Many years have passed from God giving them rest and Joshua was in old age. He called all Israel, for their leaders to gather together (v1-3). He gave an address to them, “I am old, advanced in age. You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has fought for you.”
He began by reminding them of all that God had done for them. He could have taken credit, but he gave all the glory to God. He reminds them that God had given them the land and would drive out their enemies, he had allocated the territories and that they were to occupy and possess the land (v4,5). God had fulfilled His promise, but they had to act upon it. We, as Christians, have an inheritance and have been blessed with every spiritual blessing and we must be obedient.
He reminds them that they would need to be very courageous and obedient to God’s law (v6) without turning aside from it and not even mention the name of any other gods but be totally faithful to The LORD their God (v7,8). If they abide in The LORD, they will be blessed but if they fail to abide in Him the blessing will depart. (v9-13)
He reminds them also that The LORD has driven out their enemies, “One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.” However, if they go back and cling to what is left of those nations, make marriages with them and mix with them, “…. know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you.”
God had done marvellous things for them and still would if they diligently kept themselves in the love of God. We are in the same situation and must keep ourselves untainted by the world, because if we don’t, traps and snare will lead to our destruction. Temptations are all around us, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 ‘No temptation has overtaken you such as is common to man, but God is faithful and will make a way of escape….’ I love that verse; God will make a way of escape for us to take, and it is usually to say ‘No’. If we are in Christ, no curse will come upon us if we fail, but we can expect God’s chastisement which comes because He loves us.
Joshua informs them that he is about to pass on and he repeats the words recorded at the end of chapter 21 “…. you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.” (v14)
