Your Personal Relationship with God
Joshua: Pass Over and Possess • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:
And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you. Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you. Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:
Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.
Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.
Introduction
Introduction
Joshua has reached the end of his long life. While others might have failed to continue in what God wanted for them in hardship along the way, Joshua has finished well. This morning, we see the concluding words of Joshua on a personal relationship with God.
We need to be looking throughout the book for our theme for 2025. The central focus of the book of Joshua is that God wants us to move forward and take ahold of the blessings of our salvation.
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
As we saw in our study of Ephesians, God has blessed us with spiritual blessings. All the saved have access to these blessings. Do we share them with the lost? Do we live them faithfully in our lives? Do we thank God for them daily? The book of Joshua leads us along the path of living the victorious Christian life. All we need to live victoriously, we already have in Christ. We must just cross over the river of fear and take ownership of the land of Promise!
What is a “personal relationship with God”? We sometimes use this term and today we ought to define it. The answer to the question is that this phrase describes our conversation with and following of the One who gave His life for us. Relationships with God are personal because each of us must choose whether to have one. No one else can make that choice for us. God wants us to have a relationship with Him and has taken the first step. But what about for us? One writer said it this way,
If we try to find lasting joy in any human relationship, it will end in vanity, something that passes like a morning cloud. The true joy of a man’s life is in his relationship to God.
Oswald Chambers
Do you have the joy of a personal relationship with God? Today, we are going to see how we can finish well in that relationship. But, first let’s see how to begin.
God Loves you - John 3:16
All men are sinners - Rom 3:23
Sin must be paid for - Rom 6:23
Christ paid for our sins - Rom 5:8
Pray and Accept Christ
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Before we begin this morning, look inside and ask yourself if you have that relationship with God. God wants a relationship with us and He sent His only Son to die to give us that opportunity. What can we learn from this passage about our personal relationship with God?
Joshua 23 is the reminder of a dying man to dying men. Good things have been done by God but greater things will be seen by those who live by faith. Which will the hearers be, faithful or faithless?
Declaration
Declaration
What great things has God done for us and what great things He has yet to do! But the temptation to allow our love for Him to become apathetic is always there. Today, be loving God, not only in your words and thoughts, but in your separation from the sin around us. We see a statement here this morning about a personal relationship with God in three parts.
1. Built Upon the Past
1. Built Upon the Past
And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you. Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you. Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
A. What They Had Seen v. 1-4
A. What They Had Seen v. 1-4
Joshua is now about to pass the baton to the next generation as he nears his death. In verse 1, much time has passed since the beginning of the book and we are reminded of the beginning of chapter 13 before the division of the land. He has lived a long life of faithfulness to God. He gathers the leaders of the people to hear what God has laid on his heart to say. He has some burning truths that he wishes to pass on and they come through as a man earnestly speaking from his heart. Joshua recognizes his age with the same phrasing used of Abraham in Genesis in verse 2 of the chapter.
In verses 3-4, Joshua reminds them of the two things they have seen in the land. Together, these summarize the two previous sections of the book. What Joshua observes is that God has given them victory over all of the nations in chapters 1-12 and Joshua has divided the land in chapters 13-21. One can only conclude that God is the One who has done the fighting not Joshua. God carried out His promise regarding the challenges of the enemies just as we see Him give victory to believers today.
Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you.
B. What God Did v. 5
B. What God Did v. 5
The work of God to bring victory in battle was not the complete account of all that God had done. In the time to come, God would push out the remaining enemies as they followed His command to take possession of the land. We know that the land of Canaan is a picture of the Christian life not heaven because of the importance of obedience and spiritual warfare.
God is the One who will “drive out” the remaining nations in verse 5. This word tells us that they were moving the inhabitants off of the land to take the promised possession of the land that God had for them since the time of Abraham. Joshua predicts the removal of the sinful people when God has carried out what only He can do in the plan of God’s redemption. God moves us forward in our Christian life today just as He did then.
C. What We Must Do v. 6-8
C. What We Must Do v. 6-8
Because of what God has done and what He will do, Joshua has an application for the listener. Just as they faced real, entrenched enemies in the book of Joshua, we face enemies today. The world around is willing to do everything it can to keep us from winning spiritual victories through obedience to God. Our flesh and the devil are trying to get us to turn away from the commands of God.
Joshua speaks to them in verse 6 with a heart to pass on what God has given to him and what sustained him through a life of faith. He calls them to have courage and live obedience to the law of God. The Word of God is the source of their strength and what sets them apart from the sinful people in the land. The reason for being courageous is that the people would not turn to the right of left and that they would not connect with the sinful people around them. God had said to Joshua,
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
How can they carry out this command? God had told Joshua to read and focus on the Word of God in chapter 1 of Joshua. Here Joshua focuses on the rejection of the sinful culture as well. Our personal relationship with God will either keep us from the world or will suffer from the influence of sin. Joshua tells them,
“come not among these nations, these that remain among you;” - don’t spend time with those who are living in sin
Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
“neither make mention of the name of their gods” - don’t encourage their sinful pursuits. The Canaanites were notorious for their sensual methods of worshiping their gods.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
“nor cause to swear by them” - they were not to use the name of those gods to verify or validate the truth of their statements. Oaths are unnecessary if we are honest in our speech.
“neither serve them” - Israel was not to do things for those gods that did not exist
And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.
“nor bow yourselves unto them” - Israel was not to give respect to or put themselves under the power of a false god just as the Ten Commandments had stated
Instead of these actions, Joshua commands them in verse 7, “cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day”. Israel is treated throughout Scripture as the bride of God. This word “cleave” brings back the motif of Genesis 2 and of passages in Deuteronomy.
