Joshua’s Farewell to Israel

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

Joshua 24 is a formal, public, ceremonial renewal of the covenant at Shechem.

Joshua reminds Israel of the proven faithfulness of the Lord. He then challenges Israel to choose their response to this faithful God. Joshua doubted that Israel would remain faithful to the Lord after he died - and he was right. Soon Israel began to disobey the Lord and embrace the behavior and beliefs of the world - which begins with the next book - the Book of the Judges.

(1) Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to *Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and **presented themselves to God.

*Shechem:

Genesis 12:6-7: Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 33:19-20: Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver. And there he built an altar and named it *El-Elohe-Israel.
- *El-Elohe-Israel: God, the God of Israel
The last time Israel was gathered together in that area Joshua had called the nation together into a large valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim - he’d called the people together into this huge natural amphitheater - for the people to hear the blessings and the cursings from the law in chapter 8.
What had begun at Shechem perhaps 600-700 years earlier at a simple stone altar next to a Terebinth tree at a site that held no city and likely not even a village yet, came full circle. His promise of land had been kept by the Lord. With Joshua as the leader, Israel was now firmly entrenched in the Promised Land, territories allotted to the 12 tribes, the enemy subdued, a semi-permanent location for the Sanctuary had been established and God’s people were at rest. In fact, this was a time like no other in Israel’s history. Their obedience and dedication to the Lord was at its peak, and thus were their blessings. Sadly this state of affairs would be very short lived.

**presented themselves to God: It is generally assumed that the ark of the covenant had been transferred on this occasion to Shechem, but it may simply denote that the people were "signing" a covenant between themselves and God with Joshua as the intermediary (as Jesus is to us).

(2) Joshua said to the people, “This is what *the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including **Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods.

In the first part of this chapter, Joshua rehearses part of their history, as did Stephen in the Book of Acts.
*the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “thus says YHWH the Elohim of Israel…”
**Terah: Genesis 11:27: This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot.

(3) But *I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac.

*I: Notice how many I's are in verses 3-13 showing that it is God speaking either directly or through Joshua!
Genesis 11:31: One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there.
Genesis 12:1: The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

(4) To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the *mountains of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

*mountains of Seir:
- Mount Seir is a mountain range in Edom extending from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Akaba, the more eastern of the two arms of the Red Sea.
- Petra in Jordan is located next to the mountain (or mountain range) of Mount Seir, and other nations and people often referred to Petra as Mount Seir.
- Genesis 36:6-8: Esau took his wives, his children, and his entire household, along with his livestock and cattle - all the wealth he had acquired in the land of Canaan - and moved away from his brother, Jacob. There was not enough land to support them both because of all the livestock and possessions they had acquired. So Esau (also known as Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir.
- Deuteronomy 2:1-5: “Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red Sea, just as the Lord had instructed me, and we wandered around in the region of Mount Seir for a long time. “Then at last the Lord said to me, ‘You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north. Give these orders to the people: “You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful. Do not bother them, for I have given them all the hill country around Mount Seir as their property, and I will not give you even one square foot of their land.
- Deuteronomy 2:12, 22: In earlier times the Horites had lived in Seir, but they were driven out and displaced by the descendants of Esau, just as Israel drove out the people of Canaan when the Lord gave Israel their land.) ... He had done the same for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, for he destroyed the Horites so they could settle there in their place. The descendants of Esau live there to this day.
- Ezekiel 35:5-9: “Your eternal hatred for the people of Israel led you to butcher them when they were helpless, when I had already punished them for all their sins. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, since you show no distaste for blood, I will give you a bloodbath of your own. Your turn has come! I will make Mount Seir utterly desolate, killing off all who try to escape and any who return. I will fill your mountains with the dead. Your hills, your valleys, and your ravines will be filled with people slaughtered by the sword. I will make you desolate forever. Your cities will never be rebuilt. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

(5) “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought terrible plagues on Egypt; and afterward I brought you out as a free people.

