Scripture Reading : Joshua 23:1-8
The wars had finished 20 years ago. The fighting was now a distant memory of the past. To the teenagers, the war was just an old fable that Grandad would delight in talking about. Society had settled down once again. Agriculture was increasing, the economy was looking healthier all the time. People were settling down into their routines again. Fear was an element of the past. No more were there any barriers or bunkers dotting the horizon. Complacency was setting in, in fact, they were so complacent that they had recently disbanded the army. There was no need for an army any more - so it seemed.
The drama & excitement of war had brought about a revival amongst the people. There were many conversions. People everywhere were confessing their allegiance to God and His cause. The attitude of society in general seemed to be changing. But, then came the end of the war. There was no more fighting, there was no more bloodshed, it was over. Peace was reigning once again, in their tiny nation.
People had no more need to be scared. No more were they afraid to walk the streets at nights. The apprehension and fear that had grown during the years of fighting had now petered away. As well as the apprehension and fear, so also did the spirituality peter away. Gradually society was becoming more permissive. The evils that had once possessed this city were beginning to rear their ugly head. The cause of God faded into the background, people were too busy, they were pursuing their own interests, and careers, they were busy seeking their own pleasures.
It was during this time that Joshua stepped in, Joshua had realised that he was an old man. Over the many years of his life he had served the Lord faithfully. He was scared for the future. He could see the sliding standards, he could see it all happening again, just like before. He knew that his life was coming to an end. It was amongst such a setting that God called upon Joshua to preach his last message, Joshua begun this message by calling in the elder’s, the heads, the judges and the officers. These men represented the four levels of civil distinction. To these men, Joshua presses home the responsibility that they have to drive out the enemy. Firstly, he reminds them of what God has done for them as a nation in the past. For example in the recent past, Israel has finally come to dwell in the land of Canaan, fulfilling one of the promises made to Abraham. Over the last 20 years, God had allowed Israel to live in peace. The wars had stopped, not because of their military prowess, but because God had decided it was enough. Joshua then launches into a discussion of the promises God has given them for the present and the future.
Read Josh. 23:4, Then in v.5, God says that He will expel the people out of the Land, so that His promises may be fulfilled. God is working all around them. BUT there are some conditions attached to these promises. Read Josh, 23:6-8. The point is that Joshua is making here is that God has freely shown his love to the Israelites in the past. He has openly given them land, possessions and wealth. But He asks one thing from them in return, He says, ’’Show me that you love me.’’ The way he wanted them to show their love for God is "to keep & to do all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses." Joshua was deeply concerned for this nation who was so blessed of God. For 20 years now, Israel had been enjoying the rest and plenty of Canaan. But Joshua was concerned for the future of His people. The whole promise depended on one thing. That one thing that His promise hung on was whether or not Israel would remain faithful to God. At this point Joshua was feeling very apprehensive. 7 times he makes mention of the idolatrous nations that were still left in Canaan. 7 times. He was worried about the Israelites. He knew that the Canaanites would be a snare, a trap, ready to catch any of the young Israelites. With this fear in His heart, Joshua prescribed 3 guidelines to the Israelites, so that they may not be corrupted by the Canaanites and their religion. The first of these guidelines we have already covered.
It says, "Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the, right hand or to the left, be of strong courage", he says, "Observe the laws that ,God has given you", "Don’t turn to the right" "Don’t turn to the left", "Follow His commands",
The second guideline says, "Be watchful, keep separate from the Canaanite nations." "Stay away from their religious practises" v,7 says "Don’t go near to these nations, "Do not make mention of the names of their gods." There is good reason for this. The Canaanite religion was very strong and very powerful. It was a religion that appealed to the carnal nature of the Israelites. It was a polytheistic religion. This means that they worshipped many gods. They were involved in human sacrifices, particularly child sacrifices. Another practise that was displeasing to God was their cultic prostitution. Their worship involved a union with one of the temple prostitutes, to aid the fertility of the lands vegetation. Their human sacrifice and their cultic practises were totally contrary to the principles of God. Therefore, with good reason, Joshua warns them don’t go near the Canaanite nations, and don’t make mention of the names of their gods."
