Berean Study Bible Joshua’s Charge to LeadersThe major campaigns of conquest had ended, the land had been apportioned among the tribes, and Israel had entered a season of relative security in the inheritance God had promised. The rest from surrounding enemies fulfilled God’s covenant promise to bring His people into the land and give them peace there (Deuteronomy 12:10). Yet Canaanite peoples remained in parts of the land, making continued obedience and dependence on the LORD essential. Israel’s rest under Joshua also points beyond itself to the fuller rest God provides through Christ, which is received by faith and perfected in His eternal kingdom (Hebrews 4:8–10). Jos 21:44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side,… when Joshua was old and well along in years, Joshua had faithfully led Israel from the wilderness into Canaan and now stood near the end of his life. Along with Caleb, he remained a living witness to the exodus, the wilderness years, and the LORD’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. His approaching death made his final instructions urgent. Israel would soon live without the visible leadership of the man who had guided them in conquest, and their future prosperity in the land would depend on wholehearted loyalty to the LORD and His covenant. Jos 13:1 Now Joshua was old and well along in years,… he summoned all Israel, Joshua convened the nation for a solemn final charge. Israel’s unity under the covenant required that every tribe hear the call to remember God’s faithfulness and remain obedient in the land He had given them. National assemblies often marked covenant renewal, public instruction, and decisive moments in Israel’s history. Jos 24:1 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.… including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers. Israel’s recognized leaders represented the tribes and bore responsibility for guiding the people in justice, worship, and covenant faithfulness. Elders provided wise counsel, judges upheld righteous decisions, and officers carried out the administration of the nation. Their presence underscored that Joshua’s instruction concerned both public leadership and the obedience of every household. Deu 29:10 All of you are standing today before the LORD your God… “I am old and well along in years,” he said, Joshua openly acknowledged that his earthly leadership was drawing to a close, as Moses had done before him. His words prepared Israel to live faithfully without depending on his personal presence. The Lord who had brought them into the Promised Land would remain with them, but they must continue to cling to Him and reject the idolatry of the surrounding nations. Jos 13:1 Now Joshua was old and well along in years,… “and you have seen everything that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, Israel’s victories over the Canaanite peoples were acts of God’s covenant faithfulness. Those hearing Joshua had witnessed the crossing of the Jordan, the fall of Jericho, the defeat of the Amorite kings, and the possession of territories once held by powerful enemies. The land had been promised to Abraham and his descendants, and the Lord had carried out what He pledged. Remembering these works was essential as Israel faced the remaining task of possessing the land in obedience to God. Deu 9:4-5 When the LORD your God has driven them out before you,… because it was the LORD your God who fought for you. Israel had not prevailed through superior numbers, weapons, or strategy, but through the Lord’s power and presence. As He had fought for Israel at the Red Sea and throughout the wilderness, He had driven out nations before them according to His righteous purposes. Their future security depended on continuing to trust Him rather than turning to the gods or alliances of the surrounding peoples. God’s deliverance also points forward to Christ, whose victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness secures salvation for His people. Deu 3:22 Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God… See, I have allotted as an inheritance to your tribes Joshua reminded Israel that the land was God’s gift, not merely the result of military achievement. The inheritance fulfilled the covenant promise first given to Abraham and confirmed through Isaac and Jacob. Each tribe received its appointed portion under the Lord’s sovereign direction, binding the people to Him as the true owner of the land. Jos 13:7 Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance… these remaining nations, Parts of Canaan were still occupied by peoples whom Israel had not yet driven out. Their continued presence required Israel to obey God faithfully rather than accommodate idolatry or depend on human strength. The unfinished conquest would test whether later generations would remain devoted to the Lord. Jdg 3:1-2 These are the nations that the LORD left to test…… including all the nations I have already cut off, Israel’s victories under Joshua testified that the Lord had acted against the Canaanite kingdoms and delivered them into Israel’s hand. Their defeat was both judgment upon entrenched wickedness and confirmation that God kept His word. Past victories gave Israel reason to trust Him