(6) But when your ancestors arrived at the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after you with chariots and charioteers.

(7) When your ancestors cried out to the Lord, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians. I brought the sea crashing down on the Egyptians, drowning them. With your very own eyes you saw what I did. Then you lived in the wilderness for many years.

(8) “Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you. I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land.

(9) Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you,

(10) but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak.

(11) “When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them.

(12) And I sent *terror **ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was ***not your swords or bows that brought you victory.

*terror (hornet in some versions):

Hebrew: tsir'ah, meaning “stinging”. The word is used in these passages as referring to some means by which the Canaanites were to be driven out from before the Israelites. Some have supposed that the word is used in a metaphorical sense as the symbol of some panic which would seize the people as a “terror of God” (Genesis 35:5), the consternation with which God would inspire the Canaanites. In Palestine there are four species of hornets, differing from our hornets, being larger in size, and they are very abundant. They attack human beings in a ferocious manner. The ferocious attack of a swarm of hornets drives cattle and horses to madness, and has even caused the death of the animals.
Joshua 2:11: No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
Joshua 5:1: When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them.
Joshua 9:24: They replied, “We did it because we - your servants - were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this.

**ahead of you:
- Exodus 23:20: “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.
- Exodus 23:27: “I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run
- Exodus 23:28: I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites.
- Psalm 44:3: They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them.
***not your swords: If you've ever had your car "die" on you and you suddenly had to steer it to the side of the road, you realize that most of the steering had been coming from a " power" outside of yourself!

(13) I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build - the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.

Notice what is missing from God’s review of Israel’s history: Their failures are strangely forgotten - no mention of the failure of the spies at Kadesh-Barnea. Here, He seems to have “forgotte ” Israel’s past sin.

(14) “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. *Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. **Serve the Lord alone.

*Put away forever the idols:

While in Egypt, they had been worshipping the Egyptian gods and idols.
He's well aware that they have idols in their tents and try to worship both YWHW and the gods of the land - straddling the fence between YWHW and the gods of Canaan. Of course, they'll say they will worship YWHW alone, but they won't. The next book (Judges) gives us the result.
Genesis 35:2: So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing.
1 Samuel 7:3-4: Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the Lord; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord.
Amos 5:25-26: “Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel? No, you served your pagan gods - Sakkuth your king god and Kaiwan your star god - the images you made for yourselves.
Acts 7:42-43: Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written, ‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel? No, you carried your pagan gods - the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them. So I will send you into exile as far away as Babylon.’
Ezekiel 20:6-8: I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them - a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’ “But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of the vile images they were obsessed with, or forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt.

**Serve the Lord alone:
- Matthew 6:21, 24: Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. ... “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
- Romans 12:2: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

(15) But IF you refuse to serve the Lord, then CHOOSE TODAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? BUT *AS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”

He is saying: "You think you can go on in a sort of neutral position between following the devil and following the Lord and simply follow both. You can't do it." This is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters." You must serve either God or Satan. You cannot serve both. There is no intermediate ground.
Joshua makes it clear that if the Israelites don't serve the Lord then they will serve another God. How can he say this? Because it is human nature to serve a god. It's just a question of which one. Atheists and humanists are no exception to this rule. They may not serve a supernatural god but they do serve a god. Perhaps their work is their god or their possessions or their pleasures or their power. Whatever drives them is their god. That's human nature and we cannot change that. This is why Joshua challenges the Israelites to choose their god. But whatever their choice, he makes it clear that he and his house will serve the Lord. On what basis does he make this decision? Well, the historical prologue provides the basis.
*AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE: Joshua’s parting word to the people is a word about the responsibility of fathers in the family:
1. He is looked up to for strength.
2. He is looked to as the provider.
3. He sets the standard for good or evil.
4. He sets the pattern of what a man is (or is not).
5. Usually the rest of the family will follow his lead.
6. What a disaster when the father influences his children for evil. When he fails to set a Godly example for the rest of the family.
- However, as parents, we are responsible to make the best choice for ourselves and then teach it to our children. We cannot, of course, ultimately decide for them. When they are on their own, they will exercise their power to choose for themselves. But we can forbid all evil in our own homes, whether the evil of idolatrous worship or any other evil acts. And we can insist that those subject to us learn about the true God and be urged in every possible way to serve Him. This was the choice Joshua made for his family.
Millennia have passed since Joshua stood before Israel and commanded them to make their choice. Times have changed, but some things never change. They are still fighting in that land, but the weapons are different. Man must still make his choice as to which God he will serve.
1. A man's false god may have been a chariot, whereas today it is his Harley.
2. Whereas his false god may have been a little multi-breasted idol, today it is a X-rated video.
3. The issue remains the same. Will these be first in my life, or will my love and service for God exceed my love and service to these things?
1 Kings 18:21: Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.
Acts 16:31: They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

