debt of sin by the sacrifice of an animal. The need for the perfection of the one being sacrificed was met by the animal, the lamb, to be without blemish and as perfect as possible in a physical sense. Only one without sin can die in the place of another sinner and take the punishment for the sin of another. All these sacrifices were symbolic and looked forward to the one and only sacrifice that could atone for sin, that is the one and only perfect all-sufficient sacrifice that Jesus made upon the cross. These Old Testament sacrifices had to be repeated time and time again, because they could not really atone for sin, and were given only as a stop-gap until the one true sacrifice was made by Jesus. Because these sacrifices pointed to Christ's one sacrifice, there could only be one altar and not many. This is because atonement for sin was made on one altar, the cross, and could only be made by one Lamb - the Lamb of God, Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus was the true Lamb without blemish. Being sinless, his dying was the dying for the sins of all who trust in him.

Building another altar to offer sacrifices on would in nature be like humanity taking on the atonement for their sin themselves. It would be a returning to human effort and merit, which can never begin to meet the demands of God's holiness and justice. It would also be seeking to introduce another sacrifice for sin apart from the one sacrifice in Christ, so suggesting that Christ's sacrifice was incomplete or insufficient. It would be relying on their effort of offering a sacrifice, and not the sacrifice appointed by God. Because of all this we can now appreciate the horror and concern of the western tribes that another altar was being built. There can only be one altar and one sacrifice. In the Old Testament the one sacrifice was symbolised in the fact that all the sacrifices were on the one altar and so showed forth the one and only sacrifice for sin that was to come when Jesus died for our sins upon the cross.

ALTAR OF WITNESS

In fact the eastern tribes were anxious not to be deprived of the sacrifices of the one altar in Israel where alone they could find atonement for their sins, and so be part of Israel and have an interest in the Messiah to come, who would be their perfect sacrifice for sin. They were afraid that being on the east of Jordon, a time might come when Israel would not own them, and deny that they were part of Israel, and so deprive them of the salvation from God shown to Israel.

Because of this they built an altar on their side of Jordan, like the one altar in the tabernacle, not so that it would replace the one altar for Israel, but to be a witness that they had an interest and right to worship at the one altar in Israel. Their altar was not for sacrifice, but to identify that they were part of Israel, and had the same inheritance in the covenant of God which God made with Abraham. They indicate in verse 23 that they understood the importance of the one altar, and the sin of creating another, and that they wanted to have a continued part in the worship at the one altar.

We may imagine that the important thing was to offer sacrifices for the atonement for sin, and that what altar it was offered on did not matter. The eastern tribes understood that to build another altar of sacrifice would be in truth to renounce the way of reconciliation with God that God had provided, and turn to human religion.

IMPORTANCE OF ONE ALTAR

The importance of God's command to have only one altar lies in the fact that the sacrifices of animals ordained by God for the Old Testament times, was a stop-gap arrangement. They all pointed to the fact of the one atonement for sin God had given in the Messiah to come. There could only be one sacrifice. It must be of a man in order to atone for the sin of man. Animal sacrifices could not really take away sin. This man must take the place of Adam, and represent humanity. This second Adam must be sinless, so that his death could be vicarious, in the place of sinners. This sacrifice must be made on the one altar - the cross of Calvary. This sacrifice was to be a one all-sufficient sacrifice, that would end all need of altars, and of further sacrifices. To build and use other altars in Israel, other than the one God had ordained, was to deny this perfect one sacrifice for sin, which alone can take away the sin of the world.

RELEVANCE FOR TODAY

The relevance for us today is to keep the Christian church from raising up altars of sacrifice of any kind, and ordaining priests to offer sacrifices on those altars. No human priest is needed when we have to one perfect and all-sufficient high priest, Jesus risen and reigning in glory. To have altars now and to offer any idea of sacrifice is to deny the atonement provided by God in Christ, and to blaspheme Christ.

To use the term altar in the Christian church now is really a blaspheme, because the cross finished all need of altars and of further sacrifice for sin. To talk of altars and sacrifice is to suggest that Christ's atonement was not full and perfect, and that it needs adding to by sinful human hands. To suggest that any part of Christ's work to save us needs repeating in this way, or needs to be carried on by priests on earth now, is to demean Christ, and diminish his work for us.

We have here a judgement on all who raise altars in the Christian church, upon all who suggest that a human priest offers Christ afresh for the sins of people at the Holy Communion, and upon all who suggest that at Communion the gifts of bread and wine can be offered to God to claim the atonement for Christ, for this is Christ's work as our high priest in heaven.

Holy Communion is a witness to us that Christ has died, and that we have full forgiveness of sin in him. It is God's remembrance for us that we can rest our souls in Jesus in the full assurance that his work of sacrifice for us on the altar of the cross fully atones for all our sin, past, present and in the future. It is to bring home to us the perfect work of Jesus for us, and to cause us by faith to enjoy all the blessings of reconciliation with God that his sacrifice has won for us.

Those churches which continue to have altars and some kind of priestly work at Communion are provoking the wrath of God to fall on the church, as Israel understood the building of another altar of sacrifice would do in their day. How we need to pray that there may be renewal within the church, that all idea of altars and sacrifice, apart from the one altar and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, may be purged away. Apart from anything else it steals from people the truth and comfort of Christ.