Joshua 22:1-5: a reflection

1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. 3You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4Now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan. 5Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

As Joshua sends the eastern tribes home after they had faithfully helped their brothers, he leaves them with a charge that gathers up the whole of what it means to follow God. Take diligent heed to do the commandment, he says, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. Notice how comprehensive and wholehearted this charge is: to love God, walk in his ways, keep his commands, hold fast to him, and serve him with all the heart and soul. It is not a partial or half-hearted devotion that Joshua calls for, but a whole-hearted, all-encompassing one, loving and cleaving to God with everything. To follow God is not merely to keep a few rules, but to love him, walk in his ways, hold fast to him, and serve him with all our heart and soul. The charge is to love and hold fast to God with our whole heart. Following God calls for a whole-hearted, all-encompassing devotion, not a partial one. To love and cleave to God with all our heart and soul is the charge. Whole-hearted devotion to God is what following him means.

Notice the fullness of the charge Joshua gives: to love God, walk in his ways, keep his commands, hold fast to him, and serve him with all the heart and soul. This is not a minimal or partial devotion; it gathers up the whole of the heart's response to God. To love him, and not merely obey him formally; to walk in all his ways, and not just some; to hold fast to him, cleaving to him closely; and to serve him with all the heart and all the soul, holding nothing back. This is what following God fully means: a whole-hearted, all-encompassing devotion, loving and cleaving to God with everything we are. It is easy to reduce following God to keeping a few outward rules, or to give him a partial, divided devotion; but Joshua's charge calls for the whole heart and soul, a loving and holding fast to God that leaves nothing out. To love and cleave to God wholeheartedly, serving him with all our heart and soul, is the fullness of what he calls us to. Following God is not a partial commitment but a whole-hearted one. The charge is to hold fast to God with everything. Wholehearted love and devotion is the heart of following God.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to love and hold fast to God with our whole heart and soul, not with a partial or divided devotion. We can reduce following God to keeping a few outward rules, or give him a half-hearted, divided devotion; but Joshua's charge is to love God, walk in his ways, hold fast to him, and serve him with all the heart and all the soul. Following God fully is a whole-hearted, all-encompassing devotion, loving and cleaving to him with everything. Do not give God a partial or divided devotion; love and hold fast to him with your whole heart and soul, as Joshua charged the tribes. Love and hold fast to God with your whole heart and soul, serving him with everything rather than giving him a partial or divided devotion, as Joshua charged the tribes to love the LORD, walk in all his ways, keep his commandments, hold fast to him, and serve him with all their heart and soul; for following God fully is not merely keeping a few outward rules or giving him a half-hearted devotion, but a whole-hearted, all-encompassing love and cleaving to him that holds nothing back, so that the charge and the heart of following God is to love and hold fast to him with everything we are, serving him with all our heart and all our soul.

Lord, as Joshua sends the eastern tribes home after they had faithfully helped their brothers, he leaves them with a charge that gathers up the whole of what it means to follow you. Take diligent heed to do the commandment, he says, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. Let me notice how comprehensive and wholehearted this charge is: to love you, walk in your ways, keep your commands, hold fast to you, and serve you with all the heart and soul. It is not a partial or half-hearted devotion that Joshua calls for, but a whole-hearted one, loving and cleaving to you with everything. Show me the fullness of the charge Joshua gives: to love you, walk in your ways, keep your commands, hold fast to you, and serve you with all the heart and soul. This is not a minimal or partial devotion; it gathers up the whole of the heart's response to you. To love you, and not merely obey you formally; to walk in all your ways, and not just some; to hold fast to you, cleaving closely; and to serve you with all the heart and soul, holding nothing back. This is what following you fully means. It is easy to reduce following you to keeping a few outward rules, or to give you a partial devotion; but Joshua's charge calls for the whole heart and soul. Take that to my heart, for I am called to love and hold fast to you with my whole heart and soul, not with a partial or divided devotion. I can reduce following you to keeping a few outward rules, or give you a half-hearted, divided devotion; but Joshua's charge is to love you and hold fast to you with all the heart and soul. Keep me from giving you a partial or divided devotion; help me love and hold fast to you with my whole heart and soul, Lord, serving you with everything, as Joshua charged the tribes, holding nothing back.