(16) The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods.

Words are meaningless unless backed up by actions. James 2:14,26: What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ... Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

(17) For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us.

(18) It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”

(19) Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.

Joshua tells them they can't do it. The greatest peril of all in the Christian faith is false confidence. You say, "Well, certainly I can do what God wants. I've got what it takes. After all, I know the Scriptures. I have been raised in the right church. I can certainly walk faithfully and honestly before God. Don't talk to me about apostasy, defeat, back-sliding. I can serve the Lord." Joshua says, "You cannot serve God."
Jon Courson said this: “Joshua knew the people had idols in their tents and in their homes. He knew they were talking the talk but not prepared to walk the walk. He knew they would say, “Hip, hip, hooray for the Lord” in the midst of the congregation. But in reality, their idols would be at home waiting for them.”
This greatest lesson of the spiritual life is that you have no strength in yourself to stand, no matter how long you have walked before God. You can never have a moment of strength to stand by yourself. Your strength comes out of weakness and your sense of dependence. Your sense of your constant need of God's strength is the only thing that will keep you.

(20) IF you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”

(21) But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!”

(22) “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.”

Joshua is reminding them that they are taking a formal, legal vow placing themselves in a binding covenant relationship with God.
This was a binding covenant before God.

(23) “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

He knew that idolatry was already present. How could they say they would serve the Lord when they were already entertaining idols?

(24) The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.”

Easy words to say, but they fail to do it! That is why the next book, the book of Judges, is the book of defeat.

(25) So Joshua made a *covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the Lord.

*covenant: He is summoning Israel to a solemn and binding ritual of rededication and a re-consecration to the Lord and His Word. Characteristically, this was often done in the Old Testament by the forging of a covenant. And the word covenant occurs somewhere between 200 and 250 times and is a word used to describe the relationship of God to His people.

(26) Joshua recorded these things in the Book of God’s Instructions. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge *stone and rolled it beneath the **terebinth tree beside the ***Tabernacle of the Lord.

*stone: The purpose of this stone is the key. This was a third covenant renewal service! This is the ninth and last memorial mentioned in the Book of Joshua.

The stones in the midst of the Jordan (4:9).
The stones on the western bank of the Jordan (4:20-24).
The stones in the Valley of Achor (7:26).
The heap of stones at Ai (8:29).
The altar on Mt. Ebal (8:30).
The stones of the law on Mt. Ebal (8:32).
The stones at the cave at Makkedah (10:27).
The altar built by the tribes east of the Jordan (22:10ff).
Joshua's stone of witness (24:26-28).

**terebinth tree: Probably the same tree under which Jacob buried the idols found in his family.
- Genesis 35:4: So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem.
***Tabernacle: Either the spot where the ark had stood, or else the place around, so called from that religious meeting, as Jacob named Beth-el the house of God.

(27) Joshua said to all the people, “This stone has heard everything the Lord said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you IF you go back on your word to God.”

These were the last recorded words of Joshua to Israel, and the setting up of the stone of witness his last recorded act.

