Joshua 24

Introduction
The chapter begins with the gathering of the tribes by Joshua. There Joshua
addresses the people again, retell to them the many great and good things
God has done for them, from the time of their ancestor Abraham to that day,
and then exhorts them to fear and serve God, and reject idols. Then he lays
before them the choice as to whether they will serve the true God, or the gods
of the Canaanites. When they choose God, he advises them to abide by their
choice, and made a covenant with them to that purpose. Then he sends them
away and the chapter concludes with an account of the death and burial of
Joshua and Eleazar, and of the interment of the bones of Joseph.
vv. 1-3:
1 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the
elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and
they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people,
Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Your fathers, including Terah, the father
of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old
times; and they served other gods.
[Joshua gathered the tribes to Shechem, called the elders, heads, judges, and
officers, and presented themselves before God. Joshua said, Thus says the
LORD: Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, dwelt
on the other side of the River and served other gods."']
Abraham came from the land of Ur of the Chaldees, from a home of
idolatry. Terah, his father, served other gods. When Grace found
Abraham, it is possible that he was also an idolater like his father. In
fact, although they have the knowledge of the true God, they did not
serve Him and all are guilty of the sin of idolatry.
Even today, idols are plentiful, although in a different form than during
the time of Joshua. Could you give some of them? (Ans. Many worship
themselves, their Churches, their Denominations, their career, their
business, etc.)
What do you think is the reason why God chose Abraham? (Ans. God
called Abraham for the same reason God has called us.)
vv.3-13:
3 Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him
throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave
him Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of
Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 Also I sent
Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them.
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Afterward I brought you out. 6 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. 7 So they cried out to the LORD; and He put
darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and
covered them. And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the
wilderness a long time. 8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who
dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you. But I gave
them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them
from before you. 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make
war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.
10 But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I
delivered you out of his hand. 11 Then you went over the Jordan and came to
Jericho. And the men of Jericho fought against youalso the Amorites, the
Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the
Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. 12 I sent the hornet before you
which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but
not with your sword or with your bow. 13 I have given you a land for which
you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them;
you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.
[I took your father Abraham, led him to the land of Canaan, and multiplied him
through Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave Seir, but Jacob
went down to Egypt. I sent Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers out of
Egypt. The Egyptians pursued them to the Red Sea, but the Lord put darkness
between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them. Then you
dwelt in the wilderness a long time; and I brought you into the land of the
Amorites and gave to you their land and I destroyed them. Then Balak the son
of Zippor, king of Moab, called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, but I
delivered you out of his hand. Then you went over the Jordan and came to
Jericho and the men of Canaan fought against you, but I delivered them into
your hand and drove them out. I have given you a land you did not labor, cities
you did not build, and you eat of the vineyards you did not plant.]
Through His servant, Joshua, God reminds the nation of Israel of their
history; now what do you notice from God's review of their past? (Ans. 1.
Gods active involvement in the lives of His people. Notice the words He
says: I took. I gave. I sent. I brought. I destroyed. I delivered. God
reminds them of His care for them throughout their history 2. Their
failures are strangely forgotten. Later, God said their sin I will remember
no more (Jer. 31:34). Here, He seems to have forgotten Israels past
sin.)
Why did they dwell in the wilderness for a long time? (Ans. In order for
them to learn faith and trust in Him. That time frame would have been
approximately 2 years only; however, they spent approximately 40 years
in the wilderness because of unbelief. It was truly a long season.)

vv.14 -15:
14 Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put
away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in
Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD,
choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which
your fathers served that were on the other side of 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.
["Fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods of
your fathers. Choose for yourselves this day, whether the gods of your fathers
or the gods of the Amorites. But as for me and my house, we will serve the
LORD.]
Fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth. Was it blind faith that
Joshua trying to push them to do? (Ans. No, because they saw Gods
works and experienced His blessings, so it made sense for them to
exclusively serve God who had done so much for them.)
In what situation do you think our sincerity can be best tested? (Ans. The
best test of sincerity is not always during the time when your enemy is
attacking you, for you know very well what's going on, you're ready to
put up a fight, and the path of duty is very clear. It is not also at the
hour of victory over our enemies, because the feeling is still there. The
real test of our faithfulness to God, in most cases, is our will to continue
faithful when all the conflict is removed. Because comfort and easy living
after we have received blessing can be a subtle enemy of serving God in
sincerity and in truth.)
But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. What can you say
about this declaration of Joshua? (Ans. 1. Joshua made the intelligent
choice. 2. Joshua understood that he was charged with the responsibility
to see that his whole house served the LORD. He had the job of
representing his whole house before God. 3. Joshua was determined on
this course no matter what anyone else thought; because his relationship
with God was not based on anyone, but on the LORD, and he would
serve God no matter what other people say. 4. Joshuas declaration also
tells us that he would serve the LORD alone. He would not serve the
LORD and someone or something else for there was only one God in his
life, and that God was the LORD.)
vv.16-18:
16 So the people answered and said: Far be it from us that we should forsake
the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for the LORD our God is He who brought us
and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who
did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went
and among all the people through whom we passed. 18 And the LORD drove
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out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the
land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God.
[The people said: Far be it from us that we forsake the LORD to serve other
gods; for the LORD brought us out of Egypt, who did great signs in our sight,
and preserved us. And the LORD drove out all the people who dwelt in the
land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God.]
We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God. What can you say about
this declaration of the Israelite people? (Ans. It was a cheap and an idle
talk. Why? Because as we shall see, Joshua knew that the people had
idols in their tents and in their homes. He knew they were just talking
the talk but not prepared to walk the walk. And in reality, Israelites had
begun worshipping idols like Ashteroth that speaks of sensuality, Baal
that speaks of the intellect, and Mammon that speaks of money. They
had collected these idols that are symbols of hedonism, intellectualism,
and materialism. It is easy to say we will follow God, but it is far more
important to live doing it.)
vv.19-21:
19 But Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy
God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do
you harm and consume you, after He has done you good. 21 And the people
said to Joshua, No, but we will serve the LORD!
[Joshua said, You cannot serve the LORD, for He is holy and a jealous God; He
will not forgive your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, after
what He has done for you, He will harm you and consume you,. And the
people said, No, but we will serve the LORD!]
Joshua said, "You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. Is Joshua
trying to discourage the people's faith this time? (Ans. No. Because: 1.
Joshua is trying to tell them that they cannot serve the Lord while
serving foreign gods. They should serve the Lord alone, for He is a
jealous God. 2. Joshua is not trying to discourage their faith, but he is
trying to discourage a light commitment to following the LORD. They
need to be reminded that they are serving God under a covenant that
would curse them for disobedience.)
In Lk. 14:25-33, Jesus expressed the same kind of warning that
following Him takes total commitment. It is not that Jesus doesnt want
followers, but He does not want lightly made and easily broken
commitments.

