Joshua The End of One Road Joshua 24:1-33 WHEN JOSHUA was preparing to die he was also prepared the people for his loss. How? By pointing them to the Lord! I am about to go the way of all the earth, said Joshua. Before I go, I must hear your faithfulness. Our most ancient ancestor Terah, the father of Abraham served other gods beyond the Euphrates. But the Lord took Abraham and led him here and gave him Isaac; to Isaac he gave Jacob; and to Jacob, 1 And so Joshua began to tell them their own story. WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF OUR JOURNEY and Joshua has reached the end of his. But God, through him, reminds the people their journey isn t over; instead, it is the ongoing fulfillment of His promises. Yes, they will no longer have Joshua to lead them, but their true Leader is the Lord. No matter how many Joshuas we may lose along the way, our journey isn t over either. We have the opportunity to travel as long as the Lord allows us to. What we see in this chapter is the establishment of a covenant between the people of Israel and God. This is what the LORD... says. Only a divinely appointed mediator would dare to speak for God with direct discourse, as in vv. 2-13. Long ago. In accordance with the common ancient Near Eastern practice of making treaties (covenants), a brief recital of the past history of the relationship precedes the making of covenant commitments. Joshua here focuses on the separation of Abraham from his polytheistic family, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and the Lord s establishment of his people in Canaan. 2 I PRAISE THROUGH HISTORY 24: 1-13 II PRAISE THROUGH OBEDIENCE 24:14-18 III PRAISE THROUGH SERVICE 24:19-28 IV THE END OF THIS STORY 24:29-33 Verses 1-7: And so the reason for the history lesson is to remind the people of their true source of security : The Lord. And what should be the response to God s truth? Praise! Israel would always have two enemies, those of the land and themselves. As Scherman notes: 1 Wangerin, Jr., Walter, The Book of God, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996, p. 182. 2 NIV Study Bible Notes, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI, 1985, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc.
Joshua ends his life much as Moses did, by summoning the entire nation and telling lovingly and forcefully that God had been very generous to them and that they must reciprocate with unwavering loyalty to Him and the Torah. In Chapter 23, Joshua had charged the nation with their responsibility to conquer the rest of the land. Now he would exhort them to conquer themselves. 3 History lessons tend to begin at the beginning, well almost anyway. And for Israel, history begins with Terah and idolatry. Salvation doesn t start with mankind seeking for God, but with God reaching out to mankind. He rescued Abraham from the world of his father Terah. Here we are told for the first time that Terah worshiped idols. God rescued Abraham from the midst of Idolatry. God saves one person at a time. That is why we are called, not to change the world, but to change the lives of individuals, which then has the effect of changing the world. From an idolatrous people came Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and a nation rose in the midst of Egypt. And God lifted up Moses and Aaron. And the history is one of miracles. Joshua s recitation is similar to the Passover celebration. God brought down plagues on Egypt, on the Pharaoh and his army. When facing trials the Israelites learned a lesson: to cry out to God. I Will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2). Unfortunately, we, like they, have a tendency to remember the Lord only when we re in trouble. Although He will always respond in times of need, we lose the joy and comfort that comes with continual fellowship with the Lord. God s concern was for the protection of His people and the fulfillment of His promises. Israel fled before the armies of Pharaoh. Death was certain, but it came for the Egyptian army, not the Israelites. What is interesting to note here is Joshua said they had seen all this with their own eyes. Obviously this wasn t the case. What we here is the general principle that what God has done in history for our people, He has done for us. We are in the loins of our ancestors, therefore we receive all the blessings God has provided for those who have gone before us. This is true for those of us within the church as well. Unfortunately, most have forgotten they are living in the midst of a chain of history which started in Acts and will end at the rapture. We don t experience some of the blessings because we have no sense of continuity, of our own history beyond that which we find in scripture. The main loss is the peace and confidence that comes with all the examples of God working in the lives of the saints. Verses 8-13: Now Joshua moves on to talk about the victories God provided for Israel in the wilderness as well as the protection He provided. God gave Israel victory over the Amorites. He prevent Balaam, under the direction of Balak, from cursing the nation. 3 Scherman, Rabbi Nosson, The Prophets, Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn, NY, 2000, p. 109. ) 110 (