(28) Then Joshua sent all the people away to their own homelands.

(29) After this, Joshua son of Nun, the *servant of the Lord, died at the age of **110.

*servant of the Lord:
- No greater tribute could be paid to Joshua than the fact that he was called simply the servant of the Lord. He aspired to no greater rank than this.
- Joshua 1:1: After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: (NKJV)
- Luke 22:25-27: Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.
**110: This is also the age of Joseph when he died: Genesis 50:26: So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Phinehas or Samuel must have completed this book.

Buried in the Promised Land

(30) They buried him in the land he had been allocated, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

Joshua was buried "in the land he had been allocated," giving us a contrast with the burial of the patriarchs who had to be buried in places bought from strangers. Joshua was not buried in a strange land, but on his own property!
Deuteronomy and Joshua conclude in similar ways, one with the final speech and burial of Moses and the other with the final speech of and burial of Joshua.

(31) The people of Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him - those who had personally experienced all that the Lord had done for Israel.

His spiritual energy had effect on the elders who outlived him, so that Israel continued to serve the Lord during their lives. They had first hand knowledge of the great works of the Lord on behalf of Israel, but failed to so impress their children as to preserve them from departure.
As we will see in the book of Judges, faithfulness to God extended only to the next generation.
It is amazing to read Kings and Chronicles and see how often a godly king was succeeded by an evil, idol worshipping son!

(32) The *bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the parcel of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph.

*bones of Joseph:
- Genesis 50:24-26: “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back you must take my bones with you.” So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
- Exodus 13:19: Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.”
- Hebrews 11:22: It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.
- So, why do you think it was so important to Joseph to have his bones buried in the Promised Land?

(33) *Eleazar son of Aaron also died. He was buried in the hill country of Ephraim, in the town of Gibeah, which had been given to his son **Phinehas.

*Eleazar:

So the old generation is passing away and the new generation is coming in. And as we move into Judges, we'll begin to see how soon they moved away from God, how soon they went into apostasy.
The sepulcher is at the modern village Awertah, which, according to Jewish travelers, contains the graves also of Ithamar, the brother of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar.
Eleazar had been a faithful priest in the establishing of Israel in the land, but he too passes off the scene, so that the Book of Judges introduces an era much different than that of Joshua. In the main, Joshua has been a book of victory, though not without setbacks. Judges deals mainly with Israel's failure, not without grace shining through.
Numbers 20:28: At the summit, Moses removed the priestly garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar, Aaron’s son. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar went back down.
The family of Eleazar held the high priesthood until about (1162 BC, when Eli, of the line of Ithamar, became judge and high priest. Solomon restored the high priesthood to the line of Eleazar during his reign, with the investiture of Zadok as high priest.
Eleazar is a name meaning "God helps." He was the third son to be born among the four brothers [Numbers 3:2]. We know that Nadab and Abihu "had no children" [Numbers 3:4], so it was through Eleazar and Ithamar that "the line of priestly descent from Aaron is traced" [Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, p. 389]. Eleazar, as the older of the two surviving sons, was given the seniority in matters of priestly responsibility over his younger brother, and succeeded to the high priestly office after his father's death [Numbers 20:23-29; Deuteronomy 10:6]. Prior to that, however, he was "the chief of the leaders of Levi, and had the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary" [Numbers 3:32]. He was further responsible for "all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings" [Numbers 4:16]. It was in the presence of Eleazar that Joshua was commissioned by Moses as the new leader of the people of Israel -- "And Moses did just as the Lord commanded him: he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him" [Numbers 27:22-23]. After entering the promised land, "Eleazar and Joshua, according to Joshua 14:1 [see also: Numbers 34:17], were the key figures in the distribution of Canaanite territories among the Israelite tribes" [Holman Bible Dictionary, page 407].

