Joshua 24
Israel Renews its Commitment to the Lord
24:1 Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God.
Shechem was a few miles northwest of Shiloh. Shechem was where Abraham first received the Abrahamic Covenant. Abraham built his first altar to Jehovah at Shechem. Jacob stopped at Shechem on his way home from Paddan Aram. Joshua built an altar to Jehovah and inscribed the Law on stone pillars. These stone pillars were still standing when Joshua summoned the people to hear his last speech.
This last speech of Joshua was established as a covenant renewal, similar to a suzerainty treaty of other ancient nations (such as the Hittites). The treaty included the preamble (vv. 1–2a), a historical prologue (vv. 2b–13), the laws for the vassals with the consequences of disobedience (vv. 14–24), and the writing of the agreement (vv. 25–28). The Mosaic Covenant established at Mount Sinai was not an eternal covenant. Therefore, it needed to be renewed in every generation.
24:2 Joshua told all the people, “Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped other gods,
The preamble of the treaty was as follows. Jehovah the King took idol worshipers out of Ur and brought them into Canaan. The idol worshipers were Terah, Abraham, and Nahor. They were lost and heading to the Lake of Fire.
24:3 but I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and brought him into the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous; I gave him Isaac,
In verses 2b-13, Jehovah the King gave the historical prologue of the treaty. The King told His subjects what He did for them. Jehovah the King brought Abraham into Canaan. He multiplied the descendants of Abraham. He brought about Isaac through a miracle birth when both Abraham and Sarah were past the age of childbirth.
24:4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir, while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
Jehovah the King brought Isaac into the world. Isaac received the promise of the seed son. Isaac brought Jacob and Esau into the world. Jacob and Esau were twins. Esau was the first born, but Jacob was given the seed-son birthright. Jacob became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Esau became the father of the Edomites.
24:5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land. Then I brought you out.
Jehovah the King sent Moses and Aaron to strike down Egypt and deliver Israel out of slavery.
24:6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.
Jehovah the King drowned the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
24:7 Your fathers cried out for help to the Lord; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark, and then drowned them in the sea. You witnessed with your very own eyes what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time.
Joshua and Caleb were witnesses to this event. Many of the Israelites who were under the age of twenty also witnessed this event.
24:8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered their land and I destroyed them from before you.
Jehovah the King defeated the Amorites and gave their land to Israel.
24:9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment on you.
Jehovah the King reminded His subjects that Balak called a demonic sorcerer named Balaam to supernaturally curse Israel.
24:10 I refused to respond to Balaam; he kept prophesying good things about you, and I rescued you from his power.
Jehovah the King rescued His subjects from the demonic curses of Balaam.
24:11 You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The leaders of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you.
Jehovah the King divided the Jordan River miraculously. He defeated seven Canaanite nations who were more powerful and numerous than Israel.
24:12 I sent terror ahead of you to drive out before you the two Amorite kings. I gave you the victory; it was not by your swords or bows.
Jehovah the King reminded His subjects that they did not win by swords or bows and arrows. It was God who had given them every victory on every battle.
24:13 I gave you a land in which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build and you are eating the produce of vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’
Jehovah the King gave His subjects land which they did not work, cities which they did not build, and vineyards and olive groves which they did not plant.
24:14 Now obey the Lord and worship him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt and worship the Lord.
Since Jehovah the King had given His subjects all the things mentioned in verses 2-13, the subjects were now required to keep the King’s laws. Verses 14-24 gave the laws of the Kingdom.
The first law was that the subjects were to obey King Jehovah and worship only Him. They were not to worship the gods of Mesopotamia or the gods of Egypt.
24:15 If you have no desire to worship the Lord, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the Lord!”
Joshua told Israel that if they did not desire to worship Jehovah, then they could worship the gods of Mesopotamia or the gods of the Canaanites. However, Joshua and his house would worship Jehovah.
24:16 The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can worship other gods!
The people were moved by Joshua’s example. He was a hero to the nation. He was born as a slave in Egypt. He was one of the original two spies who gave a good report. He was the second-in-command to Moses. He had witnessed all the miracles of the Exodus. He led Israel into the Promised Land. He divided the land. He built cities. They responded that like Joshua, they would only worship Jehovah.
24:17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery in the land of Egypt and performed these awesome miracles before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations.
Joshua gave all praise to Jehovah.
24:18 The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship the Lord, for he is our God!”
Jehovah drove out the Amorites. Jehovah is the God of Israel.
24:19 Joshua warned the people, “You will not keep worshiping the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God who will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.
Joshua was not impressed with their enthusiasm. He warned them that they will fall into idolatry. Whenever they fall, then God will judge their rebellion.
24:20 If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you; he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, though he once treated you well.”
Joshua warned Israel that when they turn against God, then He will destroy them as a nation.
24:21 The people said to Joshua, “No! We really will worship the Lord!”
The people gave lip service to Joshua.
24:22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?” They replied, “We are witnesses!”
Joshua challenged the people to become witnesses against themselves.
24:23 Joshua said, “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to the Lord God of Israel.”
Israel was secretly worshiping foreign gods. Joshua commanded the people to witness against themselves, submit to God, and get rid of the idols.
24:24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.”
The people gave more lip service.
24:25 That day Joshua drew up an agreement for the people, and he established rules and regulations for them in Shechem.
Joshua knew that his words would have no more effect on Israel. He completed the renewal treaty in writing.
24:26 Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s shrine.
Joshua placed the renewal treaty with the Law of God. It was most likely placed next to the ark of the covenant.
24:27 Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against you, for it has heard everything the Lord said to us. It will be a witness against you if you deny your God.”
Joshua also wrote this renewal treaty on a large limestone rock to serve as a witness against Israel. Archaeologists may have uncovered this same rock.
24:28 When Joshua dismissed the people, they went to their allotted portions of land.
Israel went home with this speech on their minds. As they were going home, would they remove their idols, as Joshua commanded?
An Era Ends
24:29 After all this Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten.
Joshua died at the age of 110 years.
24:30 They buried him in his allotted territory in Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
Joshua was buried in Ephraim.
24:31 Israel worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had experienced firsthand everything the Lord had done for Israel.
Joshua was not only a national hero, but he was also an influential spiritual leader of Israel. While Joshua was alive, Israel openly worshiped Jehovah.
24:32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the part of the field that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of money. So it became the inheritance of the tribe of Joseph.
Joseph’s dying request was that he was to be buried not in Egypt, but in the Promised Land. He desired to be resurrected in the land which was promised to Israel through the Abrahamic Covenant. These bones of Joseph were removed from Egypt and brought to the Promised Land. These bones were over 400 years old.
24:33 Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him in Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim, where his son Phinehas had been assigned land.
Eleazar was the son of Aaron and the High Priest of Israel during the reign of Joshua. He accompanied Joshua on all his conquests. He assisted Joshua in dividing the land. He instituted the tabernacle worship at Shiloh.
Joshua was a book of conquest, but it ends with the funerals of Joseph, Joshua, and Eleazar. All three of these men were given promises by God. All promises were fulfilled. Israel had now lost their leadership. They were moving into a new era of their history. There was no Moses or Joshua to lead them. How would they fare? Details are found in the Book of Judges.