1
Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned
the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented
themselves before God.
2
Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel,
says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham
and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.
3
But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led
him throughout Canaan and gace him many descendants. I gave him
Isaac,
4
and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir
to Esau, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
5
" 'Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what
I did there, and I brought you out.
6
When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and
the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as
the Red Sea.
7
But they cried to the LORD for help, and he put darkness between
you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered
them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians.
Then you lived in the desert for a long time.
8
" 'I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of
the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them to your
hands, I destroyed them from before you, and you took
possession of their land.
9
When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against
Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you.
10
But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again,
and I delivered you out of his hand.
11
" 'Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of
Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,
Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave
them into yourhands.
12
I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you -
also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own
sword and bow.
13
So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did
not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive
groves that you did not plant.'
14
"Now fear the LORD and serve him all faithfulness. Throw away
the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in
Egypt, and serve the LORD.
15
But is serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose
for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods
your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my
household, we will serve the LORD."
16
Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD
to serve other gods!
17
It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers
up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those
great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey
and among all the nations which we traveled.
18
And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the
Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD,
because he is our God."
19
Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD.
He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your
rebellion and your sins.
20
If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and
bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been
good to you."
21
But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD."
22
Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that
you have chosen to serve the LORD." "Yes, we are witnesses," they replied.
23
"Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that
are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD our God and obey him."
24
And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and obey him."
25
On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people,
and there at Shechem he drew up for them decrees and laws.
26
And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God.
Then he took a large stone and set it up there under
the oak near the holy place of the LORD.
27
"See!" he said to all the peole. "This stone will be a witness against us.
It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us.
It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God."
28
Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.
29
After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD,
died at the age of a hundred and ten.
30
And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah
in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31
Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and
of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything
the LORD had done for Israel.
32
And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt,
were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for
a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants.
33
And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah,
which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.
15
But is serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose
for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods
your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my
household, we will serve the LORD."
A. Entering the promised land (1.1 – 5.12)
After wandering for 40 years in the wilderness, a new generation is ready to enter Canaan. But first God prepares both Joshua and the nation by teaching them the importance of courageous and consistent faith. The nation then miraculously crosses the Jordan River to begin the long-awaited conquest of the promised land. Like Joshua, we too need faith to begin and continue living the Christian life.
B. Conquering the promised land (5.13 – 12.24)
After crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites begin to conquer Canaan. Jericho is the first to fall. Then Israel suffers its first defeat because of one man’s disobedience. After the people remove the sin from their community they strike again – this time with success. Soon great kings attack from the north and south, but they are defeated because God is with Israel. Evil could not be tolerated in the promised land, nor can it be tolerated in or lives. We, like Israel, must ruthlessly remove sin form our lives before it takes control of us.
C. Dividing the promised land (13.1 – 24.33)
After seven years of battle, Israel gained control of the land, which was then divided and allotted to the tribes. Joshua dismisses the army, for it was now each tribe’s responsibility to clear out the remaining enemies from their own area. Joshua continues to encourage the people to remain faithful to God so they can remain in the land. The promised land was Israel’s earthly inheritance. But Israel also had a spiritual inheritance in which we can share when we live a life of faithfulness to God.