Sunday: Commitment
Daily Lesson for Sunday 7th of December 2025
Read Joshua 22:1-8. What do these verses tell us about the commitment of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh?
Joshua affirms that the tribes from the other side of the Jordan have fully satisfied the obligations set out by Moses and himself, which meant a significant dedication to, and sacrifice on behalf of, Israel’s common cause. They fought alongside their brothers for “many days,” which in reality meant about six to seven years (compare with Joshua 11:18, Joshua 14:10, Deuteronomy 2:14). Their wives and children were left at home, on the east side of Jordan, yet they decided to fight loyally along with their brothers, facing the threat of injury and death in war.
Image © Erik Stenbakken at Goodsalt.com
These verses indirectly underline the importance of the unity of the nation and that of the land. They also prepare the way for the ensuing story, which is ultimately about unity. Will the Israelite tribes stay united, despite the strong natural border that the Jordan forms between them? Will they allow geography to set its mark on their national identity, or will they let their common worship of the only God keep them as His chosen nation, united and strong under His theocratic guidance?
Joshua explains the only way that such fidelity has been possible: they did not serve their fellow Israelites but Yahweh Himself, who charged them with their mission.
We find this same principle in the New Testament. The apostle Paul admonished Christians to render their service as if they were working for God and not only for human beings (see Ephesians 6:7, Colossians 3:23, 1 Thessalonians 2:4). What higher calling is there than working for, ultimately, the Creator of the cosmos?
In everyday life, we often face challenges and difficulties that can easily discourage us and make us want to give up the fight. That’s easy, at times, to do. Yet, we can call upon the power of the Lord, who promises to be with us and enables us to do what He asks of us. If we keep our higher calling before us, we can be motivated to press on ahead, despite the inevitable challenges and discouragements that are part of our fallen existence here.
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Joshua 22:5-6 reports that Joshua appealed to the departing tribes to remain faithful to the Lord, and then he blessed them. How would our relationships in the church be transformed if we prayed for each other more than we do? |
Today’s lesson describes the division of the Children of Israel into two geographic areas. While today the geographic separation is small – the Jordan river is not a wide river – the separation in Old Testament times was significant. Joshua admonished the eastern part of the nation to remain true to Yahweh because he knew the cost of the separation in terms of the cohesion of the nation.
This situation reminded me of the issues the Seventh-day Adventist Church faces today. A couple of years ago Dr Reinder Bruinsma, a retired Seventh-day Adventist educator and Church administrator gave an interesting talk at Avondale University where, among other things, he outlined the shift in the Seventh-day Adventist demographics. In the 1950s, most Seventh-day Adventists were in North America. Today the major populations of Seventh-day Adventists are to be found in South America and the middle African nations. In both these areas the Seventh-day Adventist membership in increasing, while in North America it is declining. Further in North America there has been a decline in English speaking members as more Hispanics and others join the church. In Australasia we have a similar shift in demographic makeup of the church, with an influx of Pacific Islanders in both Australia and New Zealand, and an explosively growing membership in Papua New Guinea. Dr Bruinsma pointed out that these demographic shifts are a challenge to Church administration.
It is easy to say religious things like, “Hold fast to the faith.”. “We should all follow Jesus”, “We are united in Jesus”, and so on. But providing cohesion across nationalities, cultures, educational, and economic divides is difficult. In recent years the church has wrestled with the idea of unity. The central issue was the ordination of women, and despite General Conference rulings the issue remains diversly unsolved. (Note: this is not an invitation to discuss women’s ordination.) I think the Holy Spirit is saying something to us. It is saying, “Don’t sweat on the small stuff!” Possibly, we are making so much noise about the “small stuff” that we have drowned it out.
