How often serious difficulties arise from a simple misunderstanding, even among those who are actuated by the worthiest motives; and without the exercise of courtesy and forbearance, what serious and even fatal results may follow. The ten tribes remembered how, in Achan's case, God had rebuked the lack of vigilance to discover the sins existing among them. Now they resolved to act promptly and earnestly; but in seeking to shun their first error, they had gone to the opposite extreme. Instead of making courteous inquiry to learn the facts in the case, they had met their brethren with censure and condemnation. Had the men of Gad and Reuben retorted in the same spirit, war would have been the result. While it is important on the one hand that laxness in dealing with sin be avoided, it is equally important on the other to shun harsh judgment and groundless suspicion.

En lille misforståelse kan ofte give anledning til alvorlige vanskeligheder, selv mellem mennesker med de bedste motiver. Hvis der ikke vises høflighed og forståelse i sådanne tilfælde, kan det få de alvorligste og mest skæbnesvangre følger. De ti stammer huskede, hvorledes Gud i Akans tilfælde havde straffet folket, fordi de ikke havde været på vagt og opdaget de synder, der gik i svang iblandt dem. De ville ikke begå den samme fejl en gang til, men denne gang gik de til den modsatte yderlighed. I stedet for at rette en høflig forespørgsel til deres brødre for at lære sagens rette sammenhæng at kende fordømte de dem. Hvis gaditterne og rubenitterne havde svaret i samme ånd, ville der være udbrudt krig. Selv om det er vigtigt ikke at se igennem fingre med synden, er det ikke mindre betydningsfuldt, at man undgår at dømme hårdt og at nære ubegrundet mistanke.