Israel moved on into the land. God went before the people, bringing them across the Jordan. God threw over Jericho, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Next Madvig notes: John Garstang (Joshua Judges [London: Constable and Co., 1931], pp. 258-60) explains the hornet as a reference to the Pharaoh of Egypt whose many campaigns into Canaan left the population seriously weakened when Israel invaded the land. In an alternative view, the hornet is the terror that the Lord sent to demoralize and immobilize the enemy (cf. 2:9-11, 24; 5:1). The two Amorite kings are examples of those who were driven out by the hornet. The mention of Sihon and Og at this point jars our sense of order. Hebrew narrative, however, often proceeded thematically and was not governed strictly by chronology. The statement you did not do it with your own sword and bow does not mean that they did not do any fighting (cf. v.11). Their efforts alone, however, would not account for the victory it was a gift from God. 4 Finally the question arises: What is meant by God sending out the Hornets? Hess position is consistent with the text and similar to Rabbinical views. The identity of the hornet has been disputed. Is it (1) Egypt, (2) insects in warfare, or (3) terror? Egypt is unlikely since it is nowhere mentioned and this identification does not exist in the Bible. Insects may have been used in warfare, but their presence in this text is unlikely, since only one hornet is mentioned and there is no account of their use in Joshua or anywhere else in the Bible. The alternate translation of this word as terror or the use of the picture of a hornet to symbolize such terror seems to satisfy the descriptions of the enemies in Exodus 15:14-16; Joshua 2:9-11, 24; 5:1; 6:27. 5 Verses 14-18: Here Israel s responsibility under the contract is stated. They are to serve God and reject the gods of their fathers, (ancestors). It was time to make a decision to walk in obedience to God. It isn t enough to say that you are following God. Each one of us has to decide: does my life reflect my claim to follow Christ, or am I chasing after other Gods? He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father s who sent Me (John 14:21, 24). Joshua takes a stand and states that he and his family would serve the Lord. Israel in turn commits to a national life of obedience. They are going to follow the teachings of Moses, serving God. Israel has committed to their responsibilities under the terms of the covenant. The people in turn acknowledge the history Joshua has recounted. They too commit to following after God, being obedient to His purposes and never following other gods. They accept the terms of the covenant. Verses 19-24: Joshua makes two statements here. First, the people will fail. Second, God will not forgive. But these seem both at odds with the previous sections and scripture as a 4 Madvig, Donald H., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Joshua, Zondervan I nteractive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. 5 Hess, Richard S., Joshua, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1996, p. 304. ) 111 (
whole. While the first statement could be perceived as prophetic and referring to the future failures of Israel, it would seem to be out of line with the overall intent of Joshua s message to the people. Second, we know that God does forgive. Why would Joshua suggest God would not be willing to forgive their sins, even the sin of idolatry? Clearly, from scripture as a whole, God has constantly forgiven the sins of the people. So, if neither of these statements is accurate, what was Joshua s point in making them? Madvig suggests: Joshua s response, You are not able, is unexpected. After encouraging the Israelites to make a commitment to the Lord, he told them they would be unable to keep it. There is irony in his statement. His purpose was not to discourage them but to lead them to count the cost and to mean what they said (cf. Luke 14:25-35). Now great multitudes were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Some interpreters, however, take these words literally the people cannot serve the Lord. They are not in the right state of mind. They are in need of NT grace. The fact is, however, they did serve God faithfully for many years (cf. v.31). Of course, they were only able to do this by the grace of God: OT grace. To be God s people they too must be holy set apart (cf. Be holy, because I am holy, Lev 11:44). Because the Lord is a jealous God, he will not tolerate any rival deities or condone apostasy (Exod 20:5; 34:14; Deut 5:9). 6 The people denied they would turn from God. They reassured Joshua they would stand firm in their faith and walk. Joshua warns them that, by taking this stand, they would be taking on the danger of God s judgment if they did not live up to their commitment. 6 Madvig ) 112 (
