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CHAPTER 23:
This chapter is the first of two of Joshua’s farewell addresses to the nation. He is now 110 years old (Joshua 24:29), which means that approximately three decades have passed since Israel entered the promised land. Though scripture doesn’t say for certain, it is reasonable to infer that Caleb and Joshua are approximately the same age, and since Caleb was 85 years old at the conclusion of the conquest and the start of the division of land among the tribes (Joshua 14:10), that means Joshua was also about the same age. Furthermore, because of Caleb’s earlier statement to Joshua in that same chapter (v.7), we know that the conquest of Canaan took about 7 years. Therefore, it’s been about 32 years since Israel first entered the promised land to begin their campaign of conquering and settlement. Verse 1 affirms that God has “…given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about…”, and now Joshua is on his deathbed. Just as Moses had done prior to his passing of the leadership mantle to Joshua, Joshua now summons all the men of Israel to give them one last exhortation and warning. He begins by reminding them of how God fought for them during the military campaigns thus far (v.3), but that there still remains land and nations to be conquered. (v.4) Joshua exhorts the men of Israel to continue the conquest, that God “…shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight…”. (v.5) But that will only open if Israel is faithful to the covenant that God made with their fathers via the law given to them by Moses. “…turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left…”. (v.6) He warns them not to mingle with those heathen nations whom God has condemned and that must be driven out of the promised land. (v.7) The reason for this is because of the idolatry that is practiced by those people. There’s a good reason the LORD made that the first commandment when giving the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Over and over again, Israel’s greatest weakness since being brought out of Egypt is their penchant for worshiping false gods. Joshua now pleads with the men to “…cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.” (v.8) It’s no coincidence that the previous chapter told of the misunderstanding between the western and eastern tribes regarding the building of the monument at the bank of the Jordan river. That’s what Joshua is referring to here. Ever since entering the promised land, this second generation has displayed a righteous zeal for the LORD their God, and has obeyed His every direction and law. This was evidenced in the account of Achan and his sin at Jericho. Now, the second generation has given birth to the third, and those sons and daughters are coming of age, and there will be a tendency to forget what happened to their grandfathers when they forgot God and turned to the idols of the heathen nations around them. Joshua circles back to his main point in verses 9-11, reminding the men of how the strength of those foreign nations utterly crumbled before the might of God. It was He that fought for Israel and gave them the victory, not them in their own might. Therefore, Israel will continue to have victory in the rest of their conquest and settlement, but only if they continue to be faithful and obedient to “…the LORD your God.” (v.11) As with Moses in his final address to the nation, Joshua warns of the consequences if Israel does not remain faithful and obedient. God will cease fighting for them, and those heathen people will instead “…be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes…”. (v.13) Israel will end up losing their inheritance entirely and becoming the conquered rather than the conquerors. Joshua closes with the familiar theme of blessings and cursings. (Deuteronomy 27-28) He reminds the men of Israel “…that not one good thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you…”. (v.14) God had kept His promises to Israel regarding the inheritance of the promised land for Abraham’s descendants. But just as His blessings would come for faithfulness and obedience, so would His judgment and wrath for rebellion and disobedience. (v.15) (Deuteronomy 28:63) If Israel failed to keep their end of the covenant, “…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 you.” (v.16) As we already well know from the remainder of the Old Testament, that is exactly what happened. Israel remembered God for a time, but their obedience didn’t last very long, and they did exactly what Moses and Joshua had warned them not to do. They failed to completely drive out the heathen nations, and instead mingled among them, strayed from the Lord and His law, and God severely chastened them accordingly. Even unto today, Israel is still waiting for that coming time when God will fulfill His promise to Abraham and they will have complete possession of that promised land from which they will rule the whole earth with King Jesus on the throne for a thousand years. CHAPTER 24: The second farewell address is given to the whole nation. (v.1) The previous one was for only the elders of the tribes, the men who are the leaders of their families. This one is for all the people. As with the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, this chapter follows the structure