Session 7
Joshua 24:14-24
Memory Verse: Joshua 24:23-24
We face decisions every day. Some are major, and some are minor. And some we try to ignore-often with devastating results. What’s more, our decisions can affect others in life-changing ways.
For example, Johann Rall, a German colonel during the American Revolution, made a historic decision in December of 1776. By some accounts, Rall was so wrapped up in a card game that he ignored the warnings of a British spy that the Americans were planning a surprise attack on his Hessian troops in Trenton, New Jersey. Yet, on Christmas night, George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River and did just what the spy had reported. In the battle, Rall was mortally wounded and died. Had Rall acted on the spy’s message, the American Revolution might have taken a very different turn.
As you prepare to lead this session, reflect first on your decision to follow God and what prompted you to make that choice. Then, think about how best to challenge the adults in your Bible study to make the most vital decision they will ever face-the decision to follow the Lord.
Crash landings of commercial jets are extremely rare. Nevertheless, one of the normal routines before a commercial jet takes off is flight attendants giving passengers instructions on what to do in case of an emergency landing on land or water. Most passengers seem to ignore the flight attendants. People might get away with that on a plane, but it is always costly when people ignore warnings in the Word of God. (PSG,
p. 64)
Joshua 1-12 deals with the conquest of Canaan, while chapters 13-24 detail the division of the land. After subduing the land west of the Jordan River, Joshua released the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh to return to their inheritance east of the river. Later, those tribes built an altar as a sign of unity with the other Israelites. The western tribes, though, mistakenly thought their eastern relatives had fallen into idolatry and prepared for war. Once the eastern tribes explained the altar’s purpose, each side recognized the altar as a witness to God’s work on both sides of the Jordan (see Josh. 22:34).
Chapter 23 preserves Joshua’s farewell address. He warned Israel against allying with other nations in the promised land. If they violated their covenant with God, they would experience curses instead of blessings. Echoing the Lord’s directive to him after Moses’s death, Joshua challenged God’s people to be strong (1:6,7,9; 23:6) and to keep following Him (23:8).
In chapter 24, Joshua gathered the tribes in Shechem, near Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim to renew their commitment to the Lord. The preamble to this covenant identified the Lord and Israel as the parties who had entered a special relationship (24:1-2a). Next, Joshua recalled God’s gracious actions on Israel’s behalf. As a result of His undeserved blessing, the Israelites had received a land they did not labor for and cities they did not build (24:2b-13).
The covenant spelled out what God expected from His people. They were to worship Him alone and abandon the idols their ancestors had worshiped (24:14-24). Joshua challenged them to choose whom they would worship carefully. For Him, the choice was clear. He would worship the Lord.
Israel agreed to the covenant (vv. 16,24), and Joshua included it “in the book of the law of God”
(v. 26). He also set up a monument as a witness against the Israelites if they strayed from their commitment to God (vv. 26-27).
The book of Joshua ends with notations about three heroes of faith who were buried in the promised land. The writer first mentioned Joshua, who died at the age of 110 and had positive influence that resonated across Israel long after his death. The second was Joseph. The Israelites had carried his bones from Egypt to the promised land, and those bones were buried at Shechem (see Gen. 50:22-26; Ex. 13:19). Finally, Eleazar the priest was buried at Gibeah (Josh. 24:33).
These three burials witnessed to the Lord’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to the Israelites and to their ancestors. That faithfulness should have sparked loyalty to Him from Israel for generations
to come.
Read Joshua 24:14-24. Highlight all the ways Joshua encouraged the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord. (PSG, p. 65)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
14 “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship-the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” 16 The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods! 17 For the Lord our God brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. 18 The Lord drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the Lord, because he is
our God.”
Joshua challenged the Israelites both to fear and to worship the Lord. The Hebrew verb translated fear can denote a distressing emotion triggered by impending danger, pain, or evil. It also can convey a positive respect for God that moves people toward holy living. For the Israelites, such reverence came from learning the law and obeying it (Deut. 31:11-12).
The Hebrew verb rendered worship can also mean “to serve.” The verb is closely related to a noun meaning “servant” or “slave.” Offering service or worship to God, however, is not bondage. To the contrary, it frees people.
The Lord desires that we worship Him in sincerity and truth. The wording suggests worship that is “firm” or “complete.” The terms are used of animals without blemish and signify wholeness. God expects our commitment to Him to be absolute, holding nothing back.
Joshua commanded his listeners to demonstrate total devotion to God. This required removing the idols their ancestors had worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. The Israelites had worshiped other gods in Mesopotamia across the Euphrates River (Josh. 24:2). Later, the prophet Ezekiel affirmed that they also worshiped Egyptian idols (Ezek. 20:7-8). Joshua emphasized that the time had come to commit themselves fully to the Lord.
Joshua identified contrasting choices. The Israelites could worship the Lord or the gods your ancestors worshiped. The people could choose freely, but he urged them to make that choice today.
Along with Mesopotamian and Egyptian gods, Joshua added a third option: the gods of the Amorites. The term Amorites often appears as a broad designation for all Canaanites. Their worship involved a fertility cult that appealed to the Israelites, who were learning more about agriculture. For forty years, God had provided their food as they wandered in the wilderness. Over time, they shifted their reliance to the false gods of their enemies.