Is Joshua suggesting they currently had idols in the camp or was this, as with the previous verses, simply another statement of future warning? It is unclear. Hess thinks they did have idols, but God has been blessing their obedience so this would seem to be inconsistent with that type of behavior. In either case, the people give verbal assent to their willingness to stand firm before the Lord and to obey Him. Verses 25-28: Joshua now memorializes the commitment to obedience by placing a copy of the book of the law of God and a stone which becomes the symbol of the peoples promise, the hope of blessing and the warning of judgment. Madvig notes: The Book of the Law of God was a collection of the laws or regulations that Joshua delivered to the people and as such was distinct from the Book of the Law of Moses (1:8 et al.). Many years prior in the same place, Joshua had written the word of the law of Moses on the stones of an altar (8:32). The reference to the holy place suggests that they had erected the Tent of Meeting here temporarily for this very occasion (cf. comment on v.1). 7 Verses 29-33: The following verses were obviously written by someone other than Joshua and serve as the epilogue to the book. First we are told Joshua lived to 110 and is buried on his own land. The words are a testimony to the faithful walk and testimony of Joshua. The people served God faithfully during the days of Joshua and beyond. As long as there were elders left who had served with Joshua and had been present to see the work of the Lord, the people continued to serve faithfully. But implicit in this is the fact this faithfulness would come to and end, which can be seen at the beginning of the book of Judges. Continuity is the watchword here. The bones of Joseph have been kept by the people and finally returned to the land. Returning his bones to Shechem was significant not only because of the ancient plot of land Jacob bought from Hamor (Ge 33:19), but also because Shechem was to be the center of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph. Also, the return fulfilled an oath sworn to Joseph on his deathbed (Ge 50:25; Ex 13:19). 8 And Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you, and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here. (Genesis 50:24-25). By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones (Hebrews 11:22). Finally, we read of the death and burial of Eleazar, and so the world moves on. May our world also move on, in the path of the Lord. And the most important thing to remember as we walk in faith is we are not called to do it our of our own strength. 7 Ibid. 8 NIV Study Bible Notes ) 113 (
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-18) A FINAL MEDIATION I want a principle within of watchful, godly fear, A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near. Help me the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire. To catch the wand ring of my will, And quench the kindling fire. From Thee that I no more may stray, no more Thy goodness grieve, grant me the filial awe, I pray, the tender conscience give. Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make! Awake my soul when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake. Almighty God of truth and love, to me Thy pow r impart, The burden from my soul remove, the hardness from my heart. O may the least omission pain my reawakened soul, and drive me to that grace again, which makes the wounded whole. ~ Charles Wesley 9 9 Getz, Gene A, Joshua, Living as a consistent Role Model, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1995, p. 187-188. ) 114 (
Joshua The End of One Road Joshua 24:1-33 I PRAISE THROUGH HISTORY 24: 1-13 II PRAISE THROUGH OBEDIENCE 24:14-18 III PRAISE THROUGH SERVICE 24:19-28 IV THE END OF THIS STORY 24:29-33 A. History 101: (Psalm 121:1-2) B. History 102: (Exodus 15:14-16; Joshua 2:9-11, 24; 5:1; 6:27) C. Ethics 101: (John 14:21, 24)
D. Ethics 102: (Luke 14:25-35; Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 5:9) E. Final Examine: F. Epilogue: (Genesis 50:24-25; Hebrews 11:22; Ephesians 6:10-18) Personal Application: What is the one lesson that stands out for you in this study of Joshua? How can You apply it to your daily walk? How can you advance the kingdom? Prayer for the Week: Lord, help me to apply the truths You have presented to me through Your Word. Lord, may I walk in the light of Your truth. In Jesus name, amen.
