Joshua 23:1-8
Jos 23:1
And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had
given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old
and stricken in age.
No specific time frame was given here but it was a time
which was long enough for the people to rest in their new homes and restart
their lives there. It was also
enough time for Joshua to assess the dangers that the Israelites faced, not from
armed enemies but mingling with the Canaanites who still inhabited many parts of
the land. Joshua was now very old
and approaching the time of his eternal rest in glory.
Joshua now gives a final address to the people of Israel with many
admonitions and cautions about mixing with the people of false religions.
Joshua died at the age of 110 and this may have been in the last year of
his earthly life.
Jos 23:2
And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their
elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and
said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:
Then Joshua called for the rulers of the people together.
The elders who would eventually morph into the Sanhedrin.
The heads of all the tribes and the judges which represented the
political faction. The officers
were the ones who executed the orders and judgments of the judges and princes.
Joshua says to them that he is now old and stricken in age.
Whenever Israel lost central leadership like Joshua or Moses, they would
get into trouble. Here was another
example as the book of Joshua dovetails the book of Judges showing how much
trouble they got in by adopting the false religions.
Jos 23:3
And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done
unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that
hath fought for you.
He sets out to tell them something that they should be
cognizant of already how the LORD had moved out the nations before them and how
God fought for the nation of Israel to give them a homeland.
Joshua makes sure they know that God had done these things because of
them and not just for some random motive.
He also wants them to know that even though he headed up the army, their
victories were done by the LORD.
Their victories were not their own but the Lord’s.
David knew that the battle belonged to the LORD and he would deliver the
enemies into their hands.
And all this assembly shall know that the
LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle
is the LORD'S, and he will give
you into our hands. (1 Samuel 17:47)
Jos 23:4
Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that
remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations
that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
Then Joshua tells them that he had divided the land by
lot which was according to the commandment of the LORD.
He divided not only the portions that he conquered with the army but
there was still much to be conquered.
Joshua was speaking about the time they entered the land on the east when
they crossed the Jordan to the western point which was the Mediterranean Sea.
Jos 23:5
And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before
you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as
the LORD your God hath promised unto you.
God had promised that Israel would possess the entire
land of Canaan because that is how the twelve tribes were placed throughout the
land. Joshua tells them that God
himself will expel the remaining people to make room for the Israelites which
was according to the promise of God.
God’s promise to expel the heathens from the land was based upon their
obedience to him and his law.
However, they did not remain obedient and a portion of the land was not given to
them.
Jos 23:6
Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all
that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside
therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
Joshua admonishes them to be courageous and not to fear
the people of the land. They were
also to be obedient to the law of Moses and were not to depart in any manner,
small or large, from it. The same
admonition which God gave to Joshua, he now gives to the people.
Only be thou strong and very
courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses
my servant commanded thee: turn not from it
to the right hand or
to the left, that thou mayest
prosper whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:7)
It will require much courage to continue in the law of Moses and to expel
the people from the land and they were not to shrink back.
Jos 23:7
That ye come not among these nations, these that remain
among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear
by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
If they would depart in any area from the law of Moses it
might open a door for them to accept the false religions of the surrounding
people. They were to remain so holy
unto the LORD that they were not even to speak the names of the false gods.
They were also never to swear by them which would especially be in any
contracts or alliances. They were
never to get so far as to serve the idols or to bow down to them.
They were not to give the least bit of attention to them since they were
to serve the LORD and him alone.
Jos 23:8
But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto
this day.