Joshua made his personal stance clear. He and his family would worship the Lord. The Israelite leader did not attempt to manipulate the people or force them to choose God. He simply set a positive example they could follow.
The people rose to Joshua’s challenge. We will certainly not abandon conveys both will and emotions. Abandon also means “to leave” or “to forsake” and is used of the backsliding Israelites
(Deut. 29:24-25). As a consequence of abandoning the Lord, God’s people would experience the covenant curses (Deut. 28:20).
Israel affirmed Joshua’s recital of God’s mighty acts. They knew who had rescued them out of the land of Egypt, and they acknowledged the Lord’s great signs. The term likely designates the plagues on the Egyptians (Ex. 4:28-31), along with miracles like the parting of the Red Sea, providing manna, and bringing water from a rock.
Joshua’s audience recognized that God had protected them during their journey to the promised land and in the conquest of it. Thus they declared their loyalty to the Lord. They would follow Joshua’s example of faithfulness and worship the Lord exclusively.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
19 But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship the Lord, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions and sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you, after he has been good to you.” 21 “No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship the Lord.” 22 Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.” “We are witnesses,” they said. 23 “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.”
Joshua had just passionately urged the Israelites to serve God alone. Yet when the people responded positively, he said that they would not be able to worship the Lord. Further, he noted that the Lord would refuse to forgive their transgressions and sins. Their leader seemed to be warning the Israelites against making a hasty promise that they had not considered thoroughly. He was urging Israel to take God’s holiness seriously. It is similar to Jesus challenging followers to “calculate the cost” of discipleship (Luke 14:28-30).
Joshua did not mean that the Lord is not a God of forgiveness (see Ex. 20:5-6), but He would judge rebellion severely. Rejecting God and turning to idols would not go without serious consequences
(Num. 15:30-31).
The Lord is a holy God, as well as a jealous God. The Hebrew term for jealous expresses strong emotion and can be translated “zealous.” Positively, it denotes a consuming passion for one who is loved. God loved His people and desired the best for them. Consequently, He would not tolerate that which destroyed their fellowship with Him or condone divided loyalties.
The Israelites protested with a forceful No! They insisted that they would worship the Lord faithfully. Most likely, the people’s response was genuine. They really believed they would serve God well-and may have for a spell. But the book of Judges reveals that after Joshua’s death, the Israelites fell into the spiral of spiritual depravity that he had predicted (Judg. 2:7-13).
Joshua made the Israelites witnesses against themselves. Ancient treaties often called on the gods to witness the agreement. Because Yahweh alone is God (and He alone is worthy of worship), other gods held no authority in the matter. So, Joshua held the people accountable to be their own witnesses. He also set up a large, stone memorial as an additional reminder of their commitment (v. 27). The Israelites would be condemned by their own words if they refused to follow God alone.
Joshua again urged the people to get rid of the foreign gods among them. After all, words mean very little if they are not supported by action. The most prominent Canaanite god was Baal, and he proved to be a stumbling block to God’s people for centuries. For now, Joshua urged them to surrender their hearts to the Lord.
The Israelites again affirmed their commitment to worship God (see v. 21). The people also added that they would obey him. The Hebrew word for obey literally means “listen.” When parents say, “Now listen to me,” they are expecting far more than mental comprehension of spoken words. They
want obedience.
Genuine worship involves absolute obedience to God. He calls His people to put away any idols that might distract us from the devotion that rightfully belongs to Him. And, like the Israelites, He will hold us accountable for obeying His words.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 72 of the Personal Study Guide:
Call for the group to review the statements and to discuss some practical ideas that help a believer live out their devotion to the Lord. Encourage them to find specific ways they can express worship to the Lord each day.
Divide the group into two teams. (Note: For smaller groups, an individual can be a team. For larger groups, more than one team can work on the same assignment.) Direct one team to discuss the first question set on page 72 of the PSG, while the other team does the same for the second question set on page 72 of the PSG. After a few minutes, allow volunteers from each team to share their responses. Challenge adults to read and reflect on these questions throughout the week and identify ways they can apply these
truths personally.
Lead the group in a time of silent prayer, encouraging the adults to ask God to reveal any idols in their lives that are keeping them from a true commitment to Him.
Reinforce the session by texting or emailing the group this message: Just as Joshua challenged the people to choose the Lord over the gods of the Canaanites, I challenge you to choose the Lord over the idols of this world this week. Encourage adults to continue reflecting on the questions from page 72 of the PSG. Let them know that the next session begins a study of the book of Judges.
Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. (See John 5:24; 10:27-29.)
Use a Bible study resource to learn more about a biblical principle.
Joshua 24 highlights a renewal of the covenant between the Lord and His people. Use a Bible atlas to locate Shechem on a map of ancient Israel. Look up the word “covenant” in a Bible dictionary. Read and reflect on the following Scripture passages to learn more about ancient covenants: Genesis 9:8-17; 12:1-3; 15:1-21;
17:1-27; Exodus 19:1-8; 2 Samuel 7:1-17. Consider how the Israelites responded to God’s covenants through the years. Why was a new covenant sealed by Jesus’s death and resurrection necessary for God’s people?