Joshua 22-24: The Last Liturgy (of Joshua)

Icebreaker: Joshua the General

Setting: You’re in the military, training to be a commanding officer.

Would you rather listen to the advice of a commander who is about to lead for the first time or a veteran general with high honors?

Part 1: Exegesis

The last time I spoke, I talked about spies going into the promised land and what they reported. This was at the beginning of Joshua’s life, now we are at the end of his life when he is speaking to his family for the last time.

We’ve gone from when Joshua was a greenhorn to when he is the veteran general with great experience, victories and wisdom.

Between these times, Joshua led Israel in their conquest and destruction of 7 nations, totaling 31 Kings of cities (Deut 7:1, Joshua 12:24)

Joshua was the instrument the Lord used to fulfill his promise to Abraham (Genesis) and Moses

Why did all of this happen for the Israel of Joshua’s time? Trust

Let’s look at what the Joshua the veteran general conveyed to his family:

Joshua had 3 farewell speeches to different groups of his family.

Joshua speaking to the 2.5 tribes who’s land was across the Jordan

Joshua 22:5 “5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.””

Joshua speaking to the leaders of Israel

Joshua 23:6-13 “6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. 9 For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare…”

Joshua 23:15-16 “15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.””

Joshua speaking to all of Israel

Joshua 24:2-13 “2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. 4 And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out. 6 “ ‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 And when they cried to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. 8 Then I brought you to the l…”

Joshua 24:14-16 “14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” 16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods,”

Part II: Teaching: 3 Keys Joshua kept in his pocket through his life (Word, Remembrance and Obedience)

Key 1: Take God at His Word (Joshua 1)

The Lord told Joshua

Joshua 1:3 “3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.”

Joshua 1:5 “5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.”

Joshua 1:7 “7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”

Fast forward: Joshua 11:23 “23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses...”

Trust God’s way is better than ours, even if we think our way is best

We think our way is best.

We want to swear to the promises we make, but Jesus wants us to say a simple yes or no

We want to take revenge on those who hurt us, but Jesus tells us not to retaliate

We want to put down our enemies, but Jesus tells us to love them.

We want to make sure others know when we give to the needy or do kind deeds, but Jesus says to do this quietly without others knowing

We want to build great wealth, but Jesus says to store up our treasures in heaven and not here on earth.

We want to worry about the future but Jesus tells us to now be anxious about our life.

We want to judge those who are not like us, but Jesus says not to judge.

All these are in one sermon Jesus gave in Matthew 6. Not popular sermon in that day - hard teachings.

Gods way doesn’t seem to make sense to us or be in line with what we want to do.

That’s why we must learn what God said to us. The scriptures.

God’s way is best. It brings life, while the worlds way brings death.

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2. Trust Remembers

Sometimes we have to take steps to remember things, the human memory fails. Joshua took 2 specific actions:

Joshua 24 Joshua gathered all Israel and recounted their story from Abraham’s father forward

Joshua 24:26 “26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.”

When we do not see works of the Lord, we forget.

Joshua 24:31 “31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.” But they forgot these things after the people

When we forget, we turn away

Trust that God is the warrior, not us.

He fights the battles and wins them, we do not do this on our own.

5 kings opposed Israel’s people. Joshua 10:8-11

Joshua 10:8–11 ESV

8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

Trust the outcome is the Lord’s. It is not done by our strength.

3. Trust is obedient for a lifetime

Trust walks through life obeying God’s word

Obedience - not on NY Times best selling list

For fun I googled this. Nothing on obedience, but the very hungry caterpillar did come in at #9 on Amazon’s 2021 best sellers. Some personal development and current events books.

Everyone wants to do what they desire. The world is full of people who discard God’s word in favor of their own word. Sexual immorality, division in churches and the people in them, hate, and greed.

What is our impact on others if we are obedient to God?

Ex: Respected individual leads a city renovation campaign, leads many town improvement efforts and brings many to Christ but is found:

taking revenge on those who hurt us, trusting money instead of God, speaking poorly of their enemies, and judging others

instead of turning the other cheek, trusting God for the future, loving their enemies and letting God be the judge.

My son is going to be impacted by what I do.

Walk life obedient to God, rather than in opposition to his word

Trust that God’s way is right, even when it is hard.

Israel was told to fully wipe out these nations, that seems wrong

Why did Israel destroy these people? Obedience

Why did God want these people destroyed? We need to understand the people

So Israel didn’t learn these practices - Deut. 20:18

Deut 18:9 talks of these: divination, sorcery, necromancy and child sacrifice)

Israel wouldn’t have seen this full impact, they had to trust that God was just and know His heart.

God was patient with them, but knew what they would do and had planned justice for this. Genesis 15:16 “...for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete”

Closing:

Listen to the word of God. Know the word of God.

Joshua was told to do this when the Lord gave him his first instructions as a leaders

Joshua 1:8 “8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

He lived this out and led Israel well, conquered 31 kings, and claimed God’s promise that he first gave to Moses.

This is the command he gave at the end of his life

Joshua 23:6 “6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left,”

I charge you to be very strong to keep and do all this is written in the book of the Lord.