vv.22-28:
22 So Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that
you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him. And they said, We
are witnesses! 23 Now therefore, he said, put away the foreign gods which
are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel. 24 And the
people said to Joshua, The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will
obey! 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for
them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 Then Joshua wrote these
words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up
there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua
said to all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has
heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a
witness to you, lest you deny your God. 28 So Joshua let the people depart,
each to his own inheritance.
[Joshua said, You are witnesses that you have chosen the LORD to serve
Him. And they said, We are witnesses! Now therefore, he said, put away
your foreign gods and incline your heart to the LORD. And they said to Joshua,
We will serve the LORD and obey His voice. So Joshua made a covenant with
them and statute and ordinance for them and wrote the words in the Book of
the Law. And he took a large stone, and set it up by the sanctuary and Joshua
said to the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard
all the words of the LORD, lest you deny your God. So Joshua let the people
depart, each to his own inheritance.]
Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us. Why was it necessary for the
stone to become a witness for them? (Ans. So that the covenant would
be binding before God; because, in Deut. 19:15, there must be at least
two witnesses for it to become binding. So Joshua required that the
covenant be confirmed by the testimony of two witnesses, the people
and the stone.)
The Israelites had already made a covenant with God during the time of
Moses; why there is a need to renew their covenant here? (Ans.
Because, as was mentioned in v.23, the people are guilty of the sin of
idolatry. Even today there are many forms of idolatry and we are all
guilty of it; therefore we should not forget our own need to re-establish
our own covenant with the LORD. Rededication to God can be a
wonderful and a powerful thing. Not new year's resolution but
rededication to our God.)
vv.29-31:
29 Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the
servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old. 30 And they
buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in
the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. 31 Israel served
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the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived
Joshua, who had known all the works of the LORD which He had done for
Israel.
[Now Joshua died, being one hundred and ten years old and they buried him at
Timnath Serah, in the mountains of Ephraim. Israel served the LORD all the
days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who had known all the works of
the LORD.]
Joshua was a hundred and ten years old, he kept going and strong until
the day he died. How do you think did he do it? (Ans. Because he waited
for the Lord as Is. 40:31 says, "But those who wait on the LORD Shall
renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They
shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." When fatigue
sets in to our soul, it only means of our failure to wait on the Lord;
because the promise of Gods Word is that if we wait on Him, Hell renew
our strength.)
What do you think is the greatest legacy of Joshua? (Ans. Verse 31 tells
us: Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua. His godly influence
was effectively communicated to and through the whole nation.)
vv.32-33:
32The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of
Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought
from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver,
and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph. 33And Eleazar
the son of Aaron died. They buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his son,
which was given to him in the mountains of Ephraim.
[The bones of Joseph brought from Egypt were buried at Shechem, the plot
Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor for one hundred pieces of silver. And
Eleazar the son of Aaron died and buried in a hill belonging to Phinehas his
son, in the mountains of Ephraim.]
Joseph was the father of Ephraim and Manasseh. When these two sons
left Egypt, they brought their fathers bones with them and carried them
for forty years in the wilderness. They had promised Joseph that they
would bury his bones in the Promised Land. Why? ( Ans. In Heb. 11:22,
Joseph, by faith, when he died, made this commandment to his sons
concerning his bones; because, again by faith, he was expecting to be
raised from the dead in the Promised Land.)
Aaron was the first priest to die; Eleazar was the second. The Book of
Joshua is bound by death. It begins with the death of Moses and ends
with the deaths of Joshua and Eleazar. The book is also full of deaths if
we mention the many people who died in the battles. The Promised Land
is the representation of our spiritual life; therefore, like the deaths
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written in the Book of Joshua, we should also die to ourself.

They buried Eleazar in the hill belonging to Phinehas his son. The priests
were given no land, and yet this man had acquired a nice piece of real
estate. Where did Phinehas get this land? (Ans. Nobody knows; but it
tells us that here is the beginning of their departure from the
commandment of the living God, which will become obvious in the Book
of Judges.)
Conclusion
Beside the historical proof of God's faithfulness, let us be reminded that the
promised land is just an earthly representation of our heavenly Canaan.
Though they had the signs and symbols of worship, and experiences of the
divine presence, yet in this earthly inheritance everything is temporary. The
apostle in Heb. 4:8-9 says, "For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would
not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains, therefore, a rest for
the people of God." And what is that rest but Jesus himself, who is the very
sabbath of our soul, for He has promised to give them that come to him, to
find rest unto their souls. Amen.