About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible::

About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible: I was uncertain of how to accomplish this, mindful of Revelation 22:18-19, which says that nobody is to add to, or to take away from what was written in the Bible. After lots of prayerful contemplation, the Lord had it on my heart that I’m not to change the meaning of what is written in the Bible. He has also shown ways to add to people’s understating of that meaning, without altering the meaning, by putting that info within [brackets]. This is primarily accomplished with the KJV Bible and lots of prayers, but at times, BibleGateway.com, Biblehub.com, NIV Bible, Webster Dictionary, and other internet resources, as needed. Debra Seiling

About Understanding the Bible:

Understanding the Bible: After reading Isaiah 28:10 many times over the years and not totally understanding it, it recently became apparent to me that the Lord God has this passage as the means for understanding the Bible. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isaiah 28:10 KJV. Being prayerful about this passage, and looking up 'precept' in the Webster's Dictionary, it gave this passage a whole new meaning, once 'commandment' is substituted for 'precept'. Within brackets are additional words the Lord had on my heart to aid in understanding the meaning. For commandment must be [built up] upon commandment; commandment upon commandment; line upon line, line upon line; [developing understanding] here a little, and there a little.

The Table Format:

The Table Format: I was overwhelmed with how to explain the process for determining if someone had leprosy in Leviticus 13, which seemed very complicated. After praying, "Lord, if this is difficult for me to understand after reading it many times, how can this be explained to others?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was for me to put it into a vertical chart to visually see the process. This made it much easier for me to follow the progression. After doing so, I prayed, "Lord, how can this be conveyed to readers, so that they can understand this process?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was to put it within the lines of a table. Being a stiff-necked, stubborn person, as it's often called in the Bible, I prayed, asking the Lord God if He's sure that's really what He wanted me to do? I reluctantly put Leviticus 13 into a table format. When I read this difficult leprosy process within a table format, it suddenly became easier for me to understand. That's because it builds line upon line, as explained in the Understanding the Bible section. Shortly after that, the Lord God had it on my heart, to put all of The Books of the Bible in Smaller Chunks within a table format, to aid in understanding, line upon line.

6/12/2023

Joshua 22:1-34 Altar Built by the People of Reuben, Gad & 1/2 of the Tribe of Manasseh

 

Altar Built by the People of Reuben, Gad & 1/2 of the Tribe of Manasseh

Joshua 22:1-34               The Book of Joshua [in Smaller Chunks]

Then, Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites & 1/2 of the tribe of Manasseh & said to them, You have kept all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you.

[You] have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you & you haven’t left your brethren [all this time.] You have kept the charge [that] the Lord your God [has commanded you.] 

Now, the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them. Now, return & go to your tents & to the land of your possession, [that] Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave [to] you on the other side [of the] Jordan [River.] 

[Pay close attention] to do the [commandments] & the law [that] Moses, [gave to] you, to love the Lord your God & walk in all His ways & to keep His commandments & to [cling] to Him & serve Him with all your heart & with all your soul. So, Joshua blessed them & sent them away to their tents. 

Now, to the 1/2 tribe of Manasseh, [that] Moses had given [their] possession [of land] in Bashan, but the other 1/2 [of the tribe of Manasseh,] Joshua gave [them their possession,] among their brethren on this side [of the] Jordan [River] westward. 

When Joshua sent them away to their tents, then he blessed them. He [spoke] to them, saying, Return to your tents with [many] riches, [lots of livestock,] silver, gold, brass, iron & [lots of clothing.] Divide the [plunder] of your enemies with your brethren. 

The children [people] of Reuben, Gad & 1/2 [of] the tribe of Manasseh [left the Israelites in] Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of their possession in the country of Gilead. 

They possessed [this] land, according to the Word of the Lord by the hand of Moses. When they came to the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the [people] of Reuben, Gad & 1/2 of the tribe of Manasseh, built there a [huge] altar by [the] Jordan. 

The [people] of Israel heard [it said, Look,] the [people] of Reuben, Gad & 1/2 [of] Manasseh have built an altar [near the Canaanite] border of [the] Jordan [River, facing Canaan, but on the Israelite side.]

When the [Israelites] heard this, the whole congregation of the [people] of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them. The [people] of Israel, sent to the children [people] of: Reuben, Gad & ½ of the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas, [Eleazar’s] son, the priest.