Let me repeat a story here that I have told before. In the northern part of Norway, Seventh-day Adventists had to deal with the issue of when the sun set to determine the beginning and end of the Sabbath. Obviously, when it is daylight for 3 months of the year and night for another 3 months, the idea of a sunset time is a little difficult to establish. Two schools of thought developed about how this problem should be solved. I won’t go into the details here because that is not the point of the story. Each group thought that their method was right, and the other group were not observing Sabbath properly. The issue was unresolved at church level and rose up through the church hierarchy until it reached division level. Eventually, they decided to hold a workshop/conference on the issue with input from the folk concerned and various Church administrators and theologians. I happen to have all the papers from that conference in the top shelf of my cupboard. The most salient part of it is a one-page letter to the church members involved. The recommendation was that Church members should keep the Sabbath, the way their consciences told them with two provisos. 1) They should show respect to other members who disagreed with them, and 2) they should not change the way they calculated the sunset times just for the sake of convenience. This letter stands as an exemplary model of unity that allows for diversity within the church
We are finding that our members are being geographically and culturally divided with some members on the east bank and others on the west bank. If we want to retain unity we must come to terms with diversity on the “small stuff while we uphold the centrality of the Gospel. Otherwise, we may find ourselves drowning in the Jordan. Finding the glue that unites us is going to take a lot more than a few spiritual statements. Maybe we will even study different Sabbath School lessons. (Written with a wry smile!)
Thank you, Maurice, for giving us the information about demographic shifts from Dr. Bruinsma. Where I live there were two Seventh Day Adventist churches in our town. There was a rather large proportion of of Swedish families here. Many still spoke the Swedish language in their Adventist church. The English speaking church was growing and needing to move to larger quarters. The two groups decided to join together and build a new church, which was completed in 1963. The new church had a balcony, a gym, school rooms for with a few teachers for grades 1-8. The combined membership was probably about one hundred and fifty members. Today, sadly, the church has approximately thirty members. Many families moved or died or their children moved away. Some just left the church.
I’m pondering that the gospel is going into the world and many are accepting Jesus Christ in other nations more rapidly than when we were young. Also, it shows that “we”, being from industrialized nations with a rise in income and wealth among other things as Jesus mentions in Revelation 3:14-22 are increased in goods and in need of nothing, as Jesus describes the last day generation of His people. As a refresher, please read the above scripture.
I have wondered if the new generation of believers from South America and Africa, etc. are
going to be the ones to evangelize the wealthy nations once again before Jesus comes!
I am not sure what is small stuff when it comes to the word of God. I would say remember Lot’s wife. Was looking back a small stuff? What about Aaron’s sons? Is not fire, fire? Small stuff for me is none biblical procedures, like how we serve communion.
Having differences on the word of God, any word of God, Is not small stuff.
Francis, I think the issues that are being called “small stuff” are issues that have no “thus saith the Lord”. With Lot’s wife and Aaron’s sons, a clear command was given that was disregarded. But many issues are not like that.
Paul in talking about meat offered to idols also shows that there will be issues where we see things differently. The issues Maurice mentioned fit into that category. It’s not that we can’t use the Bible to help us determine what to do. It’s the fact that we may interpret the Bible differently on these issues. And this calls for respect.
The Church is being divided through Academics.
Hi Angus, I am a Seventh-day Adventist academic and have been employed by the church for over 40 years. If I have written something that is divisive please tell me, rather than making a general assertion.
I agree with you…. General and generic statements don’t help in our growth journey but rather specific actionable opnions help shape us to better us in our walk of faith.
Hi Angus. I am sure this was not your intention to be divisive. Keep in mind this very lesson from Joshua and the misunderstanding that occurred regarding the altar set up on the east side of Jordan. Let’s do like the lesson for today says, let every act be for the service of God. That means to me every thought, every word and every action.
With that being said, what exactly were you trying to convey by your statement? I am not understanding the meaning as it pertains to today’s lesson.
Phyllis Lee
No, it is being divided because of appeasement, and our desire to fit into “mainstream Christianity.”
Without the evidence that too is an assertion used to blame the “other side” when we disagree with them. I don’t want to open this discussion to a list of greviences about what the “other side” believes or does. It could potentially go on for ever.
I think if we study this week’s lesson carefully and apply it to ourselves, we will know how to treat one another.
We live in a time where commitment has reduced to an all-time low. It feels like commitment isn’t important anymore. Divorce rates are very high no one wants to be committed to one partner for their entire life. Friendships also lack commitment, with few close relationships compared to years ago. People change and switch jobs at will. Commitment to the church can hardly be felt or seen. Basically, commitment is disappearing.