of a treaty between a lord and his subjects in the tradition of the ANE at this time period. Just as Moses had done with his farewell sermons in the book of Deuteronomy, Joshua now reminds the people of their covenant with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the same God that had brought them forth from the land of Egypt into this promised land. The preamble & historical prologue (v.2-13): God called Abraham to come out of the land of Ur of the Chaldees, to leave behind the false gods of his fathers, and to set out for a new home in Canaan. The LORD “…multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.” (v.3) When Jacob and his children went down to Egypt, they were few in number. But the nation that God delivered from slavery 430 years later was as numerous as the stars of the night sky. (Genesis 15:5) God performed miraculous signs and wonders in the process of delivering His chosen people from bondage. (v.5-7) He gave the fledgling nation many great victories in the process of bringing them into the promised land. (v.8-10) Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but God ignored him and blessed Israel instead. And then, when the second generation arrived in the promised land, God granted them even greater victories over the heathen nations there. (v.11-13) Israel didn’t have to build new cities or plow new fields for crops. All of that was already present and theirs for the taking. Covenant stipulations (v.14-18): Because of all that God has done for Israel, and because of the covenant that He made with them at Mount Sinai which their fathers agreed to, Joshua exhorts the nation to “…fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth…”. (v.14) This generation has a clear choice before them. They can serve the false gods of Egypt, or the false gods of the heathen nations whom they just conquered in the promised land, or they can serve and obey the one true God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (v.15) “But as for me and my house,” Joshua proclaims, “we will serve the LORD.” As they did with Moses at Mount Sinai, Israel answers Joshua’s call with a resounding affirmative. (v.16-18) They echo his confirmation of God’s miraculous deliverance of their fathers from Egypt as well as His almighty hand in their victories over the Amorites. “…therefore will we also serve the LORD; for He is our God.” Covenant sanctions (v.19-20): Here Joshua gives the warning of the consequences of Israel’s violation of this covenant. His response to Israel’s affirmation of their allegiance and faithfulness seems contradictory at first. “Ye cannot serve the LORD: for He is an holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.” (v.19) Joshua is testing the people’s words and intentions. Their fathers had made the same vow at Mount Sinai and yet they disobeyed by demonstrating a complete lack of faith when it came time to follow God’s direction at the border of the promised land. So Joshua is emphasizing once more God’s holiness and His righteous jealousy. He reminds the people yet again of what will happen if they renege on their vow: “…He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.” (v.20) Covenant ratification (v.21-25): Israel swears once more, “…Nay; but we will serve the LORD.” (v.21) So Joshua solemnly affirms that they are witnesses against themselves, that they have chosen to serve the LORD, and the people confirm this. (v.22) He exhorts them yet again to turn away from the false gods and “…incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.” (v.23) And yet again the people answer, “…The LORD our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey.” (v.24) Joshua ceremonially confirms the covenant. (v.25) Covenant deposition and witnesses (v.26-28): Joshua then writes down the covenant and also places a memorial in the form of a large stone set under an oak tree near the tabernacle. (v.26) He declares the stone will be a witness unto the people of what has transpired this day, of their vow to serve and obey God alone. (v.27) After all this the people return to their homes. (v.28) Verses 29-33: Joshua is 110 years old at the time of his death, and he’s buried on the land that is his inheritance, near Mount Ephraim. (v.30) Israel kept their covenant with the LORD for at least another generation, possible two. (v.31) They also made sure to bury the bones of Joseph in Shechem as he had requested before his death. (v.32) He, too, had died at 110 years old. This coda by the author is meant to connect the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the book of Genesis to the current generation that has just conquered and settled in the promised land. God had fulfilled His word to Abraham and his descendants, and now it’s up to the people to continue in faith and obedience to the renewed covenant that Joshua has just reaffirmed with them. Eleazar also passes away and is buried near Mount Ephraim on the land belonging to his son, Phineas. (v.33) He, Joshua, and Caleb are the last of that first generation that came out of Egypt. (Caleb, too, is presumably dead by this point in the narrative.) The book of the conquering and settling of the promised land is now closed, and a new chapter - both literal and figurative - in the history of Israel is about to begin with a whole new generation.
