Joshua 21-22

“Let us get ready and build an altar ... it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary” (22:26). The tribes east of the Jordan had built a “replica” altar to signal that they were still part of Israel (the other tribes lived west of the Jordan). After clearing up a misunderstanding, all the tribes understood that the altar symbolized not separation, but their unity in the Lord (22:26-27).

More than place, culture, or language, God’s people are united in shared purpose: “to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him ... to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (22:5).