BIBLIOGRAPHY for the study of the book of Joshua Bibles Ryrie, Charles Caldwell, The Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1976 Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament, Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD, 1991 Commentaries Butler, Trent C., World Book Commentary, Vol. 7,Joshua World Books, Publisher, Waco, TX, 1983 Calvin, John, Joshua, Vol. XXI., Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1979 Campbell, Donald, K., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Volume 1, Joshua, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL., 1986 Clarke, Adam, Clarke s Commentary, The Old Testament, Vol. 2, Joshua - Esther, Darby, John Nelson, Darby s Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Old Testament, Drucker, Rabbi Reuven, The Book of Joshua, Mesorah Publications, Ltd. Brooklyn, NY, 1998 Edersheim, Alfred, Bible History, Old Testament, Vol. 3, Israel in Canaan under Joshua and the Judges, Getz, Gene A, Joshua, Living as a consistent Role Model, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1995
Gray, DD, James M., The Concise Bible Commentary, Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. 2, Joshua 2 Kings, Genesis to Deuteronomy, Hess, Richard S., Joshua, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1996 Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Old Testament, Vol. 1, Genesis Psalms, Keil, C.F. & F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 2, Numbers Ruth, Madvig, Donald H., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Joshua, Zondervan I nteractive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 2, Joshua - Psalms, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1981 Scherman, Rabbi Nosson, The Prophets, Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn, NY, 2000 Wesley, John, Notes on the Whole Bible, The Old Testament, Books for the Ages,. Wiersbe, Warren W., Be Strong, Chariot Victor Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO, 1993 General References American Heritage Electronic Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. Douglas, J. D. and Merrill C. Tenney, editors, NIV Bible Dictionary, Zondervan I nteractive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1989, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc.
Easton M.A., D.D., M.G., Easton s Bible Dictionary, From Illustrated Bible Dictionary Third Edition published by Thomas Nelson, 1897,. Goodrick, Edward W., John R. Kohlenberger III, and James A. Swanson, Hebrew/Aramaic to English Dictionary and Index to the NIV Old Testament, Zondervan I nteractive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1999 International Standard Biblical Encyclopedia,. Larson, Gary N., reviser, The New Unger s Bible Handbook, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1966 Multimedia Encyclopedia, Grolier Inc., The Software Toolworks, Novato, CA, 1992 NIV Place Names, Descriptions excerpted from the NIV Compact Dictionary, Edited by J.D. Douglas & Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI, 1985, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. NIV Study Bible Notes, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI, 1985, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. Journals Bibliotheca Sacra, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX, 1955-1997 Grace Theological Journal, Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, ID, 1960-1991 Westminster Theological Journal, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1980-1997 Study Tools Ellisen, Stanley A., Knowing God s Word, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York, NY, 1984 Hodgkin, A. M., Christ in All the Scriptures, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1976
Jensen, Irving L., Jensen s Survey of the Old Testament, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1971 Willmington, Dr. H. L., Willmington s Guide to the Bible, Tyndale House, Wheaton, IL, 1981 Other Reading Authors, Various, Selected Sermon Illustrations, Borland, James A., Christ in the Old Testament, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1978 Hengstenberg, C.W., Christology of the Old Testament, MacDonald Publishing Company, McLean, VI Hodgkin, A.M., Christ in All the Scriptures, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1976 Kragen, KD, The Scarlet Thread, KaveDragen, Inc., kdk@kdrkagen.com, Bainbridge Island, WA, 1999 McClure, editor, J. B., Pearls from Many Seas,. Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, The Charles H. Spurgeon Library, AGES Software, Albany, OR, 1999 Walvoord, John F., The Holy Spirit, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1972 Wangerin, Jr., Walter, The Book of God, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996