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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 to.

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15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 


16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; 

  • Being a wise and spiritual man, Joshua knew that everybody must worship something or someone, whether they realized it or not, 

  • Because humanity is “incurably religious.” 

  • If the Jews didn’t worship the true God, they would end up worshiping the false gods of the wicked nations in Canaan. 

  • His point was that they couldn’t do both.



17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: 


18 And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God. 


19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

  •  Joshua knew that it was easy for the people to promise obedience to the Lord, 

  • but it was quite something else for them to actually do it. 

  • His stern words were meant to curb their overconfidence and make them look honestly into their own hearts (Josh.24:19).



20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 


21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD. 


22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. 


23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. 


24 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.



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