Joshua’s Farewell Address
January 28, 2020
Commentary
As this chapter opens some twenty years have passed since the wars in Canaan. Joshua knew that his days on this earth were numbered. He had a deep concern, for he observed a growing complacency on the part of Israel toward the Canaanites that still dwelt in the land which should have been exclusively theirs. Before his departure, he felt compelled to warn them that continued obedience to God’s commands was essential to continued enjoyment of his blessing (v. 8). It was understood that though Israel’s enemies as a whole had been subdued, it was each individual tribes responsibility to drive out any remaining adulterous people (v. 9). With this in mind, Joshua summoned Israel’s leaders to Shiloh for both a challenge and a warning:
His challenge was for:
Courage (v. 6)Obedience (v. 6)Refusal to compromise (v. 7)Devotion to God (v. 8)Love for the Lord (v. 11)His warning was that compromise would lead to the following results:
God would leave Israel on her own (v. 13)The enemies would be a constant menace (v. 13)Israel would meet ultimate doom (vv. 15-16)Israel’s greatest danger was moral and spiritual. Moses had warned Israel against compromising with the evil nations in the land (Ex. 23:20-33; 34:10-17; Deut. 7:12-26) and Joshua reaffirms that warning.
Application
I need to be careful about demanding my own way because eventually I may get it- along with all its painful consequences.
Joshua 23:9– 16 (NET)
9 “The Lord drove out from before you great and mighty nations; no one has been able to resist you to this very day. 10 One of you makes a thousand run away, for the Lord your God fights for you, as he promised you he would. 11 Watch yourselves carefully! Love the Lord your God! 12 But if you ever turn away and make alliances with these nations that remain near you, and intermarry with them and establish friendly relations with them, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. They will trap and ensnare you; they will be a whip that tears your sides and thorns that blind your eyes until you disappear from this good land the Lord your God gave you.
14 “Look, today I am about to die. You know with all your heart and being that not even one of all the faithful promises the Lord your God made to you is left unfulfilled; every one was realized—not one promise is unfulfilled! 15 But in the same way every faithful promise the Lord your God made to you has been realized, it is just as certain that if you disobey, then the Lord will bring on you every judgment until he destroys you from this good land that the Lord your God gave you. 16 If you violate the covenantal laws of the Lord your God which he commanded you to keep, and follow, worship, and bow down to other gods, then the Lord will be very angry with you and you will disappear quickly from the good land that he gave to you.”