But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.
Joshua calls the children of Israel to account for what God had done for them and what He was going to do. Will they do what God expects of them or will they abandon Him? Believer, what will you do? Are you allowing the gods of this world to affect your faithfulness to the Word of God and your faithfulness to your personal relationship with God? Today, we need to be careful to live courageously in God’s faithfulness.
2. Toward the Future
2. Toward the Future
For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.
A. God Will Drive Them Out v. 9-10
A. God Will Drive Them Out v. 9-10
There is a reminder in verse 9 of what Joshua had said in verse 5. God had driven out the enemy nations and will continue to do so. Joshua uses a quotation from the book of Deuteronomy to prove the faithfulness of God’s promise.
How should one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Except their Rock had sold them, And the Lord had shut them up?
God will drive out the enemy if the people follow the command of faithfulness and personal holiness. The world around us is not promised God’s blessing though it may seem that it receives it. Only the obedient believer is promised God’s blessing. God is the power behind the victory in the Christian life.
B. Or God Will Not Drive Them Out v. 11-13
B. Or God Will Not Drive Them Out v. 11-13
While Joshua is clear that God will drive the nations out in the future if there is obedience, he is also clear that disobedience will result in the opposite. The contrast for the cursing is to not love the Lord, marry, and have children with the people of the land in verses 11-13. Marriage with the unbelieving nations was the ultimate rejection of the promise of God. The Seed He had promised to Abraham, Jesus, was part of the lineage of those who waited for the fulfillment of the covenant. God was clear that marriage and apathy would cause discomfort for those in the land of Canaan.
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
Why is God so adamant about the marriage of the people? Why would God punish them with death for this choice? The answer is found in verse 11. The Love of God is expressed in our love for others. Love of God is to be a pure, selfless expression of serving Him. When it was given to the the sinful people in the land, it was allowing them to remain in their sinful ways without bringing them to the point of repentance to God. God loves the sinner but He hates the sin. There must be a changing of a person’s mind toward their sin. In the New Testament, God is clear that believers should not marry unbelievers today.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
How is your love for God today? Do you tolerate sin in your life today? Our culture deadens our senses to what God condemns in His Word. The people of the land did the same for Israel. Here Joshua call them to Love and Cleave to God as a faithful Bride to her Husband.
3. Because God is a Faithful God
3. Because God is a Faithful God
And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.
A. God Kept the Good Promises v. 14
A. God Kept the Good Promises v. 14
Our personal relationship with God is built upon the past toward the future because God is a faithful God. Joshua reminds them again in verse 14 that he is soon to die. Through all of his life, he can say that God has done all of the good things that He said He will do. In another place, the testimony of the Psalmist is that the people to come must hear of the faithfulness of God.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, And thy power to every one that is to come.
Joshua uses a word that he had used in chapter 21:45. He tells them that “not one thing hath failed of all the good things”. This word has two distinct usages in the Old Testament. One is that it is the word used of casting lots. God controlled the assigning of the inheritances to the different tribes in chapters 13-21. The second use of this word is that God ensures that none of His promises hit the ground without becoming reality. Joshua tells us that God has sovereignly carried out all the good that He has promised.
There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
B. God Will Keep the Curses v. 15-16
B. God Will Keep the Curses v. 15-16
The final statement of Joshua is that God will be faithful in the curses as well that He has promised for disobedience. God is not only a God who gives good gifts but also the One who brings judgment to those who reject. Consequences follow believers disobedience. We call this chastisement.
For the Lord shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the Lord to anger.
Why would Joshua end this chapter with a negative reminder of the curses given by God for disobedience? We need to be reminded to be faithful to God. The wrath of God is against sin and His grace is toward repentance. So one writer,
Joshua: No Falling Words Joshua 23:6–13
Both the grace of God and the fear of God should move the people of God.
The courage and the love Joshua calls for is only found in our personal relationship with a faithful God. How is your personal relationship with Him? Chastening is how we know that we are God’s children and how we know that we are not obedient to what God has told us to do.
Conclusion
Conclusion
What great things has God done for us and what great things He has yet to do! But the temptation to allow our love for Him to become apathetic is always there. Today, be loving God, not only in your words and thoughts, but in your separation from the sin around us.
Joshua has a message for us today about our personal relationship with God. It is built upon the past toward the future because God is a faithful God. The courage and obedience and love of the believer is in the context of what God has done and will do for us. We are nothing without Him.
What is the status of your personal relationship with God? You have seen God work. You have seen God keep His promises. Are you allowing sin in your life or around you to keep you from loving Him and serving Him with all your heart? God is ready to bless those how obey Him. Love God! Stick to Him! Be courageous and keep straight on with the commands of God.
Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry 23. Preach as a Dying Man to Dying Men (JDA)
“I preached as never sure to preach again, as a dying man, to dying men.” You may have heard this statement before. It’s from Richard Baxter…He is telling us that every time he stepped into the pulpit he recognized that it could be his last sermon—one day it was. Baxter also recognized that it could be the listener’s last sermon—one day it was. The conviction of human mortality and the brevity of life drove him to speak clearly, with pastoral warmth, as one who kept watch over the souls of his people…Baxter understood the brevity of life because he was a pastor. The minister who marries, buries, baptizes, and counsels lives with the awareness that life is brief.
Joshua speaks the same this morning. If you don’t have a personal relationship with God, today you can change that. Jesus came to earth as our perfect sacrifice. His Death and Resurrection make possible our personal relationship with God. Will you accept that free gift today? Listen to the words of Joshua today!
