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.
In verses 1-4, Joshua covered many years of Israel’s history and, of note, most of Genesis 12-50! Now he takes up with recent memory, and I’m sure that anyone who has ever experienced slavery or bondage in any form would have a very hard time breaking free of those memories. Thus, I think, Joshua reminds them that after many years of such bondage and slavery, God sent Moses and Aaron to lead Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, the land now under Israel’s control!
Joshua mentioned how the LORD had “plagued” Egypt in verse 5. Now, for many of us who saw the movie “The Ten Commandments” or similar films, the producers gave their interpretation of each plague. I mean, who can forget the scene in “Ten Commandments” where Moses and Aaron go to a nice little place on the Nile River, just as, I think, Pharaoh is getting ready to take a bath, and the water turns red (to simulate the Nile’s waters becoming blood).
Joshua and all the others, most of whom were now dead, couldn’t have forgotten these plagues because they lived through them and saw each one! This third generation, though, may not have heard or understood the meaning of the plagues, hence Joshua’s reminder. Of note: there are any number of resources, in print and on-line, describing just what each plague meant (hint: each plague was directed against one of Egypt’s idols! See “Dead Men Tell Tales” by Harry Rimmer and the standard commentaries).
Then, after the last plague, the death of the firstborn, Israel did indeed flee Egypt. The LORD commanded Moses to lead them towards the Red Sea and that’s where Israel experienced the first miracle since getting out of Egypt. Exodus 14 has that story: in a nutshell, God parted the waters of the Red Sea, Israel crossed on dry ground, the Egyptians tried to cross but the LORD caused the sea to close in. Every Egyptian soldier on that mission died in the sea.
And Israel BELIEVED! Only the LORD could have made such a way for them to escape re-capture by the Egyptians, and who knows how much worse it might have been if that had taken place. Only the LORD could have once and for all destroyed one of the most powerful armies in the known world. Think about it: humanly speaking, what could basically unarmed slaves have done to chariots and hundreds, if not thousands, of foot soldiers, armed no doubt to the teeth with any number of weapons?
Still, Joshua had more to say. He briefly reminded them of the incident when the king of Moab hired Balaam, a prophet (of a sort) to curse Israel. Balaam received several instances of Divine guidance (if your donkey talks, you should listen!) and blessed Israel rather than cursed them. Balaam wasn’t honest enough to leave Israel alone, though, as he encouraged his host to make a plan to destroy Israel. The whole story is in Numbers 22-25 and a further explanation in Numbers 31:1-20.
Now he’s coming to the most stirring part of his speech.
3 Joshua’s Review of Israel’s History: from Arrival in Canaan to Day of Decision
Text, Joshua 24:11-15, KJV: 11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand. 12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. 13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat. 14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
These words must have caused many of the people to recall all that happened in their lifetimes. In just a few years, Israel had reclaimed a large section of land from all the various tribes and/or groups listed here. The LORD had indeed delivered all of them into Israel’s hand, whether by simply marching and shouting, as at Jericho; or a coordinated attack as at Ai; or by simple dependence on the LORD—He had done it all for Israel, just as He had promised.
And everything Joshua said was true. Israel hadn’t built a single city in Canaan as of this time; nor had Israel planted any vineyards or olive yards. The LORD had provided all of this and so much more.
Here Joshua brings Israel to the climax, or maybe the crisis, of their entire existence up to this point. Beginning with sojourners, as in Abraham’s day; becoming slaves in Egypt for many, many years; the becoming soldiers once they arrived in Canaan, Israel was now ready to become settlers, the plan being for them to follow and serve the God of Israel and live there forever.
But Joshua knew exactly what some of Israel was doing, on the sly as some might say. He knew that some were still (how?) worshiping idols. That wasn’t going to work, as the LORD said in the First Commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before ME (Exodus 20:3, emphasis added)”. Aware of this, Joshua then gave a challenge that applies to us today even as it did to Israel of Joshua’s day.
Joshua first said, “Fear the LORD and serve Him (alone) and put away the false gods whom your fathers served”. He knew, once again, what some had been doing and they needed to be called out on it! Something similar had happened when Jacob and his family had gone back to Bethel (see Genesis 35 for that story).
And he closed this part of his address by saying, “You choose whom you are going to serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
Oh that every believer would make this real. The balance of this chapter has Israel and Joshua making a pledge to serve the LORD only—and they did, for a while, but that’s another story. Joshua then dismissed Israel, each to his own home, and stayed at his own inheritance at Timnath-Sereh in Ephraim until he died.
The Book of Joshua has many lessons for us, even as it did for them. We worship and serve the same God as Joshua. He has a plan and program for every one of us. If we follow the LORD’s plan and guidance for our lives, there is no telling what anyone can accomplish.
But then as now, the key to success is to serve the LORD, and Him only. I hope all of us do this!
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)
