Hear A Dying Man's Last Words, Part 1 (Joshua 23:1-16) Series

One of the things I have to do, for biblical stories to hit me the way they should, is try to put myself into the biblical world. I try to crawl into the author's head, and make it my home. In Joshua, I try to put myself in Joshua's shoes at times. Other times, I put myself in the people's shoes. Until I do this, I really struggle to hear the Bible, and have it grab me, the way it should.

In today's sermon, for most of it at any rate, I'm going to ask you to copy my example. I want you to hear this chapter as Israelites. Hear Joshua's words, as though they are addressed to you. Joshua is your leader; he is talking to you.

Verse 1:

(1) And then, after many days, after Yahweh gave rest to Israel from all their enemies surrounding them,

while/when Joshua was extremely old in days,

Our story begins in verse 1, with AJ giving us two pieces of background information. First, what you are about to hear was said after Yahweh gave rest to Israel from all their enemies surrounding them. Second, Joshua is extremely old.

So how are you supposed to hear what follows? First, you are supposed to hear what Joshua is about to say, in light of God's faithfulness. God has done what he said he would. He's been good. Second, you are supposed to understand that what you are about to hear are Joshua's last words. It's Joshua's time to die. This is it for him. If you were Joshua, faithful servant of Yahweh, leader of the nation of Israel, how would you say goodbye to your people? If you could leave your people with one last bit of advice, or encouragement, or anything, what would you say?

Verse 2-3:

(2) Joshua called to all of Israel-- to his elders and to his leaders, and to his exercisers of authority and to his officials--

and he said to them,

"I am extremely old in days,

(3) while you have seen all that Yahweh your Elohim did to all these nations from before you,

for Yahweh your Elohim-- He is the one fighting for you.

Joshua begins by calling to "all Israel." AJ then clarifies this, to say that he called all of the leaders of the nation, who serve as representatives for much larger clans and tribes.

And it's at this point, that I want you to start thinking and listening to this as Israelites. Joshua is addressing you Israelites.

Joshua starts by telling you what AJ just told us-- he is extremely old in days. This is a signal to you, that this is Joshua's farewell speech. What Joshua has said to you has always been important-- Yahweh has demanded obedience to his servant throughout the book, and you have been happy to give this-- but what you are about to hear, in particular, is important. So listen carefully. Respect the words of a dying man, who has faithfully served Yahweh and you for decades.

In verse 3, Joshua directs your attention to Yahweh:

(3) while you have seen all that Yahweh your Elohim did to all these nations from before you,

for Yahweh your Elohim-- He is the one fighting for you.

All of you have seen what Yahweh your Elohim did to all these nations. Every time the nations lined up against you in battle, or hid inside their fortified cities, you know what happened next. You won. Over, and over. And the reason you won is not because you are great soldiers. Although you are (compare Joshua 10:2, 7). The reason you won is because Yahweh your Elohim-- HE is fighting for you. And this is not a past tense thing. This is not something that was only true in the past. Yahweh your Elohim is fighting for you.

Verse 4:

(4) Look! I have allotted to you these remaining nations as an inheritance for your tribes-- from the Jordan and all the nations that I cut off, and the great sea in the west,

(5) while Yahweh your Elohim-- He shall push them from before you,

and he shall drive them from before you,

just as Yahweh your Elohim spoke to you,

Verses 4-5 are helpful verses for us as interpreters of Joshua, in particular. The idea with the conquest is not that the land was completely emptied of Canaanites. There are still remaining nations all around them. Verse 1 told us that the land was emptied of enemies-- all of the Nephilim kings who opposed Yahweh and his people have been killed or driven out. But there's still a sizable number of people living in the land, who aren't Israelites, who aren't enemies, and whose Elohim isn't Yahweh. [This is a key verse for understanding what the book of Joshua actually teaches about the conquest].