Joshua's Final Exhortation SCRIPTURE LESSON TEXT Lesson Text: Joshua 24:1, 14-24 JOSH. 24:1 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 . One person who is righteous can have a positive effect on a whole nation of misguided people. In fact, in 24:2–13, it is the Lord who speaks as Joshua reviews the history of the nation. Another key word is serve, used fifteen times in this address. 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. One of the key words in this section is serve, used fifteen times. To serve God means to fear Him, obey Him, and worship only Him. It means to love Him and fix your heart upon Him, obeying Him because you want to and not because you have ...