Commitment, in terms of meaning, is an act of pledging, promising to engage, or making a covenant to oneself or another person to accomplish or stay within agreed terms regardless of circumstances. Commitment remains a conscious choice to accomplish or do something—not because I feel like doing it is more than an emotional urge but rather it involves doing something regularly based on principle and personal conviction.
God wanted the Israelites to be united not just geographically, but committed in the principle of serving Him who brought them out of Egypt—not because of convenience but out of conviction of who God was and what He meant to them. The physical separation after dividing the land was to be a non-issue if they desired success in their lives; commitment to God was to remain constant. Isaiah 26:3–4: “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord/ in other words, commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock (the Rock of Ages).”
I must admit that my first time in North America came as a culture shock as their worship practices were somewhat different from how we worshipped back home.
Ultimately, I had to make the decision “not to sweat the small stuff” but focus on our shared aim, that of making it into the Kingdom.
We need to keep at the forefront of our minds that unity and uniformity can be different!!!!
In Joshua 22:1-3, we witness how the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh committed themselves to the cause of the other tribes of Israel. This kind of devotion and loyalty is highly recommendable as they put their own lives at great risk for the sake of others. This true dedication exemplifies integrity and steadfast honesty. This is what it means to be faithful to one’s own words. In a world where integrity is increasingly thrown out of the window, this episode remains a powerful reminder of the impact of genuine commitment in all areas of life, whether personal, relational, or professional. Time and time again, we witness commitment being undermined by selfishness, convenience, and broken promises; commitment becomes a rare and precious quality. What lessons can we learn from this beautiful episode?
1. Commitment always promotes trust and integrity in relationships – The most illustrative example is marriage. Where commitment is well cultivated in marriage, marital storms can be weathered strongly. Lack of commitment is the genesis of broken relationships and disillusionment (Galatians 6:9).
2. Commitment reflects God’s character – When we fail to show commitment, particularly to worthy causes, it is a failure to demonstrate the character of God to the onlookers. Our God is ever faithful (Psalm 145:13), and the lack of commitment is not a good testimony of God we serve.
3. Commitment builds reputation – In earthly endeavours, career-wise and professional-wise, demands devotion and honesty. We cannot build reputable careers and professions without dedication. Sacrifice is required for excellence. Success does not come by accident but by genuine commitment (Proverbs 12:1).
4. Commitment produces better outcomes – Better results are not grown on trees but through steadfast devotion to one’s cause. Unfinished projects and unmet goals are largely due to poor commitment (Galatians 6:9).
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”(Colossians 3:23-24, NIV)
The half tribe of Manasseh, Reuben and Gad, were released from their duty and allowed to return home on the other side of the Jordan. Joshua blessed them, admonished them to stay faithful, then sent them away. This division while permitted was not part of Gods original plan as outlined in Numbers 4. All of the tribes were to be on the west side of the Jordan. Throughout the Bible we see instances where God allows something that is outside his original plan. Even today we have divisions that God probably allows but are not part of his plan. In the US there are divisions between white and black Americans. There are white and black conferences, churches. We are all Seventh-Day Adventist, so why do we still have that division? (I’m well acquainted with how and why the white and black conferences began). The point being that is a division. Maurice mentioned the shifts in cultural and demographic. Are we as a denomination going to end up with another divide that isn’t within Gods plan?
Sharing an apropos remark made by Phil Del Rocco on Hit the Mark Sabbath School….
He noticed that even though these tribes had been away from their families for 6-7 years fighting a battle across the river, there is no record of any complaints or grumbling. And that stands in striking contrast to the time of wandering in the wilderness where there are many records of complaints and murmurings all that time. What’s the difference? These 2 1/2 tribes were busy following what God had called them to do. His application was that when we are focused on working for God we have no time for the things that pull us back into longing for our past, for negativity, complaining, gossip and being distracted by our selfish needs. The key to being unified is working for Him only.
Today’s lesson and Phil’s remark reminds me of Paul’s advice in Phil. 2:5-13: “Have the same mind among yourselves,” and “Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves,” and “Don’t look just to your own interests, but to the interests of others,” and “Have the mind of Christ….a servant-mind.” These statements all lead to Phil 2:14: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” And the next verse, Phil. 2:15, “…among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
LORD, don’t let me snuff out the Light You want to shine through me by a lack of purpose, which then leads to complaining. Complaining and worrying is a terrible witness because it indicates that I don’t think You’re enough either, just like the “crooked and twisted generation” thinks (Phil. 2:15). When I see faults and sin around me, help me to see through Your heart of mercy and forgiveness and servanthood.