for the work that remained. Deu 2:31-33 Then the LORD said to me, “See, I have begun… from the Jordan westward to the Great Sea. The inheritance extended across the land west of the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Its valleys, hill country, plains, and coastal regions supplied the setting in which Israel was to live as God’s covenant people, worship Him alone, and display His holiness among the nations. Jos 1:4 Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon… The LORD your God will push them out of your way Joshua reminded Israel that victory in Canaan depended on the Lord’s power rather than Israel’s military strength. God had fought for His people from the exodus onward, and He would continue to act against the remaining Canaanite peoples. His intervention fulfilled the judgment announced when the iniquity of the Amorites had reached its full measure. Deu 7:22 The LORD your God will drive out these nations… and drive them out before you, The Lord Himself would go before Israel to remove opposition from the inheritance He had given them. Israel was still responsible to obey, fight, and remain faithful to the covenant, but the outcome rested upon God’s sovereign faithfulness. Their continued possession of the land required them to reject Canaanite idolatry and remain devoted to the Lord. Jos 24:12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out… so that you can take possession of their land, The land was the promised inheritance of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, granted by God and received through obedient faith. Possessing it involved more than occupying territory; Israel was to establish a holy people in a land governed by the Lord’s commands. The inheritance pointed beyond itself to the lasting inheritance secured for God’s people through Christ. Num 33:53 You are to take possession of the land and settle in it… as the LORD your God promised you. Joshua grounded Israel’s confidence in the unchanging word of God. What the Lord had promised to the patriarchs centuries earlier was being fulfilled in their generation. His faithfulness in giving Israel the land assured them that every remaining promise of God would also stand. Exo 6:8 And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give… Be very strong, then, Joshua’s farewell charge recalls the Lord’s command at the beginning of his leadership (Joshua 1:6–9). Israel’s future in the land depended not on military power alone but on steadfast confidence in the Lord who had fulfilled His promises. Courage was needed to resist the spiritual pressures of Canaan and to lead the nation in continued faithfulness. Deu 31:6 Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified… so that you can keep and obey Israel was responsible to guard God’s covenant instructions and order its life by them. Blessing in the land was joined to faithful obedience, while compromise would bring discipline and loss. Joshua called the people to a whole-hearted allegiance expressed in worship, justice, family life, and separation from idolatry. Jos 22:5 But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law… all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, The written Law provided God’s authoritative standard for Israel. Moses had delivered the covenant commands received from the Lord, and Joshua’s generation was to preserve them rather than reshape them according to Canaanite customs. The Law revealed God’s holiness, exposed sin, and directed Israel toward the promised Redeemer who would fulfill all that God required (Matthew 5:17). Jos 8:31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD… not turning aside from it to the right or to the left. God’s people were to follow His revealed will without alteration or selective obedience. Turning in either direction meant departing from covenant loyalty, whether through open idolatry, political alliances with pagan nations, or neglect of God’s commands. The same call to steadfastness appears in Deuteronomy 5:32 and Proverbs 4:27, urging believers to remain fixed on the path God has set before them. Deu 17:20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen,… So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. Joshua spoke near the end of his life, after Israel had received its allotted inheritance in Canaan but before every remaining enemy had been removed. Several Canaanite peoples continued to live within or near Israel’s tribal territories. God had warned that close alliances, intermarriage, and shared religious life with these nations would draw Israel away from covenant faithfulness. Israel was called to live among surrounding peoples without adopting their worship, morals, or loyalties. The unfinished conquest required continued obedience and dependence upon the Lord rather than accommodation with the inhabitants of the land. Deu 7:2-4 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you… You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, Calling upon a god’s name or swearing an oath by that god acknowledged its authority and invited its supposed help. Such acts would deny the Lord’s unique sovereignty and compromise Israel’s testimony that Yahweh alone is God. The first commandment required Israel to have no other gods, and God’s covenant name was never to be joined with pagan worship. Faithfulness involved public as well as private allegiance, especially in treaties, legal oaths, commerce, and relationships with neighboring nations. Exo 23:13 Pay close attention to everything I have said to you.