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More Joshua commentaries
Joshua 21:1-45
Cities of the Levites
Joshua 22:1-9
Eastern tribes return home
Joshua 22:10-20
An Altar by the Jordan River
Joshua 22:21-34
A witness to all generations
Joshua 23:1-8
Joshua’s retirement speech
Joshua 23:9-16
Joshua’s farewell address
Joshua 24:1-15
A choice must be made
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A choice must be made
Joshua 24:1–15
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
A man who owned a large manufacturing company visited a great city church during a business trip. After the service he congratulated the minister on his service and sermon. “But,” said, “if you were my salesman, I’d discharge you.” Of course that raised a few … More
This last meeting of Joshua took place at Shechem which is a few miles northwest of Shiloh (v. 1). This was where God first promised Canaan to Abraham (Gen. 12:6-7), where Jacob built an altar and buried the idols his family had brought with them (Gen. 35:4) and where the Israelites went after they had completed the first phase of their conquest of Canaan. Joshua summoned this second great assembly to confirm Israel’s covenant relationship with God. The Mosaic Covenant established at Mount Sinai was not an everlasting covenant and therefore had to be renewed in every generation. In this meeting Joshua recounts the thrilling story of Israel’s crossing the river Jordan, her triumphant entrance into Canaan, her victories over stubborn foes and her occupation of the land.
The purpose of this review is to drive home the fact of Israel’s total dependence upon the Lord. He refers to the Lord 21 times in this speech and the word serve 15 times. God gave them their land and would bless them in their land if they loved Him and served Him. Dependence is what every believer is forced to acknowledge. What we are and have by God’s grace we owe to Him. Joshua boldly challenged the people to choose between the gods of Ur which their ancestors worshiped, the gods of Egypt, the gods of the Amorites or the true God Jehovah. Then he assured them that whatever their choice, his mind was made up and his course was clear: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (v. 15).
Application
I coveted many years ago with my family that we were going to serve the Lord regardless of what others do. I just need to keep this covenant current.
Joshua 24:1-15 (English Standard Version)
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out. "'Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.' "Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
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