Joshua 24: 1-15, The Last Words Of Joshua Series

Introduction: Joshua had been part of Israel’s past and present for many years. He had been faithful to Moses, Israel, and the LORD all of his life and had led Israel’s conquest of Canaan. Now he calls Israel together to give them one final message before his earthly journey was done.

Full disclosure, there is at least one other message of mine about this topic on Sermon Central but this message is not just a copy and paste of any earlier contribution.

1 Joshua’s Review of Israel’s History: from Abraham to Egypt

Text: Joshua 24:1-4, KJV: 1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. 3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. 4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

These first verses reminded Israel of their earliest history, beginning with Abraham, then known as Abram, who lived in Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:27-12:9). No doubt the people of Israel were more or less familiar with Abraham’s story: in fact, his is one of the few conversion or “I believe” stories in the entire Old Testament! He had “believed in the LORD, and [the LORD] counted it to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6, paraphrased)”. It’s an open question whether Abram’s father, Terah, had ever come to faith in the True and the Living God, the Only God that there Is, but we can always hope he did.

The “other side of the flood” most likely means the Euphrates River, which, as I have heard from some who have seen it, is a very wide river. I wouldn’t want to be living close by when the floods come and that river overflows its banks. Then again, Abram would have possibly considered the Jordan River as a natural boundary between Canaan, to the west, and everything else, including a staggering amount of not much besides desert to the east. What is important is that Abram followed God completely, all the way from the land of Ur to the land of Canaan.

Then Joshua closes this paragraph, we could call it, by reminding his listeners that God had given Mount Seir to Esau but Jacob and his family had gone to Egypt. During the journey through the wilderness, Israel had even tried to reach out to Esau (also known as Edom) to simply pass through—not to trespass Edom’s property—but the Edomites said, in so many words, don’t even think about it (Numbers 20:14-21).

It’s true that the vast majority of the first generation to leave Egypt, having been slaves, were gone by now. Everyone over the age of 20, except Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness wanderings because of their unbelief (see Numbers 14 for that story). Those under 20, who may indeed have experienced at least some of the bondage like their parents, grew up in the wilderness and were the people God used to reclaim Canaan for Israel. But Joshua was not yet finished with his speech.

2 Joshua’s Review of Israel’s History: from Egypt to Canaan

Text, Joshua 24:5-10, KJV: 5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out. 6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea. 7 And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. 8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you. 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you: 10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.