Read the concluding words of the book of Joshua written by an inspired editor (Josh. 24:29–33). How are these words not only looking back to Joshua’s life but also looking forward to the future?
As a true and faithful leader, Joshua respects the free will of his people and wishes that Israel would serve the Lord out of free choice rather than compulsion. That was exactly the point made by the deliberate use of the verb “chosen” (see Josh. 24:22). In other passages baḥar, “to choose,” describes Yahweh’s election of Israel (Deut. 7:6, 7; Deut. 10:15; Deut. 14:2). Israel is free to say “no” to Yahweh after their divine election, but that would be nonsensical and absurd.
What did Joshua appeal to the Israelites to do (Josh. 24:14, 15)? What does it mean to serve the Lord in sincerity and in truth?
Joshua’s appeal clearly expresses the fact that the Israelites have to decide whether, through loyalty to their Creator, to keep their uniqueness and live in the land or to fade back into being one among many idolatrous peoples, with no clear identity, purpose, or mission. The choice is theirs.
“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” (Josh. 24:1, NKJV).
The only way Israel will be able to avoid the temptation of idolatry and the wrath of God is not by constantly remembering the “don’ts” of the covenant but by fostering a conscious and consistent allegiance to the Lord. The same verb, “to cleave, adhere” to the Lord (see Deut. 4:4), also is used to describe the marriage covenant that was intended between wife and husband (Gen. 2:24) or the loyalty of Ruth to Naomi (Ruth 1:14).
Using the same words that were addressed to him at the beginning of the book (Josh. 1:7, 8), Joshua states that the task that lay ahead of Israel is not primarily military in nature. It is spiritual. It has to do with obedience to God’s revealed will in the Torah.
Why do you think Joshua took such a strong position concerning Israel’s relations with the surrounding nations (Josh. 23:6–8, 12, 13)?
