Calendar

JOSHUA’S FINAL WARNING TO ISRAEL
LORD’S DAY, DECEMBER 31
Joshua 24

Deuteronomy 6:4-14

 

“…learn to fear the LORD his God,

to keep all the words of this law…”

 

JOSHUA’S FINAL WARNING TO ISRAEL
 
It was natural for Joshua to give a warning in his circumstances. There were many people and the temptation to draw away was always with them. He emphasised the holiness of God and their vulnerability to defile themselves. He warned them that as unholy people, they could not serve God because He was holy and was a jealous God. He added that if they forsook God, He would consume them.
 
In this warning, Joshua was testing their readiness and he painted the possibility of them forsaking God. The people again repeated their pledge that they would serve God. In all this questioning, Joshua was laying stress on the importance of what he was telling Israel. He wanted to establish a faithful legacy so that God would continue to accomplish all His promises to Israel. He then asked them to put away the strange gods which were among them. This was an acknowledgement that there were some among them who had strange gods. The elderly leader was cautious of this, thus he urged them to come clean on this matter. The people repeatedly affirmed before Joshua that they were going to serve God and obey His voice. Joshua urged them yet again and they made a covenant in Shechem. It was in this city that God had met with Abraham and he had built an altar to God. It was here also that the bones of Joseph were buried. Jacob dug a well of water in Shechem that bore his name to this day. It was by the same well that Jesus met the woman of Samaria and preached to her about salvation (John 4:12).
 
Joshua kept the words of the covenant for posterity: he wrote those words in the book of the Law of God. It was after this that Joshua dismissed the assembly. This being his last public activity, it carried great importance. He kept a permanent record in writing. The setting up of a stone was also a witness that generations could see and confirm all these words of the LORD. The people heard the words of Joshua, and thereafter they departed. Joshua died at the age of a hundred and ten. The elders who outlived Joshua kept their pledge and served God as they had promised. Thus, the illustrious era of Joshua came to an end.
 
THOUGHT: The record of Joshua’s life showed no blemish on him.

PRAYER: Father, grant me grace that I may serve Thee as Joshua served.

Search