The Path to Reconciliation

My friend Rick Hodges had this to add to this topic. Relationships and Conflicts JOSHUA 22 It could be said that the entire Bible is a book of conflict. Most every book contains conflict. The shortest book of the Bible is all about conflict (Philemon). Because the Bible is a book about relationships, it is necessarily a book of conflicts. There are conflicts between individuals, families, tribes, groups, and nations. Even thought we can now have peace with God through the sacrifice of Christ, as long as we live in a world where sin exists, we will find peace with others one of our most challenging endeavors. The class today centers around an episode of conflict among God’s people centuries prior to the birth of Christianity. This passage in Joshua is a reminder that harmony is as fragile as individuals are flawed. The story reveals how conflicts may begin and how they may be resolved. In today’s story we have the 12 tribes of Israel who have entered the promised land. Two and a half of the tribes took the land Moses had given them east of the Jordan River. The remaining tribes stayed on the west side. This made a majority settlement and a minority settlement. Can you feel any conflicts coming? Shiloh, the location of the tabernacle, was on the west side. That was where real worship was to take place. Can you feel some trouble brewing? The eastern tribes erected an altar to serve as a witness to affirm that although they were on the other side of the river, far from Shiloh, they loved God too. When the western tribes heard of it, they began organizing to go to war against the eastern tribes. TAKEAWAYS FOR TODAY 1. Faulty information almost always leads to flawed interpretations that provoke wrong conclusions with potentially disastrous results. Fortunately in this story, calmer heads and wiser thinkers prevailed and disaster was averted though reasonable conflict resolution. 2. Resolution is not possible without communication. A delegation of the western tribes headed by Phineas the priest paid a visit to the east side altar builders. Instead of just attacking the supposed idol worshippers with a punishing army, they sent a team of investigators and negotiators. Instead of sending warriors armed with weapons, they sent diplomats bearing questions. 3. Good conflict resolution almost always begins with questions rather than accusations. The delegation began with a series of questions, although presented in the way a prosecuting attorney asks questions when he or she is certain of the answer. Nevertheless, the leading questions at least provided the stunned eastern tribes with a chance to answer and make their intentions clear. 4. Reconciliation is not possible without cooperation. Even though the delegation was fairly certain that they had correctly perceived the grievous offense, they proposed a way of repentance and made a generous offer to share their own land (v 19). This is a great example of reconciliation being tried through cooperation. Additional evidence of cooperation is seen in that both sides were fairly respectful in their communication. Achieving reconciliation requires the mutual cooperation of respectful communication. It takes two to achieve harmony; it only takes one to sabotage it. 5. Unity is not the absence of conflict but the result of resolved conflict. Unity must incorporate and negotiate the differences we all bring to any relationship whether personal or in any group. And we all bring differences. Romans 12:18 – “If it is possible as far as it depends on you, live peacefully with all men