… and you must not serve them or bow down to them. Service and bowing were visible acts of religious devotion, often connected with the temples, sacrifices, fertility rites, and idols of Canaan. Israel had been redeemed from Egypt to serve the Lord alone, and worship of foreign gods would amount to abandoning the covenant that gave them the land. Joshua’s warning anticipated the danger that later marked Israel’s history, when compromise with Canaanite religion brought spiritual corruption, oppression, and divine discipline. God’s people remain secure only as they cling to Him with undivided hearts. Exo 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them;… Instead, you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, Israel’s security in the land depended not on military strength or alliances but on steadfast covenant loyalty to the LORD. Joshua warned against association with the remaining Canaanite nations and their gods, for divided worship would lead the people away from the God who had given them the land. Holding fast to the LORD required exclusive devotion, obedience to His commands, and rejection of idolatry. The same covenant love commanded in the Shema called Israel to cling to the LORD with heart, soul, and strength. Deu 10:20 You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him.… as you have done to this day. Joshua recognized God’s preserving grace in Israel’s history and encouraged the people to continue in the obedience that had marked the conquest. Victories over stronger enemies had come because the LORD fought for them, confirming that faithfulness brought blessing. Yet Israel’s earlier obedience was not a substitute for future perseverance. Each generation would need to remain devoted to the LORD, trusting His promises and refusing the spiritual compromises that would eventually bring judgment. Jos 22:3 All this time you have not deserted your brothers,… The LORD has driven out great and powerful nations before you, Israel’s possession of Canaan came through the LORD’s power, not Israel’s military superiority. He fulfilled the covenant promise made to Abraham by judging the Canaanite nations and giving their land to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 15:16–21; Deuteronomy 7:1–2). Joshua had witnessed God’s victories over the Amorite kings east of the Jordan, the fortified city of Jericho, Hazor, and the confederacies gathered against Israel. The LORD fought for His people as the divine Warrior, demonstrating His faithfulness and holiness while establishing Israel in the land. Deu 4:38 to drive out before you nations greater and mightier… and to this day no one can stand against you. The security Israel had enjoyed throughout Joshua’s leadership testified to God’s continuing presence among them. Their enemies had been unable to prevail because the LORD had kept His promise to fight for Israel when they walked in obedience. Joshua’s words also prepared the nation for the warning that follows: continued blessing in the land depended on wholehearted loyalty to the LORD. God’s victory over Israel’s enemies points forward to the greater security found in Christ, whose people are upheld against every spiritual enemy by the power and faithfulness of God (Romans 8:31–39). Deu 7:24 He will hand their kings over to you, and you will… One of you can put a thousand to flight, Israel’s victories in Canaan repeatedly showed that military strength was not the decisive factor. At Jericho, Gibeon, and other battles, the LORD gave His people success against forces far greater than their own. Gideon’s small army later displayed the same reality: God can save by many or by few. Joshua’s words rest within the covenant call to wholehearted obedience, warning Israel not to seek security in alliances with the remaining Canaanite nations. Deu 32:30 How could one man pursue a thousand, or two… because the LORD your God fights for you, The LORD had fought for Israel from the Red Sea onward, defeating enemies that Israel could not overcome by human power. He remained Israel’s divine King and Warrior, requiring faith, courage, and covenant loyalty from His people. God’s power is not diminished by human weakness, and His people are called to depend upon Him rather than their own resources. The Lord’s ultimate victory over sin, death, and evil is secured through Jesus Christ. Deu 3:22 Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God… just as He promised. God had pledged to give Israel the land and to drive out its enemies before them. Joshua could point to a lifetime of fulfilled promises as evidence that the LORD is faithful in all He says. Israel’s future blessing depended on continuing in love and obedience to Him. God’s faithfulness reaches its fullest revelation in Christ, in whom all of God’s saving promises find their Yes and Amen. Jos 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel… Therefore watch yourselves carefully, Joshua