Joshua 24 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Josh 24:1-13

1 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

2 Joshua said to all 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 River Euphrates and worshipped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.

5 ‘“Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. 6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. 7 But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

8 ‘“I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. 9 When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

11 ‘“Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you – also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. 13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.”

A. Find out:

1. Who does Joshua gather together again? v.1
2. What is he bringing to them? v.2
3. What part of their history is covered by v.3,4?
4. What part is covered by v.5-7?
5. What part is covered by v.8-10?
6. What part is covered by v.11-13?

B. Think:

1. Why is Joshua speaking?
2. What do you think is the purpose?
3. What does it say about Israel?

C. Comment:

     Often in the New Testament, we see Jesus or the New Testament writers referring back to “the Scriptures”. The history of Israel was very important, it was the history of the dealings of God with a specific group of people. Here, in these closing days of Joshua’s life, we find the Lord gives him prophecy, the forth telling of the acts of God. The Lord is reminding the people that they are what they are because of what He has done for them. First he reminds them of their origins with Abraham, then of their deliverance by God from Egypt by a great miracle, then the way He brought them to the promised land, overcoming pagan kings on the way, and finally how He had given them the land, overcoming all the pagan idol-worshipping inhabitants.

     This people need to be reminded that they have the land purely because of all of God’s miraculous provision for them. We, similarly, need reminding that as Christians we are what we are, the sons of God, purely because of what HE has done in Jesus. It is a gift of God to an undeserving people, this land that they have and the kingdom we experience. That is mercy and grace!

D. Application?

1. We need to remind ourselves, by reading His word again and again, just what God has done, both for Israel and for us.
2. Thank Him today for those things.

Passage: Josh 14:14-27

14 ‘Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshipped beyond the River Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’

16 Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we travelled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.’

19 Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.’

21 But the people said to Joshua, ‘No! We will serve the Lord.’

22 Then Joshua said, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.’

‘Yes, we are witnesses,’ they replied.

23 ‘Now then,’ said Joshua, ‘throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.’

24 And the people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.’

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

27 ‘See!’ he said to all the people. ‘This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.’

A. Find out:

1. What does Joshua challenge them to do? v.14,15
2. What was their response? v.16-18
3. Why did he tell them to “think again”? v.19,20
4. What was their response? v.21
5. What more did Joshua do for them? v.25
6. How did he establish a witness or reminder to what they had said? v.26,27

B. Think:

1. What was Joshua’s main concern?
2. How many times did Israel say they would serve the Lord?
3. Why was Joshua doing this at this time? (see 23:14 / 24:29)

C. Comment:

     Joshua’s end is near. His final act is to call the nation to follow the Lord. You make the choice, he says, whether you will serve the Lord or serve idols. Me and my family will serve the Lord whatever you do! What a statement of faith is verse 15c! When the people respond positively to the challenge, Joshua reminds them that God is holy and challenges them not to make any hasty commitment. Again and again they affirm their allegiance to the Lord. This passage is a classic illustration and reminder that God doesn’t want hasty, casual commitment, but well thought out dedication (read also Luke 14:28-33).    

Joshua then ensures that the people understand the Lord’s requirements (Laws) and confirms in the book what has just happened. To make even more sure he erects a monument to remind them of this day. Having done that, he has done all he can to ensure he leaves Israel as they were when they were put into his care originally, following the Lord. At a hundred and ten this faithful warrior of God departs to be with his Lord for ever. His testimony has been sure to the end! 

D. Application?

1. Have we, in our commitment to the Lord, counted the cost and still said, “Yes, Lord, I’m all yours”?
2. Will we hold true to the end?