The third guideline that Joshua gave them is found in v8-11. The theme of this guideline is to cling to, to hang on to the Lord your God with a sincere, with an earnest; and a fervent love, The Lord says in v.9, "I have driven out those nations from before you." In v.10 it says, "For the Lord your God is He who fights for you, he has promised you. But, then comes the condition. "Take heed, he says, "take diligent heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. This is a constant theme in the Scriptures, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind. No one else is to come first. No thing else is to come first, God first, That’s all He asks. He says in Exodus, "I am a jealous God, do not bow down to any one or any thing else. These principles, or guidelines are as relevant for us today as Christians as they were for the Israelites in their day. For us to have the most abundant life, these guidelines are needed. Let’s review them once again from a Christian perspective, to be getting the best out of life we must be living close to the Word of God. What does this mean? Does it mean that we should always carry the Bible with us wherever we go? Does it mean that we should read a chapter or 2 of the Bible everyday? Or does it mean that we should read a portion of the Bible everyday and internalise it’s principles so that we may live closer to Him and grow closer to Him? In the time that Jesus lived, many people were students of the Scriptures, some were recognised as experts in their study, people like the Pharisees and Saducees. These people knew every letter of the Law, and they kept it outwardly. We could say that they read their chapter or 2 of the Bible everyday. BUT, when it came to recognising who Jesus was, most of them had no idea. Most of them condemned Him. "How dare such a lowly man claim to be God", they said. There were a few however who recognised that Jesus was more than an ordinary man. Nicodemus for example, recognised this. He didn’t understand it all. He found it very difficult to come to terms with, but, he did recognise Christ was at least a teacher come from God. Understanding who Christ is comes from not only reading the Scriptures at face value, but it includes an internalising of it. It includes asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, it includes a willingness to change,
The second guideline which Joshua gave to the Israelites says that they should stay away from the Canaanite nations. "That’s easy, but, if we change that into today’s terms it means that we have a consistent separation from ALL wrong. In the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8, he says to the woman, neither do I condemn you go, sin no more! A point that is often breezed over and not noticed is the fact that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law also recognise that they are sinners and that Jesus is telling them to go and sin no more. Their sins may not be as dramatic, but they are still sins." If they didn’t recognise this, they would not have slinked away from Jesus.
The third guideline which will help us get the most out of life is to cling to God with all the love in our hearts, This principle is found all throughout Scripture. Some examples of this are Deuteronomy 6 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all you might." Deut 10:12 "’what does the Lord require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." And another in N.T., Matt 22:37, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your mind. One example of love for Jesus that really stands out in my mind is the story in Luke 7 where Mary comes into the assembly quietly with her expensive alabaster jar filled with perfume. She breaks the jar and pours the beautiful perfume all over the feet of Jesus. Then she washes His feet with her hair. This is the ultimate in humility. For Mary this was just a simple act, showing her thankfulness to Jesus for the forgiveness of her sins. She was saying, "Yes Jesus, I love you with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind."
In Joshua 23, Joshua had gathered all of the leaders together, and in that assembly he pressed home their responsibility to drive the Canaanites out of the land, He then warned them of the dangers of not carrying out this task. He reminded them of God’s promise to be with them. In v,10, he says that one man shall chase a thousand. Pretty powerful stuff, then at the start of ch24, he gathers the Israelites together at Shechem. Shechem was a very appropriate place for a solemn discourse. No place, anywhere else in the Land could have so many sacred associations as this.
Shechem was a unique place. Shechem was the place where Abraham was given the promise that one day, the Land of Canaan would be in the possession of Israel. It was here also that Abraham rejected the false gods by building an altar to the Lord. More dramatically, Shechem was the place where Jacob, on the return from his journey to Mesopotamia, cleansed and purified his household from false gods by building an altar to the Lord. Joshua, in choosing Shechem for the scene of his final speech wanted Israel to know that the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, who had led them this far. As well as this he wanted them to know that this same God would continue to lead them and bless them, if only they would allow Him to. To see evidence of God’s blessing, all they had to do was look around them. In v.13, he says to them, God has given you a land for which you did not labour. He has also given you cities which you did not build, and you freely dwell in them. There were also vineyards and olive groves here when you came, and of them you freely eat. Look at what God has done for you.
To add to this occasion, Joshua instructed that the Ark of the Covenant be brought across from Shiloh. The occasion was one of great solemnity. Joshua wished to add to this solemnity by bringing this symbol of God. The goal of this exercise was to deepen the impression on the people. Joshua is here building up to a pinnacle, Chapter 24:2-12 are basically a historical recount of what God has done for them. He starts off with the promises made to Abraham and then he continues on through to the present day. "And then the highlight, Let’s read Joshua 24:14,15.
That’s it. Joshua says make a choice, but really, the command to serve the Lord does not hinder or do away with anyone’s choice; any service for God that is not voluntary is useless. God sets before men and women a choice. He says you can have life. Life through me, Life that will go on for eternity. Life that will be more abundant and rich. Or. He says, you can choose death, Life that ends when you have lived out your 70 odd years. God urges gently by His Holy Spirit for us to choose life. He can’t wait for us to say yes to Him, but, he will not force us. He will not interfere with our decisions. But, on the same token, he will not protect people from the natural results of their decisions, Choosing life, brings life, Choosing death, brings death. God is there to hear us today, if we come to Him.
Joshua was well qualified to make such an appeal, for 110 years Joshua had been a faithful servant of God. Here in v,15, he resolves to be faithful to God right-to the end. His final appeal was for the people around him to follow his example of consecration. The dignity and simplicity of his life added powerfully to the weight of his words.
In conclusion let’s have a look and see how the Israelites responded to Joshua’s appeal. The Israelites said to him "No Way". There is no way that we will forsake our God to serve other gods. The Lord our God is He that brought us and our fathers up and out of the Land of Egypt and preserved us in all our travelling in the wilderness. The Lord drove all of the people out from before us, even the Amorites who dwelt in the Land. Therefore, we will serve the Lord, for He is our God, What about you?
