Commentary - Joshua 24:1-13

Bird's-eye view

Here at the end of Joshua's life, we have a grand covenant renewal ceremony. This is not just a sentimental farewell; it is a formal, solemn assembly before God. Joshua, acting as God's covenant mediator, gathers all of Israel to rehearse their history. But this is not history for history's sake. This is redemptive history, which is another way of saying it is a recitation of God's unilateral, sovereign grace. From start to finish, the story is about what God has done. "I took... I led... I multiplied... I gave... I sent... I smote... I brought you out." The constant refrain is the divine initiative. Israel's role in this drama has been largely that of a recipient, and often a rebellious one at that. The purpose of this history lesson is to lay the foundation for the choice that will be put to them: serve Yahweh or serve the idols of your fathers and the Amorites. The only sane response to such a display of unmerited favor is wholehearted allegiance.

This passage is a powerful reminder that our relationship with God is always grounded in His prior action. We do not initiate; we respond. We do not earn; we receive. The entire Christian life is a response to the grace of God that has come to us in Jesus Christ. Just as Joshua recounted God's mighty acts for Israel, so the Church recounts the mighty act of the cross and resurrection. And just as Israel was called to choose whom they would serve, so are we. The recital of God's faithfulness is the ground of our faithfulness.

Outline

Context In Joshua

This chapter forms the capstone of the entire book of Joshua. Having detailed the crossing of the Jordan, the conquest of the land, and the division of the inheritance, the book concludes with this final covenant summons. This is the second of Joshua's farewell addresses (the first being in chapter 23), but this one is more formal and climactic. The location, Shechem, is significant. It was at Shechem that Abraham first received the promise of the land (Gen. 12:6-7) and where Jacob cleansed his household of foreign gods (Gen. 35:2-4). It is a place freighted with covenantal history, making it the perfect stage for this solemn renewal. The structure of the chapter closely follows the pattern of ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaties, where a great king (God) recounts his benevolent acts for his subjects (Israel) and then calls them to loyalty.

Key Issues

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges and their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

The scene is set with a formal, solemn assembly. This is not a casual get-together. Joshua, nearing the end of his life, summons all of Israel. Note the representative nature of the gathering. He calls for the elders, heads, judges, and officers. This is a corporate act. The covenant is not just with a smattering of individuals, but with the entire nation, represented by its leadership. They "presented themselves before God." This is a court proceeding, a divine audience. They are standing on holy ground, not because of the geography of Shechem, but because of the presence of Yahweh. All true worship is a presenting of ourselves before God, a formal recognition of His authority and our place before Him.

2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.’

Joshua immediately makes it clear that he is not the one speaking. He is a mouthpiece. "Thus says Yahweh." This is prophetic speech, carrying the full authority of God Himself. And where does God begin His story? He begins it in the mud. He reminds Israel of their origins, which were not glorious. Their fathers, including Abraham's immediate family, were idolaters. They lived "beyond the River," the Euphrates, in the heart of pagan Mesopotamia. They served "other gods." This is a foundational truth. God's grace did not find a people who were seeking Him. God's grace broke into a family, a culture, that was actively serving false gods. Salvation always begins with God's initiative toward those who are spiritually dead and in rebellion. He does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac.

Here is the first great act of sovereign grace. "I took..." God's election is an active, powerful taking. He plucked Abraham out of the idolatrous mire. This was not Abraham's bright idea. God then "led him." Abraham's journey was a guided tour, orchestrated by God. He didn't just point him in the right direction; He led him every step of the way. And the purpose was covenantal: "I... multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac." The promise begins to take shape. The gift of a son to an old man and a barren woman is a signpost pointing to the fact that this whole enterprise is supernatural. It is God's work from start to finish.

4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

The story continues, and God's sovereign hand is still evident. "To Isaac I gave..." The blessing is passed down, not by natural right, but by divine gift. Even the detail about Esau is important. God is sovereign over all nations and all destinies. He gave Mount Seir to Esau. This is not a throwaway line; it shows that God's plan is comprehensive. But the focus remains on the line of promise. "Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt." This move, which seemed like a detour driven by famine and family dysfunction, was actually a crucial part of God's plan, setting the stage for the next great act of redemption.

5 Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I smote Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out.

"I sent... I smote... I brought you out." The divine monologue continues. The deliverance from Egypt was entirely God's doing. He sent His chosen leaders. He, not Moses, smote Egypt with plagues. The power was His. And He brought them out. The Exodus is the paradigmatic act of salvation in the Old Testament. It is a story of God's power breaking the chains of a hostile world power to rescue His chosen people, who were utterly helpless to save themselves. This is a picture of our salvation in Christ. God sent His Son, smote the powers of sin and death on the cross, and brought us out of bondage into freedom.

