JOSHUA
CHAPTER 23
Joshua exhorts Israel to be courageous; keep the commandments; love the Lord; and neither marry among nor cleave unto remnants of Canaanites who remain in land—When Israel serves other gods, they shall be cursed and dispossessed.
1 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.
2 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:
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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;
7 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: [ What are
the children of Israel to do as they take over the Canaanite cities? Expell
everyone. Are we not supposed to be missionaries? Why
are they instructed to do so? Since men tend to
adopt the values or habits of those with whom they associate, it was
imperative that all idolatrous nations in Canaan be destroyed. Joshua
warned Israel of three things in the event that some heathen nations,
including those that surrounded them, were allowed to remain: (1) beware
of social intercourse with them (see Joshua 23:7) as we do we tend to
drop dow to their level, (2) refrain from worshiping their false gods
(see vv. 7–11), and (3) avoid intermarriages with them (see v. 12). Otherwise,
“snares and traps,” “scourges,” and “thorns” awaited Israel (v. 13).
]
9 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.
10 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.
12 Else if ye do [Here
is the warning of what will happen if they get lax in cleaving unto the
Lord.] 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:
13 Know for a certainty that the
LORD your God will no more drive out any of these
nations from before you; [This is the result of
not following the previous warning - God will no longer fight your battles
- you will be on your own.] but they shall be snares
and traps unto you, [ What is common about
snares and traps? well the are usually hidden a little,
they may even seem harmless, until we are caught in their grips - them there
is no escape.] 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.
[until you loose your inheritance. How
is this also a message for us in our day? ]
14 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.