Help me to trust that Your will IS being done on Earth as it is in heaven. You are strong enough to stop things I would complain about, You are smart enough to keep things out of my life I would complain about, You are good enough to have my best interests at heart and to know what should and should not be allowed into my life. Help me to rest in Your love while living a life of purpose with You. Please, show me specifically what Your higher calling is for me personally, how to use the experiences, talents and gifts You have given me for Your honor and glory.
I pray this not only for myself, but for all my brothers and sisters, near and far, everywhere on planet Earth, who bow our knees to You. Give us Your heart and mind and inner strength to radiate the warmth of Your divine love. In Jesus’ saving name, Amen.
Amen!
Years later Solomon gave the same advice that holds us together.
5. Thrust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 6. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
I like the example Maurice gave for getting along, as given him by his father, yesterday’s lesson. I believe the adapting is learning to give and take. Give into others idiosyncrasies, and take others directions at least some of the time. Give and take needs to come from both sides. Absolutely Isaiah 26:3-4, is central to getting along with fellow Christians. And I am sure that if we take the advice of Paul the author talked about, also is central to our relationships with fellow Seventh-day Adventist. Colossians 3:23. Working heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, means avoiding a Spirit of reproof all the time, and taking on a spirit of Christ like fellowship. Be in the spirit of, kindness, loving, patience, forgiving, spreading joy and peace. Practice winning friends and influencing people, that would honor God.
Commitment comes with practice and conviction. Forming good habits helps us stay with our commitment unto the Lord.
Commitment is crucial to bond-setting, which is why we must commit to the LORD’s commandment in good faith, knowing that a rebuke to His commandment might anger Him to pour His wrath on us as a nation. Joshua 22 tells us about the idea that the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh had to build an altar other than the altar of the whole congregation, and with the intent that Jordan now separates them from the rest of the Israelites. Although the new altar intends to commit to the LORD’s commandment, it raises fears that its commission might offend God to pour His wrath on the people of Israel because the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh did not consult the priest (Phinehas) and the rest of the Israelites before building the new altar.
Commitment to whom – God or church? If this is sorted out first, one might have less anxiety about not meeting certain ‘requirements’. ‘Being faithful the LORD’, was the admonishment Joshua gave his brethren that, first and foremost, God’s presence needs to be acknowledged in all matters pertaining to life.
No church existed at that time. The Temple and its related, formal, ritualistic worship practices aimed to form their spiritual relationship with God. To a certain degree, is this not also true of the practices of today’s church? Much focuses on the ‘outward’ appearance or the ‘functions’ of the organized church. But what about the ‘worship experience’ – helping to form our spiritual relationship with God? Is that measured by the standards of a ‘successful church’?
How can we secure the individual’s as well as our corporate worship experience on Sabbath? The more detailed, regulated, and sophisticated the ‘worship service’, the more it would serve to promote the ‘program’. By focusing on the praise and worship of God directly instead on ‘implementing the program’, we can eliminate obstacles caused by ‘differences of opinions’.
I see the worship of God reflected more in the daily experience when facing choices; our commitment to do right by God’s standards. When coming together on Sabbath could then become the occasion to share our experiences through praises, requests, and ‘visions’ with God and each other – 1Cor.14:15; Col.3:16; Eph.5:19; 2Chronicles 5:13; 1Cronicles 16:29.
Praying for each other is one of the best ways of loving someone. Jesus prayed for all of us until He cried tears of blood – that’s how strong His focus was on His mission: to save all humanity! We should definitely pray more for each other.
Currently in North America there seems to be a movement by some conservative Adventists to rival the organized church due to various grievances. While Ellen White supported self-supporting ministries that cooperated with the main body, she firmly opposed movements that used political alignment, organized internal rebellion, and the withholding of tithe to pressure or displace the established church organization. These are the characteristics of this conservative movement that I am talking about that are in direct opposition to her core counsels on unity, neutrality, and financial integrity. Jesus prayed for us to remain unified as one. Let’s strive to do so as God’s remnant church.