Today I finished the book of Joshua! It was mainly a summary of all the things that happened to the people of Israel. It was told somewhat as a story. A lot of time had apparently gone by from yesterday’s reading to today’s…
A long time had gone past since the Lord had given rest to Israel from all the surrounding enemies. Now Joshua was old and well advanced in years, and he summoned all Israel; its elders, heads, judges, and officers. He recapped their history and journey, repeating all that has already been told.
Once the tribes were assembled, Israel was to renew their covenant with the Lord. This was Joshua’s final official act as the Lord’s servant, mediator of the Lord’s rule over his people. In this he followed the example of Moses, whose final official act was also a call to covenant renewal; of which Deuteronomy is the preserved document.
Joshua gathered all the tribes to Shechem and they presented themselves before God. Joshua spoke about their history.
Summary of Israel’s Story
Long ago, the fathers of Abraham and Nahor lived beyond the Euphrates, and they served other gods. Then the Lord took Abraham from beyond the river and led him through the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. He was given Isaac. And Isaac was given Jacob and Esau. Esau was given the hill country to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
Then Moses and Aaron were sent, and the Lord plagued Egypt. Afterward the people of Israel were brought out and went to the sea. The Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. The Lord put darkness between Israel and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon the Egyptians and cover them.
Then Israel lived in the wilderness a long time. Then they were brought into the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with them and Israel took possession of their land and they were destroyed.
Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse them, but the Lord would not listen to Balaam. Instead, he blessed them.
They went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders fought against them. Also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. They were all given into Israel’s hand by the Lord.
Then Joshua said,
“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. 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.
-Joshua 24:14-15
But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
The people declared that they would serve the Lord their God for all the things he had done for them. They witnessed against themselves that they would serve the Lord and obey his words.
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules. Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. He took a large stone and set it up under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. The stone would be witness against them all for it heard all the words the Lord had spoke to them. Then Joshua sent all the people away to their own inheritance.
After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. They buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.
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.
As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.
And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.