Joshua - Chapters 23-24

The transcription is a summary of the book of Joshua, highlighting the faithfulness of God in fulfilling his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It emphasizes the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. The book ends with Joshua challenging the Israelites to choose whether to serve the Lord or follow other gods. They declare their obedience and make a covenant with God. The book concludes with the deaths of Joshua, Eleazar, and the godly leadership, leaving the Israelites with a choice to fear and serve the Lord or choose the ways of the world. Hi ladies and welcome to the amazingbible.book club I'm Dewey Callio your host and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today if by chance you want to contact me you can do that at theab.bc.pc at gmail.com today we are finishing up the book of Joshua with chapters 23 and 24 this book tells the story of God's faithfulness in fulfilling his covenantal promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the patriarchs of the Jewish and Christian faith. The calling of Abraham is found in Genesis 12 when he left his country and people and went to a land that the Lord would show him. Verses 6 and 7 say Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Morah at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said to your offspring I will give this land. So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. It seemed that everywhere Abram went in that area he set up an altar to the Lord. The Lord promised this covenant of offspring and land to Abraham three times. Genesis 12 then chapter 15 and chapter 17. The promise came through Isaac his son and then to Jacob. When Jacob returned to the promised land after he left to get a wife he came home met his brother Esau and then Genesis chapter 33 verses 18 through 20 read. After Jacob came from Paddan Aram he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within the site of the city. For a hundred pieces of silver he bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it El Elohi Israel. That can be translated God the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel. Joshua ends where the promise began with Abraham and the place that Jacob bought land years ago Shechem. This is also the place by Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim where they renewed their covenant in Joshua chapter 8 which Moses directed them to do in Deuteronomy chapter 27. We have seen that the Lord fought for them which was emphasized when Joshua met the commander of the army of the Lord in chapter 5 verses 13 through 15. When Joshua asked him if he was for them or their enemy he responded neither and that's because the Lord is for all those who have faith in him as Paul the Apostle said in the New Testament letter to the Galatians chapter 3 verses 26 through 28. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus for all of you who were baptized into Christ Jesus have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ then you are of Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. That is why Rahab the prostitute could live among the Jews and that is why the promise went toward the aliens who lived among them. This is also why the unfaithful Jews were put to death and cursed. It is through faith that people in the Old Testament and the New Testament and people nowadays are saved. That is the main point of the New Testament writer of Hebrews chapter 11 with the hall of faith. In Joshua we see the importance of obedience and the dire consequences of disobedience. Up to this point in the story the two and a half tribes that settled in the land on the east side of the Jordan River committed to fight with the other tribes until the whole land was taken. They worked together in fulfilling the Lord's promise that they could take the land. Most of the time it was a total ban on the cities meaning the cities were to be completely destroyed and the reason for that was to keep the Israelites from falling into the sins of these pagan nations. After the conquest was completed Joshua and the elders apportioned the land to the nine and a half tribes on the west side of the river and they did that by casting lots. Now on to chapter 23. It begins after a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them. Joshua by then old and well advanced in years summoned all Israel their elders leaders judges and officials and said to them Joshua challenged them to be very strong and careful to obey the Lord. They were not to associate with these nations that remain among them by taking idols or worshiping them or serving them. Since the Lord fought for them they needed to be very careful to love the Lord their God chapter 23 verse 11. Then came the warning if they did not do these things the Lord would no longer drive out their enemies instead they would become snares traps whips on their back and thorns in their eyes to them until they perish from this good land which the Lord their God gave them. Then chapter 24 Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem where God first promised to Abraham and they came before the Lord. Verses 1 through 13 retell the history of the Jewish nation including Abraham's father Terah because they worshiped other gods but then God called Abraham who was at that time called Abram. Then Joshua told the people in verses 14 and 15 now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord but if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you then choose for yourselves whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living but as for me in my household we will serve the Lord. The nation of Israel then declared their obedience three times verse 18b we too will serve the Lord because he is our God. Then Joshua said you are not able to serve the Lord he is a holy God he is a jealous God he won't forgive your rebellion and your sin verse 21 but the people said to Joshua no we will serve the Lord. Joshua then said you are witnesses against yourself that you have chosen to serve the Lord. They agreed and then said in verse 24 and the people said to Joshua we will serve the Lord our God and obey him. Verses 25 and 26 say on that day Joshua made a covenant for the people and there at Shechem he drew up for them decrees and laws and Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord. That stone became a witness to what Israelites spoke that day. Since Joshua wrote things in the book of the law of God that is one reason why I do not have a problem thinking that Joshua wrote in Deuteronomy about Moses's death and that is why I think Joshua wrote this book. This book ends with Joshua sending everyone home to their own inheritance. Joshua died at 110 years old and was buried in his inheritance of Timna Sera in the hill country of Ephraim. Verse 31 reads Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel. Verse 32 tells us that Joseph's bones were buried in Shechem in the piece of land Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants. Exodus chapter 13 verse 19 tells us Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said God will surely come to your aid and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place. So that oath was fulfilled and then the last verse of Joshua says and Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim. This second generation of Jews who had seen the mighty hand of the Lord have died. The godly leadership died. Now what will the Israelites do? They have a choice as do we. Will we fear the Lord and serve him faithfully or will we choose the ways of the world? Ladies there are only two options. As Moses said in Deuteronomy chapter 30 verse 15 see I set before you today life and prosperity death and destruction the choice is yours. Today if you hear his voice please don't harden your heart. Let's be women like Joshua who say but as for me in my household we will serve the Lord. Until next time and thanks so much for listening.