grounded Israel’s vigilance in the LORD’s faithfulness. Having driven out powerful nations and fulfilled every promise He made, God deserved Israel’s undivided allegiance. Life in Canaan would bring continuing pressure to adopt the gods, practices, and alliances of the remaining nations. Israel needed to guard its heart, conduct, and loyalties, refusing every path that led away from covenant obedience. Spiritual watchfulness remains necessary because compromise often begins with neglected devotion and unguarded affection. Deu 4:9 Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves… that you love the LORD your God. Love for the LORD was the heart of Israel’s covenant calling, requiring wholehearted obedience, worship, and trust. Moses had commanded Israel to love God with all the heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5), and Joshua renewed that charge as Israel entered its inheritance. The LORD had first set His love upon His people and redeemed them; their love answered His grace. Jesus affirmed this command as the greatest commandment, and He perfectly fulfilled it through complete obedience to the Father. Deu 6:5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart… For if you turn away Israel’s security in the land depended on continued love and obedience toward the LORD. Turning away would mean abandoning covenant loyalty and repeating the pattern later seen in Judges, when Israel served the gods of surrounding peoples and suffered oppression. Deu 30:17-18 But if your heart turns away and you do not listen,… and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, The Canaanite peoples still living in the land presented a continuing spiritual danger. God had forbidden Israel to make covenants with them or adopt their worship, because fellowship with idolatry would weaken Israel’s distinct devotion to the LORD (Exodus 23:32–33; Joshua 23:7). Deu 7:1-2 When the LORD your God brings you into the land… and if you intermarry Marriage alliances commonly joined families, religious customs, and political loyalties. Israel was forbidden to intermarry with idol-worshiping nations because such unions could draw covenant households into the service of foreign gods (Deuteronomy 7:3–4). Solomon’s marriages to foreign wives later showed the tragic fulfillment of this warning (1 Kings 11:1–4). Deu 7:3-4 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters… and associate with them, Close alliances with the remaining nations would lead Israel to share their life, worship, and values. The danger was not ordinary contact with outsiders but covenantal compromise that replaced wholehearted devotion to God. Israel’s later idolatry and eventual exile demonstrated the seriousness of Joshua’s warning. Psa 106:35-36 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.… know for sure Joshua calls Israel to live in settled confidence that God will keep every word of His covenant. The same faithfulness that fulfilled His promises of victory and inheritance would also fulfill His warnings against rebellion. Deu 4:39 Know therefore this day and take to heart… that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. God had driven out powerful Canaanite peoples as Israel entered the land, but continued victory required covenant loyalty. Israel’s tolerance of idolatrous nations would bring an end to God’s removing them, leaving Israel to face the consequences of its own compromise. Exo 23:29-30 I will not drive them out before you in a single year;… Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, Canaanite religion and customs would lure Israel away from wholehearted devotion to the LORD. What Israel permitted to remain in the land would become an instrument of spiritual captivity, drawing the nation into idolatry and disobedience. Exo 23:33 They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you… a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, The nations left among Israel would cause ongoing affliction, conflict, and grief. Their presence would not remain harmless; it would wound Israel’s life in the land and continually obstruct clear, faithful worship of God. Num 33:55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land… until you perish from this good land The land was a generous gift, described throughout Scripture as good and fruitful, yet Israel’s enjoyment of it depended on obedience to the covenant. Persistent rebellion would lead to removal from the inheritance, as later occurred through the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles. Deu 11:17 or the anger of the LORD will be kindled… that the LORD your God has given you. Israel possessed the land only because the LORD gave it according to His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God’s gift carried the responsibility to honor Him within it, remembering that the land and its blessings belonged ultimately to Him. Deu 8:10 When you eat and are satisfied, bless the LORD your God… Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, Joshua spoke near the end of his life after Israel had received its allotted inheritance in Canaan. Like David after him, he recognized that death comes to every earthly leader. Joshua’s approaching death did not leave Israel without hope, because the Lord who had led them through the wilderness, the Jordan, and the conquest would remain faithful. 