DEALING WITH MISSUNDERSTANDINGS
There are times in our lives when we have been judged wrongly, and there have been times when we also have judged some one else unfairly. The following story that took place in the book of Joshua exemplifies this so so well about misunderstandings.
“The people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh went to Geliloth, near the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. There they built a beautiful altar. The other Israelites still at Shiloh heard about the altar these three tribes built at the border of Canaan at Geliloth, near the Jordan River on Israel's side. All the Israelites became very angry at these three tribes, so they met together and decided to fight them.”
( Joshua 22:10-12 NCV )
Joshua 22: 26 – 29 says,
“When the 3 tribes explained their intention for building the beautiful alter it is not for burnt offerings and sacrifices. That this altar is proof to you and us and to all our children who will come after us that we worship the Lord with our whole burnt offerings, grain, and fellowship offerings.
This was so your children would not say to our children, 'You are not the Lord's.' In the future if your children say that, our children can say, 'See the altar made by our ancestors. It is exactly like the Lord's altar, but we do not use it for sacrifices. It shows that we are part of Israel.'
"Truly, we don't want to be against the Lord or to stop following him by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. We know the only true altar to the Lord our God is in front of the Holy Tent."
The rest of the Israelites would have had every right to be angry if the tribe of Ruben, Gad, and East Manasseh for building an alter to offer sacrifice upon because it would have be a direct violation of the laws of Moses.
Verse 32and 34 says,
“ Then Phinehas and the leaders left the people of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and went back to Canaan where they told the Israelites what had happened. They were pleased and thanked God. So they decided not to fight the people of Reuben and Gad and destroy those lands. And the people of Reuben and Gad named the altar Proof That We Believe the Lord Is God.
How many times have we gotten upset about something or some one and later find out that we were completely wrong in our judgment? This is what happened here with the Children of Israel.
We should always be careful about making snap judgments that can lead to some destructive and harmful actions on our part. We can see some action that some one is doing and be convinced that they are doing something wrong, but in all actuality they are not doing anything wrong.
We make very poor judges because we can't read peoples minds or their intentions.
"But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God." ( Romans 14:10 )
"Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way." ( Romans 14:10 )
A pastor is walking into a bar late at night and Mrs Gossipy drives by and sees him just as he is going in the door.
She becomes outraged because she has been a member of Saint Self Centered Church for all her life and can't wait to contact the Board of directors of the church and tell them that their pastor has fallen into sin. Little did she know, but her pastor was on an errand of mercy, and was picking up some one and giving them a ride home.
Love is ever ready to believe the best of every person, and it does not imagine all kinds of evil things about some one else. If there is a problem, then we should pray first, and then go to that person and talk to them before we do or say anything else.
( See 1 Corinthians 13:7, Matthew 18:15 )
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