[Phinehas] had 10 princes with him, each a chief [leader] of the house of their fathers, throughout all the tribes of Israel, among the 1,000’s of Israel. They came to the land of Gilead & [spoke] to the [people] of Reuben, Gad & to 1/2 of the tribe of Manasseh, saying, 

The whole congregation of the Lord [says this,] What [sin] is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, [that] you have [built yourselves] an altar & [have rebelled] this day against the Lord? 

Is the [sin] of Peor too little for us? We are [still] not cleansed this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord. [Numbers 25:1-3 And Israel [stayed] in Shittim & the people began to commit [unfaithful harlotry] with the daughters of Moab. 

And they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods & the people did eat [of them] & bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined [themselves] to Baal Peor & the anger of the Lord [grew] against Israel.] 

[Are you turning] away from following the Lord, this day? Seeing you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be [angry] with the whole congregation of Israel. 

[Still,] if the land of your possession [is] unclean, then [cross] over to the land of the [Lord’s] possession, [where] the Lord’s tabernacle dwells & take possession among us. But [don’t] rebel against the Lord or against us, [by] building [yourselves] an altar [in addition to] the altar of the Lord our God.

Didn’t Achan, [Zerah’s] son commit a [sin, by taking of the cursed things] & [brought fury] on all the congregation of Israel? And that man [didn’t] perish alone in his [sinfulness.] 

[Joshua 7:23-25 And they took them out of the [middle] of the tent & brought them to Joshua & to all the children [people] of Israel & laid them out before the Lord. 

And Joshua & all Israel with him, took Achan, [Zerah’s] son & the silver, the garment & the wedge of gold & his: sons, daughters, oxen, [mules,] sheep & his tent & all he had & brought them into the valley of Achor.

And Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? The Lord shall trouble you this day. And all Israel stoned him [to death] & burned them with fire, after they had stoned them.]

Then, the [people] of Reuben, Gad & 1/2 of [the] tribe of Manasseh answered & said, to the [leaders] of the 1,000’s of Israel, 

The Lord God of gods [is the only God] & He knows [what’s true] & He shall [let] Israel know: if it is [truly] rebellion or if [it’s a sin] against the Lord, ([then, don’t] save us this day.)

[If] we have built an altar [for ourselves] to turn [away] from following the Lord, or if [it’s] to offer burnt [offerings] or [meat/grain offerings,] or Peace Offerings [on it,] let the Lord Himself [hold us accountable for it.] 

[But if instead, we did this in] fear of [whether] your children might say to our children, What [right do] you have to [worship] the Lord God of Israel? 

For the Lord has made [the] Jordan [River] a border between us & you children of Reuben & Gad & you have no part in the Lord. [Then,] your children [will] make our children [stop] from fearing [respecting] the Lord. 

Therefore, we said, Let us prepare now to build us an altar, not for burnt [offerings or sacrifices,] but [so] it may be a witness between us & you & our [descendants] after us, [so] we might do the service of the Lord before Him

with our burnt offerings & with our sacrifices & our Peace Offerings, [so] your children [won’t] say to our children [in the future,] You have no part in the Lord.

Therefore, [if any of your descendants] shall say this to us in [the future,] we shall [answer, Look] at the pattern of the altar of the Lord, [that] our [forefathers] made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but [as] a witness between us and you.

God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord & turn from following the Lord, this day, to [build] an altar for burnt offerings, or [meat/grain] offerings, or for sacrifices, [in addition to] the altar of the Lord our God that is [in front of] His tabernacle. 

When Phinehas, the priest & the [leaders] of the congregation & heads of 1,000’s of Israel with him, heard what] the [people] of Reuben, Gad & Manasseh [said, they were] pleased.

Phinehas said to the [people] of Reuben, Gad & Manasseh, This day, we [understand] that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this [sin] against the Lord. 

Now, you have delivered the [people] of Israel out of the hand of the Lord. Phinehas, the priest, the [leaders, left] from the children [people] of Reuben, Gad [& Manasseh] & returned to the land of Canaan [to the Israelites to explain what happened.] 

[This] pleased the [people] of Israel & [people] of Israel blessed God & [didn’t plan] to go against them in battle, to destroy the land where the [tribes] of Reuben, Gad [& ½ of Manasseh lived.] The [people] of Reuben & Gad called the altar Ed, for it shall be a Witness between us that the Lord is God.