1Ki 2:2 I am about to go the way of all the earth.… and you know with all your heart and soul Israel’s own history bore witness to God’s faithfulness. Their knowledge was not merely public memory or outward confession; it involved the whole person. They had seen the Lord defeat stronger nations, give them land, and preserve His people according to His covenant. Deu 4:29 But if from there you will seek the LORD your God,… that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Every promise concerning Israel’s entrance into the land and God’s victory over their enemies had proven true. The Lord’s goodness was displayed not only in judgment upon Canaanite wickedness but also in mercy toward His covenant people. His word cannot fail because He is faithful to all He has spoken. 1Ki 8:56 Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel… Everything was fulfilled for you; Israel stood in the land as living evidence that God accomplishes His purposes. What He had promised through Moses had become their possession under Joshua. The completed conquest pointed beyond itself to the greater rest and redemption God would ultimately provide through Christ. Jos 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel… not one promise has failed. Joshua repeated the certainty of God’s faithfulness so that Israel would remain steadfast after his death. The God who fulfilled His promises then remains trustworthy in every generation, and all of God’s promises find their final assurance in Jesus Christ. 2Co 1:20 For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ.… But just as every good thing the LORD your God promised you has come to pass, Israel’s possession of Canaan testified that God had kept His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The victories recorded in Joshua came not through Israel’s strength alone but through the LORD’s faithful presence and power. God’s fulfilled promises provided firm grounds for continued trust and obedience. Jos 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel… likewise the LORD will bring upon you the calamity He has threatened, The same God who faithfully gives blessing also faithfully carries out His warnings. The covenant established through Moses promised blessing for obedience and judgment for rebellion (Deuteronomy 28). Israel could not presume upon past grace while turning to other gods or abandoning the LORD’s commands. Deu 28:15 If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God… until He has destroyed you from this good land The land was good because it was God’s gracious provision, a place of rest, fruitfulness, and covenant blessing. Yet continued residence in the land required covenant faithfulness. Israel’s later exile under Assyria and Babylon demonstrated the seriousness of Joshua’s warning and the certainty of divine judgment against persistent idolatry. Deu 28:63 Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper… He has given you. Israel received the land as a gift, not as a reward for its own righteousness (Deuteronomy 9:4–6). God’s generosity called for grateful stewardship, wholehearted worship, and loyalty to Him alone. The gift of the land therefore carried both blessing and responsibility. Jos 24:13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil…… If you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, Israel’s covenant with the LORD bound the nation to Him in faith, worship, and obedience. Established at Sinai and grounded in God’s promises to Abraham, the covenant defined Israel’s life in the land as His redeemed people. Deu 17:2 If a man or woman among you in one of the towns… which He commanded you, The covenant came from God’s own authority. Its commands, including exclusive worship of the LORD, were not optional customs but the revealed will of the God who had delivered Israel from Egypt and given them the land. Deu 4:13 He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded… and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, Idolatry would deny the LORD’s uniqueness and reject the first commandment. The peoples of Canaan worshiped many false gods, but Israel was called to belong wholly to the LORD. To serve other gods was covenant unfaithfulness and spiritual betrayal. Exo 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them;… then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, God’s anger is His holy and just response to rebellion. He does not treat idolatry lightly because it destroys His people and dishonors the covenant relationship He graciously established with them. Deu 6:15 For the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God.… and you will quickly perish from this good land He has given you.” Canaan was God’s gift, not Israel’s permanent possession apart from Him. Joshua’s warning anticipates the later exiles, when persistent idolatry brought God’s judgment upon both Israel and Judah. The good land testified to God’s generosity, while its loss would reveal the grave cost of abandoning Him. Deu 4:26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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