Renewed Commitment

Joshua, 2025

Message #10

Joshua 8:30-35.

Central Idea: There are seasons that necessitate a renewed commitment to God.

Objectives: I want the hearers to know (cognitive) that it is appropriate to renew our commitment to God and His Word. I want the hearers to sense (affective) the importance of the Word of God and to commit their lives to God and His Word (psycho-motor).

1. We need to follow the commands of Scripture. [vv. 30-33]

Deuteronomy 11:26-32

Deuteronomy 11:26–32 ““Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse: there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you today, and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the Lord your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods you have not known. When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal. Aren’t these mountains across the Jordan, beyond the western road in the land of the Canaanites, who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, near the oaks of Moreh? For you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you possess it and settle in it, be careful to follow all the statutes and ordinances I set before you today.”

Deuteronomy 27:4-7

Deuteronomy 27:4–7 “When you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to cover them with plaster. Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God—do not use any iron tool on them. Use uncut stones to build the altar of the Lord your God and offer burnt offerings to the Lord your God on it. There you are to sacrifice fellowship offerings, eat, and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God.”

Deuteronomy 27:12-13

Deuteronomy 27:12–13 ““When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.”

Joshua was literally fulfilling the commands of Scripture in this section. We should be careful to follow Scripture.

2. We need to memorize Scripture. [v. 32]

Deuteronomy 27:3

Deuteronomy 27:3 “Write all the words of this law on the stones after you cross to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.”

Joshua either had a copy of the law (possible) that he wrote from, or he wrote dependent on memory.

3. We need to read Scripture corporately. [vv. 34-35]

Joshua read the Law corporately according to the command of Deuteronomy 31:11.

Deuteronomy 31:11 “when all Israel assembles in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he chooses, you are to read this law aloud before all Israel.”

This is the first public reading of Scripture since the death of Moses (NIVAC, notes under 8:34-35)

Notice: Joshua did not leave out any part of the law. He read aloud all the words of the law— the blessings as well as the curses...

This is according to Deuteronomy 30:19–20 “I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.””

The choice is ours to choose what to do with God’s Word (response).

4. We need to ensure future generations hear and know Scripture. [v. 35]

The reading included the entire assembly of Israel...

This is likely Rahab’s first hearing of the law. She was included among the Israelite camp in chapter 6, but now she hears the law for the first time.

The inclusion of “aliens” twice underscores the inclusiveness of membership within the religious “assembly [qahal] of Israel” (v. 35). “Foreigners” (nokrim) merely pass through Israel, but resident aliens (gerim) live there permanently. The Instruction guarantees them access to fields for gleaning (Leviticus 19:10 “Do not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the resident alien; I am the Lord your God.” ; Leviticus 23:22 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap all the way to the edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the resident alien; I am the Lord your God.”” ) and protects them from oppression (Exodus 21:22 ““When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman’s husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment.” ; Deuteronomy 10:17–22 “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing. You are also to love the resident alien, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt. You are to fear the Lord your God and worship him. Remain faithful to him and take oaths in his name. He is your praise and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awe-inspiring works your eyes have seen. Your ancestors went down to Egypt, seventy people in all, and now the Lord your God has made you numerous, like the stars of the sky.” ). It supports its protections by invoking the memory of Israel’s own terrible experience as “aliens” in Egypt (Exodus 23:9 “You must not oppress a resident alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be a resident alien because you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.” ; Leviticus 19:34 “You will regard the alien who resides with you as the native-born among you. You are to love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” ; Deuteronomy 10:10 ““I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights like the first time. The Lord also listened to me on this occasion; he agreed not to annihilate you.” ). (Hubbard, Robert L., Jr. 2009. Joshua. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.)

It further communicates that it is our responsibility to pass along the Word of God to all who are before us— and they are to then respond.

Response Questions:

[1] Is there an issue in your life that bids you renew your commitment to God and His Word?

[2] What hinders you today?