Teaching by Josh Clark
Week 7: Serving in the Land (Ch 22-24)
Structure of Joshua:
Joshua 1-5 - Preparation for entry, "cross"
Joshua 6-12 - Entry into Canaan, "take"
Joshua 13-21 - Allocating Canaan, "divide"
Joshua 22-24 - Keeping Canaan/covenant, "serve"
Chapters 22-24 each start with Joshua summoning the people of Israel (22:1; 23:2; 24:1)
1. Potential Civil War (Ch 22)
V 1-9 Joshua's Charge to Eastern Tribes
- V 2-3 The people have obeyed Moses' and Joshua's commands
- V 4 "the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers" fulfills the condition of Joshua's command in Josh 1:15
- V 5 Joshua commands the people to continue in complete obedience. Gives them 7 things to do
- "observe" the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you
- "love" the Lord your God
- "walk" in all his ways
- "keep" his commandments
- "cling" to the Lord
- "serve" him with all your heart and with all your soul
- V 6-9 The 2 1/2 tribes are blessed and sent to their tents.
V 10-34 The Altar of Witness
- V 10-11 The conflict: the western tribes hear that the eastern tribes have set up an altar of imposing size on the west side of the Jordan river. (Deut 12:5)
- V 12-14 Western Tribes response: Prepare for war & send delegation
- Delegation consisted of:
- Phinehas, son of Eleazar the High Priest; see Num 25
- 10 chiefs, each one the head of a tribe
- V 15-20 Delegation's message to Eastern tribes:
- Why are you rebelling?
- Remember the sin at Baal Peor?
- If dwelling on the East will cause you to rebel, claim an allotment of the West. Don't rebel or cause us to rebel.
- Remember Achan?
- V 21-29 Eastern Tribes Response: We are being faithful and unifying the nation
- V 22 "The Mighty One, God, The LORD!" They start their oath with an appeal to God in his supreme authority and incomparable power.
- V 22-23 If they are lying and created the altar for unauthorized use, they ask that the Israelites or God put them to death.
- Reason for building the altar:
- That the descendants of the Western tribes wouldn't look at the descendants of the Eastern tribes and say they aren't a part of Israel
- That their descendants don't hear that they have no portion in Israel and worship other gods (V 25)
- V 30-34 The Resolution
- The Western tribes accept the oath, and worship the Lord because there was no sin.
- They return home bringing good news and relief that there won't be a civil war because the Eastern tribes have remained faithful.
- We hear that the Altar is named Witness by the Eastern tribes because it serves as a witness to the whole nation of Israel that there are no other gods but Yahweh.
2. Joshua's Charge to Israel (Ch 23)
V 1-5 God's Deeds for Israel
- Joshua reminds the people how they have been firsthand witnesses to the fulfillment of God's promises.
V 6-11 A Charge to Respond in Obedience
- V 6, 11 Obedience and love are inseparable.
V 12-16 Warning Against Future Disobedience
3. Covenant Renewal and Conclusion (Ch 24)
V 1-13 Retelling of God's Faithfulness Throughout the Generations
- V 1 Shechem - Joshua calls them back to the land where they had previously renewed the covenant in Josh 8:30-35.
- Fitting that it starts with Abraham because this is where Abraham receives the promise of the land (Gen 12:6-7).
- Shechem is also where Jacob's household buries their foreign gods (Gen 35:1-4).
- V 2-13 Notice the "I" statements from God.
V 14-28 The Final Charge
- "Serve" appears 20 times throughout chapters 22-24. 15 of those 20 times appear in these 15 verses.
- V 14-15 Joshua's final charge to the people: Put away the idols and serve Yahweh. Serve the true God or serve the gods of the people that Yahweh is driving out.
- V 16-18 The people's response: after all that we have seen Yahweh do we will also serve Yahweh.
- V 19-20 Joshua: You are not able to serve the LORD. He is holy. He is jealous and he doesn't take idolatry lightly.
- V 21 The people: No we will do it!
- V 22-23 Joshua: You are witnesses against yourself. They say we are.
- Joshua: "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel."
- Gen 35:2 "Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments."
- V 24 The people: We will serve and obey Yahweh.
- V 25-28 Joshua cuts a covenant with the people, writes the words of the covenant in the Book of the Law of God, and sets up a stone under a terebinth tree at Shechem as a witness against them if they don't keep their word.
- Deut 23:21, also see Ecc 5:1-7
V 29-33 Three Burials
- V 29-30 Joshua
- "servant of the Lord"
- Died at 110 years of age which is the same age Joseph died at
- V 32 Joseph
- Gen 50:25; Ex 13:19; Heb 12:22
- Buried at Shechem
- V 33 Eleazar the High Priest
4. Christ Connection
- 2 Cor 1:20
- All of the promises of God find their fulfillment in Jesus.