6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.

God reiterates the point: "I brought your fathers out." But He immediately reminds them of the peril they faced. Deliverance was not a walk in the park. It was a dramatic rescue in the face of overwhelming opposition. The might of Egypt, with its chariots and horsemen, was bearing down on them. This was a humanly impossible situation, designed by God to display His power in its fullness. He brings His people to the end of their own resources so that they have nowhere to look but up.

7 Then they cried out to Yahweh; He put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for many days.

In their desperation, they "cried out to Yahweh." This is the proper response to helplessness. And God answered. He intervened directly, putting darkness between them and their enemies. He used creation itself, the sea, as His weapon. "Your own eyes saw what I did." This was not a secondhand report. The generation that came out of Egypt was an eyewitness to the mighty works of God. This personal experience was meant to be the bedrock of their faith. The verse ends with a summary of the next forty years: "And you lived in the wilderness for many days." This period of wandering was also part of God's plan, a time of testing and training, though marked by their persistent unbelief.

8 Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you.

The story moves to the generation Joshua is addressing. "I brought you..." The conquest of the Transjordan was God's work. The Amorites fought, but God gave them into Israel's hand. Notice the interplay: "I gave them into your hand, and you took possession." God's sovereignty does not negate human action; it enables it. They fought the battles, but the victory was God's gift. "I destroyed them before you." The ultimate agent of the conquest was Yahweh Himself. This was a holy war, a divine judgment on the iniquity of the Amorites, which God had declared was now full (Gen. 15:16).

9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.

God reminds them not only of the military opposition but also of the spiritual opposition they faced. Balak did not just fight with swords; he fought with curses. He hired a spiritual mercenary, Balaam, to attack Israel at a supernatural level. This is a reminder that our warfare is not just against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of darkness.

10 But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he blessed you repeatedly, and I delivered you from his hand.

Here is a glorious statement of God's protective sovereignty. "But I was not willing to listen to Balaam." The pagan prophet's power was utterly subordinate to the will of Yahweh. God took the intended curse and turned it into a blessing, not once, but repeatedly. God's purposes for His people cannot be thwarted by the machinations of men or the incantations of false prophets. "I delivered you from his hand." God is our defender against all enemies, both seen and unseen.

11 And you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand.

The crossing of the Jordan was another miracle, a bookend to the Red Sea crossing. Then came the conquest of the land proper. The list of "-ites" is a formidable roll call of enemies. But the outcome was never in doubt. The verse ends with the same triumphant refrain: "Thus I gave them into your hand." Every victory was a gift of grace.

12 Then I sent the hornet before you, and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow.

This is a fascinating detail. God used "the hornet" to go before them. Whether this was a literal insect swarm, a reference to the terror and panic that preceded Israel's army, or a symbol of Egyptian power collapsing in the north, the point is the same. God used means beyond Israel's own military might to secure the victory. He explicitly says it was "not by your sword or your bow." God wants to make it crystal clear that they cannot take credit for their success. The victory belongs to Him alone.

13 And I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

This verse is the grand summation of God's unmerited favor. The land itself, the fruit of their conquest, was a pure gift. They inherited the labor of others. The infrastructure was already in place. The vineyards and olive groves were mature and producing. This is a beautiful picture of grace. We, as Christians, have been given a salvation we did not labor for, a righteousness we did not build, and we feast on spiritual blessings we did not plant. It is all of grace. This recital of God's goodness is designed to produce overwhelming gratitude and humble, loyal service. Anything less would be insanity.

Application

The principle here is straightforward. Our lives before God are to be governed by a constant remembrance of His grace. Like Joshua, we must regularly call ourselves to attention and rehearse the history of our own redemption. We must remember that we were once idolaters, serving other gods "beyond the River." We must remember that God "took" us, not because of anything in us, but because of His own good pleasure. He led us, He delivered us from bondage, and He has given us an inheritance we did not earn.

This remembrance is not a passive exercise. It is the fuel for present faithfulness. When we are tempted to flirt with the idols of our age, we must remember the pit from which we were dug. When we are tempted to take credit for our successes, we must remember that it was not by our sword or our bow. When we grow weary in the fight, we must remember the long line of victories God has already won for us. The history of God's grace in the past is the foundation for our trust and obedience in the present. It all comes down to this: God has done everything for us. Therefore, we owe everything to Him. Choose this day whom you will serve.