Joshua 23
Joshua 23 depicts a scene in which, after the people of Israel have settled in the Promised Land, Canaan, the elderly Joshua calls the leaders of the people to deliver his final exhortation. The chapter, as a whole, is structured as counsel for Israel, which stands at the end of one era and the starting point of a new time. In the first part, Joshua’s frailty is mentioned, and the people are reminded that they have come to take possession of the land that God promised to them to a certain extent. In the middle portion, it emphasizes faithfulness to God and keeping the law, while also warning against following other nations and their gods. In the final part, it once again clearly reminds the people of the outcomes of obedience and disobedience, stressing that the future of Israel’s people depends on their choices.
1verseAfter many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,
2verseJoshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, “I am old and well advanced in years.
3verseYou have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.
4verseBehold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going down of the sun.
5verseThe LORD your God will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You shall possess their land, as the LORD your God spoke to you.
6verse“Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you not turn away from it to the right hand or to the left;
7versethat you not come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them;
8versebut hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.
9verse“For the LORD has driven great and strong nations out from before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.
10verseOne man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you.
11verseTake good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.
12verse“But if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you;
13verseknow for a certainty that the LORD your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.
14verse“Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it.
15verseIt shall happen that as all the good things have come on you of which the LORD your God spoke to you, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you,
16versewhen you disobey the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then the LORD’s anger will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”
Key Message and Meaning
Joshua reflects on all that God has done for Israel in the past and on His faithfulness, emphasizing that they must rely on God in the same way going forward. He also clearly states that keeping and obeying the law is the only path to Israel’s prosperity and safety. Joshua urges particular caution regarding relationships with neighboring pagan nations, and warns that if they mix with them or follow idols, they will be cut off from God’s protection and face a crisis. This is a grave reminder of the covenant relationship with God, and it underscores that the entire community is responsible for following God’s will.
Points to Ponder
- At the crossroads of life, you can reflect again on what should be your top priority, by thinking through Joshua’s warning and exhortation.
- Within the community of faith, you can examine what practices are necessary to encourage one another and to follow God’s will.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- You can also check whether you are living faithfully by keeping the promises with God in your own life.
- In the environment or culture that influences you, you can ask yourself whether you are making the right choices without losing the essence of faith.