**Phinehas:

Exodus 6:25: Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to his son, Phinehas.
Numbers 25:6-8,11: Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, ... “Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.
Psalm 106:28-31: Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor; they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead! They angered the Lord with all these things, so a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas had the courage to intervene, and the plague was stopped. So he has been regarded as a righteous man ever since that time.

"After Joshua, the history of Israel goes downhill [until David]. Joshua 24 thus marks the high point of Israel's history, the full realization of her identity as people of God." - Butler, Trent C. Joshua. Word Biblical Commentaries series. Waco: Word Books, 1983.

APPLICATION and LESSONS to LEARN:

Talk to God about trusting Him with your dreams and about having the kind of faith that Joseph, Moses and Joshua had, believing that God will bring about the dreams that He gives, even if they are delayed beyond your lifetime.
This greatest lesson of the spiritual life is that you have no strength in yourself to stand, no matter how long you have walked before God. You can never have a moment of strength to stand by yourself. Your strength comes out of weakness and your sense of dependence. Your sense of your constant need of God's strength is the only thing that will keep you.
It was relatively easy for the Israelites to worship the other gods – they didn’t demand much. It was easy to carry a wooden carving, throw a bit of grain at the feet of an altar, bow to the sun. But God demands all. It is relatively easy for us to carry our own dreams and desires and live for them, throw a bit of money at a charitable cause, raise our hands and shout praise to a sports hero. But God demands all.
Joshua doesn’t leave room for casual faith, for serving God when it is convenient or when things are going well or when life is easy. He doesn’t leave room for doing faith on our terms. He calls us to serve “with all faithfulness.” What if there is no reward? No appreciation? Nothing but opposition? Joshua says “serve the Lord with all faithfulness.”
Why didn't the next generation know the Lord and what He had done for Israel? Because the people of Joshua's generation failed to keep their promise and teach their children and grandchildren to fear and serve the Lord.
May God grant that over our grave someone might erect a simple stone, with a name, and the words "Servant of the Lord." May God grant on that Day that we will hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord."
Why did Joshua's generation fail to pass their values on to the next generation? Why did the next generation lack obedience? The truth is we don't know, but that lesson has been repeated through all of history. So how do biblical values correctly get passed on to the next generation? The Bible tells us to raise our children in the way they should go (i.e., teach them to follow God) and when they are older, they will not depart from that teaching. (This is a paraphrase of Proverbs 22:6).
God will never do EVERYTHING for us, for that negates any responsibility on our part.
Joshua did not contemplate any possibility of neutrality as he posed the choice to be made. The Israelites would either choose to go with Israel’s God or they would choose to embrace the pagan gods of the people of Canaan. So it is today. There is no middle course. “No one can serve two masters”.
Verse 31 tells us that the lifestyle Joshua demonstrated, the leadership he exercised, and the message his life told, which was summarized in chapters 23 and 24, had a lasting impact on his generation and the generation that followed. I want God to use what I say and how I live in a way that will have an effect long after I'm gone. Joshua's epitaph was not written on a marble gravestone. It was engraved on the hearts and lives of people who had trusted him and submitted themselves to his leadership.
In the 21st century, Western world we tend to compartmentalize religion in our lives. We tend to see our religion (faith) as but one aspect of our lives, and as not terribly unlike exercise, or our favorite social activity, or (in most cases) our jobs. We have a place and a purpose and a time in our lives for each of these activities and we consciously attempt to keep them separate from one another; our jobs should not affect our family relationships; our hobbies should not affect our social activities, and our religion should have only to do with strictly religious activities under limited circumstances. Therefore the god of our jobs is our boss and our paycheck, the god of our social activity is pleasure and leisure, the god of our exercise is our physical body, and these do not necessarily have a tie to the god of our religion.

NOTES:

Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.
Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://joshua-biblestudy.blogspot.com/2011/07/joshua-references-and-sources.html

Joshua

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Joshua 24

Joshua’s Farewell to Israel

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

Buried in the Promised Land

APPLICATION and LESSONS to LEARN:

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