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Verses 1-8: Now that all the land division and settlement has been completed there’s one final matter for Joshua to address. He summons the men of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh that settled in the land east of the Jordan river. Now that the conquest and settlement of Canaan is complete Joshua tells the men that their oath which they swore to Moses is also complete. They are free to return to their homes and families on the other side of the Jordan. (v.2-4)
But then Joshua adds a note of caution and a warning: “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (v.5) (Deuteronomy 6:17, 11:22, Jeremiah 12:16) These two and a half tribes will be separated from the rest of Israel by some distance as well as the Jordan river, and Joshua fears that that will cause them to fall back into idolatry and apostasy. He then gives a final blessing to these two and a half tribes, encouraging them to take their portion of the spoils of Israel’s conquest back to their homes and families. (v.7-8) Verses 9-34: The remainder of this chapter gives an account of a misunderstanding that arises between these two and a half tribes and the rest of the nation. As the men of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh depart for home, the pause at the bank of the Jordan to build “…a great altar...” (v.10). This monument is meant as a memorial to their descendants (v.27), but when word of the altar’s existence reaches the elders of the western tribes they become fearful, believing that the altar’s purpose is for something else entirely. (v.11, 16) Once again, a council is gathered at Shiloh, and a representative from each of the ten tribes is chosen to accompany Phineas, son of Eleazar, on a fact finding mission. (v.13-14) They confront the elders of the Transjordanian tribes, demanding to know why they built an altar for sacrifices in direct violation of the Mosaic Law. (v.15-20) They remind them of the consequences of such rebellion, referencing Peor and Achan. (Numbers 25:1-3, Deuteronomy 4:3, Joshua 7:1) There’s a reference in verse 19 to the land east of the Jordan being unclean, meaning that the western tribes thought this might be the motive for the building of the altar, an attempt by the Transjordanian tribes of cleansing their portion of the land where they chose to live. The representatives of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh are quick to reassure their brethren that no rebellion, or idolatry, or any other sin has taken place. (v.21-29) They begin their defense by affirming their faithfulness to “The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods…” (v.22) That phrase is repeated for emphasis, and rest of that verse, along with verse 23, reads like an oath sworn in the presence of God and their brethren. What these men are saying, essentially, is that if they have indeed sinned against God then He will judge and punish them accordingly. The reason for the altar is that of a memorial, a monument for the future generations of the Transjordanian tribes. (v.27-28) These men feared that their children or grandchildren might one day turn away from the God of their fathers because of the distance and separation from their brethren on the west side of the Jordan. Therefore this altar was built to resemble the same one in the tabernacle at Shiloh (v.28) but not for the purpose of blood sacrifices or burnt offerings. Instead “it is a witness between us and you.” It is to serve as a connection between the west and east tribes that are separated by distance as well as the Jordan river, a reminder for future generations of what God has done for all His chosen people. They close their defense by repeating once more that this altar is not “…for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the lord our God that is before His tabernacle.” They affirm yet again, “God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn this day from following the Lord…”. Phineas and the men that accompanied him accept this explanation, pleased and relieved to hear that their brethren are not, in fact, rebelling against God. They return with the good news to their brethren, and all of Israel rejoices in this. They had been prepared to go to war against the Transjordanian tribes, if necessary, in order to cleanse the land and purge the sin from among them. (v.33) The men of Reuben and Gad name the monument Ed, which means “witness”. “…for it shall be a witness between us that the Lord is God.” (v.34) Passages such as this one can sometimes seem confusing to present day readers because to us the promised land doesn’t seem that large of an area on a small map in the back of our Bible. It’s also easy to forget what it is was like in a time where the only means of communication and travel was by horseback or on foot. For us today a distance of only a few dozen miles is not that far, but at this time in the ANE it was several days’ journey. The twelve tribes of Israel are no longer living in a close knit community in tents. They are now scattered over a great distance, and for those who settled on the eastern side of the Jordan river that distance from their brethren on the western side is even greater. Because of this it’s easy to see how misunderstandings like the one described in this chapter arose. But the western tribes did the wise thing by not jumping to conclusions and immediately going to war against their brethren. Instead, they gave the Transjordanian tribes the benefit of the doubt and dispatched Phineas with ten representatives to see if their suspicions were true or false. If the former, then the western tribes were prepared to act accordingly in order to protect the nation from God’s wrath. But, when the rumor turned out be false, they instead rejoiced with their brethren, and everyone returned to their respective homes happy and blessed. There’s an obvious and practical lesson here for believers today. It’s easy for the members of a church to believe gossip and rumors about one another, and we should respond as Israel did here. If there is the possibility that a brother or sister is committing sin within the body of Christ then he/she should be confronted in private by one or two of the church elders (usually the pastor) and be given the opportunity to set the record straight. If the rumor or suspicion turns out to be false, then all is well. If not, then it’s the responsibility of the pastor and, if necessary, the rest of the body to confront that member and deal with the sin accordingly. The western tribes were concerned about not arousing God’s righteous anger and, thus, bringing upon the nation His judgment for sin. That same zeal should be present in the body of Christ in the church today.  Photo courtesy of Moody Bible Atlas. CHAPTER 20:
Verses 1-6: God now commands Joshua and Israel to appoint specific cities to serve as cities of refuge. (v.1) (Exodus 21:13, Numbers 35:6, Deuteronomy 19:2, 9) Anyone guilty of manslaughter is to flee to the nearest city of refuge and have his/her case heard before the elders of that city. They will decide whether to give him/her shelter or release him/her to the one avenging the victim’s death. If the former, then that man or woman must remain living in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. After that, he/she is free to return to his/her own city without any fear of retribution from the victim’s family. (v.2-6) Once again, it’s important to keep in mind the laws and customs of the ANE at this time period. Wrongful death, even if it was an accident, had to be avenged according to local custom and law. Therefore God instituted the legal system of cities of refuge as a way to curb the endless cycle of vengeance that could result from someone accidentally taking another’s life. If the city elders judged that the death was indeed accidental, then the victim’s family was forbidden to avenge his/her death, but only as long as the one guilty of manslaughter remained in the city of refuge. If he/she left that city before the death of the current high priest at the time of the victim’s death, then the avenger was free to kill the murderer without fearing retribution from anyone. (Numbers 35:26-28) Verses 7-9: A total of six cities are selected, three each on either side of the Jordan river. The west side: Kadesh (Naphtali), Shechem (Ephraim), and Hebron (Judah). The east side: Bezer (Reuben), Ramoth (Gad), Bashan (Manasseh). The location of each city is such that no matter where an incident of manslaughter may occur, there is a city of refuge near enough for the slayer to flee to in a reasonable amount of time. CHAPTER 21: The final matter to be settled with regard to the land distribution is that of the Levites. In accordance with God’s command to Moses (Numbers 35:2-3) the elders of the tribe of Levi meet with Joshua and the elders of the other tribes at Shiloh. (v.1) The Levites request cities and suburbs to dwell in, and the rest of the nation willingly complies. (v.2-3) Verses 4-7: You’ll recall from the genealogies of Genesis and Exodus that the three sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (Genesis 46:11, Exodus 6:16) Numbers 3 details the various tabernacle duties and responsibilities assigned to the clans of the Levites that are the descendants of those three sons. Now, as the three primary clans draw lots for the cities where they will permanently dwell, the Kohathites are up first. They receive a total of twenty-three cities from the lands of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, Ephraim, Dan, and half of Manasseh. The thirteen cities (v.4) in Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin are for the priests because they must live close to the tabernacle in Shiloh. The clan of Gershon receives a total of thirteen cities from Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and half of Manasseh. Merari receives a total of twelve cities from Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. Verses 8-26: Now the author lists all of the cities given to Kohath. The main reason that this clan is given almost twice as many as the other two clans combined is because of Aaron’s direct descendants who are serving as the high priests. (v.10) As I noted above, thirteen of those cities are located in the lands of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin because those locations are close to Shiloh, which is the geographical center of the promised land and the location of the tabernacle. Hebron is both a Levitical city and a city of refuge. (v.11-13) This will apply to some of the other cities as well. Verses 27-33: All of the cities given to the clan of Gershon. Verses 34-42: All of the cities given to the clan of Merari. A total of forty-eight cities throughout the promised land are designated as home for the Levites. (v.41) It’s not just the city itself but also portions of the land around it (suburbs) that are given to the Levites for their livestock and farming needs. Verses 43-45: The author concludes the account of the land division and distribution by reminding the Israelites of God’s initial promise to Abraham. “And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers…”. (v.43) God had fulfilled His end of the covenant as promised, and it’s now up to His chosen people to dwell in the land and possess it. Their continued obedience and faithfulness to God and His law would result in peace throughout the land and rest from their enemies. (v.44) For now, God had “…delivered all their enemies into their hand.” God’s word and His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are fulfilled for their descendants at this time. The author closes this chapter with a confirmation that no “…good thing that the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel…” is withheld from them because they trusted in – and obeyed faithfully – the Lord during the conquest of the promised land. Once again, the lesson for believers today is clear and no less true today than it was for Israel back then. When we are obedient to God’s direction in our lives and faithful to Him in all aspects of our daily walk, then He will not withhold any good thing from us, His beloved children. God desires nothing but good for us (Romans 8:28), but it’s up to us to remain obedient and faithful. If we choose to go against God’s will and do our own thing rather than follow His direction, then His chastisement comes. Blessings are withheld, and we are miserable. That’s not to say that we must always work to earn God’s favor and blessings. His love for us is unconditional. But just as any parent will testify, there are benefits to obeying our heavenly father and unpleasant consequences for when we don’t. Israel had to learn this lesson multiple times, and they still failed more often than they succeeded. For now, however, they are given rest from their enemies all around them, and there is peace throughout the land. |
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