Joshua 23

Joshua 23:1

F. Joshua’s Farewell Address to the Leaders of Israel (Chap. 23)This is the first of two farewell addresses by Joshua. Here he spoke to the leadership of Israel. Joshua’s command to be both courageous and scriptural (v. 6) echo the words of the Lord to him years earlier (Jos_1:7). He had since proven the veracity of them in the crucible of life and was now able to confidently pass them on to the following generation. He reminded them of the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises concerning the land and concerning its heathen inhabitants. God would continue to drive . . . out the enemy, but the people would have to be obedient to Him. Above all, they should keep themselves free from the idolatry of the nations or from intermarrying with the Canaanites. Otherwise these pagans would be a continual source of trouble to Israel. None of God’s words had failed (v. 14). This does not mean that all of the land was as yet in Jewish hands, for the Lord Himself had said that He would not drive out the inhabitants all at once but gradually (Deu_7:22). The fact that not one promise of the Lord’s had yet failed was the strong encouragement that Joshua was using to urge the leaders to finish the job he had started. To this exhortation he attached a warning (vv. 5, 16) that Jehovah would be just as faithful in destroying them from off the good land as He would be in destroying the Canaanites, if they forgot their covenant and turned to idols. The NT parallel to this chapter Isaiah 2Co_6:14-18. Separation is vital for the man of God. We cannot cleave to the Lord and be bound to His enemies at the same time.