"Now, therefore," he said, "get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." Now thenThis phrase serves as a transitional call to action. It indicates a shift from the preceding narrative or discourse to a moment of decision or command. In the context of Joshua 24, Joshua has just recounted the history of Israel and God's faithfulness. The Hebrew word used here is "עַתָּה" (attah), which often signifies an immediate response or action. It is a call to the present moment, urging the Israelites to make a decisive commitment. said Joshua
Joshua, the leader of Israel after Moses, is speaking. His authority is derived from his role as the appointed leader by God, and his words carry the weight of divine instruction. Joshua's leadership is characterized by his faithfulness and obedience to God, and his speech here is a culmination of his leadership journey. Historically, Joshua is seen as a type of Christ, leading his people into the Promised Land, which adds a layer of typological significance to his words. throw away the foreign gods
This command is a call to renounce idolatry. The Hebrew word for "throw away" is "הָסִירוּ" (hasiru), which means to remove or take away. The "foreign gods" refer to the idols and deities worshiped by the surrounding nations, which the Israelites were tempted to follow. This command is rooted in the first of the Ten Commandments, emphasizing the exclusivity of worship due to Yahweh alone. Archaeological findings have shown that idol worship was prevalent in the ancient Near East, making this command both a spiritual and cultural challenge for the Israelites. that are among you
This phrase indicates that the foreign gods were not just external threats but had infiltrated the community of Israel. The presence of these idols "among you" suggests a need for internal purification and a return to covenant faithfulness. It highlights the insidious nature of idolatry, which can become embedded within the community if not actively resisted. and incline your hearts
The Hebrew word for "incline" is "הַטּוּ" (hattu), which means to stretch out or extend. This phrase is a call to direct one's inner being, thoughts, and desires towards God. The heart, in Hebrew thought, is the center of will and decision-making. Thus, inclining one's heart is an act of volition, a deliberate choice to align one's life with God's will. to the LORD
The term "LORD" is the English representation of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, the personal name of God revealed to Moses. This name signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His covenant relationship with Israel. By calling the people to incline their hearts to the LORD, Joshua is urging them to renew their commitment to the covenant and to recognize God's sovereignty and faithfulness. the God of Israel
This phrase reaffirms the identity of the LORD as the specific deity who has chosen and covenanted with Israel. It distinguishes Yahweh from the foreign gods and emphasizes the unique relationship between God and His people. Historically, this relationship is marked by God's acts of deliverance, provision, and guidance, as recounted throughout the book of Joshua. The call to serve "the God of Israel" is a call to remember and respond to God's past faithfulness with present obedience. Persons / Places / Events 1. JoshuaThe leader of Israel after Moses, who is delivering his final address to the Israelites, urging them to remain faithful to God. 2. IsraelitesThe people of Israel, who are being called to renew their covenant with God and abandon any idolatry. 3. Foreign godsThe idols and deities from surrounding nations that some Israelites may have been tempted to worship. 4. ShechemThe location where Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to renew their covenant with God. 5. The LORD, the God of IsraelThe one true God whom Joshua is urging the Israelites to serve wholeheartedly. Teaching Points Reject IdolatryJust as the Israelites were called to put away foreign gods, Christians today must identify and reject modern forms of idolatry, such as materialism or anything that takes precedence over God. Heart InclinationThe Hebrew word for "incline" (natah) suggests a deliberate turning or bending towards God. Believers are encouraged to consciously direct their hearts and lives towards God in all they do. Covenant RenewalJoshua's call to the Israelites is a reminder of the importance of regularly renewing our commitment to God, reflecting on our spiritual journey, and making necessary changes. Community AccountabilityThe gathering at Shechem highlights the role of community in faith. Believers should support and hold each other accountable in their walk with God. Faithfulness to GodThe call to serve the LORD alone is a timeless principle, urging believers to remain steadfast in their faith amidst a world of distractions and competing loyalties. Bible Study Questions 1. What are some "foreign gods" or idols in your life that you need to put away to fully serve the LORD? 2. How can you practically "incline your heart" to God in your daily routine? 3. In what ways can your faith community help you stay accountable in your commitment to God? 4. How does the call to reject idolatry in Joshua 24:23 relate to Jesus' teaching in the New Testament about serving two masters? 5. Reflect on a time when you renewed your commitment to God. What changes did you make, and how did it impact your spiritual journey? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:3-5The commandment against idolatry, emphasizing the importance of worshiping only the LORD. 1 Samuel 7:3Samuel's call to Israel to put away foreign gods and serve the LORD only, echoing Joshua's exhortation. Matthew 6:24Jesus' teaching that one cannot serve two masters, relating to the choice between God and idols. James 4:8The call to draw near to God and purify one's heart, similar to inclining one's heart to the LORD. People Aaron, Amorites, Balaam, Balak, Beor, Canaanites, Egyptians, Eleazar, Esau, Girgashite, Girgashites, Hamor, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Jebusites, Joseph, Joshua, Nachor, Nahor, Nun, Perizzites, Phinehas, Seir, Serah, Terah, ZipporPlaces Canaan, Egypt, Euphrates River, Gaash, Gibeah, Jericho, Jordan River, Moab, Red Sea, Seir, Shechem, Timnath-serahTopics Aside, Foreign, Gods, Heart, Hearts, Incline, Midst, Strange, Stranger, Throw, Turn, Turning, YieldDictionary of Bible Themes Joshua 24:23 5017 heart, renewal Joshua 24:14-23 5541 society, negative Joshua 24:14-24 7160 servants of the Lord
8466 reformation Joshua 24:14-27 8145 renewal, people of God Joshua 24:19-24 5923 public opinion Joshua 24:21-24 6622 choice Joshua 24:22-25 1349 covenant, at Sinai Library February the Tenth Registering a Verdict
"The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey." --JOSHUA xxiv. 22-28. Here was a definite decision. Our peril is that we spend our life in wavering and we never decide. We are like a jury which is always hearing evidence and never gives a verdict. We do much thinking, but we never make up our minds. We let our eyes wander over many things, but we make no choice. Life has no crisis, no culmination. Now people who never decide spend their days in hoping to do so. But this kind of life …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling YearA Summary of Israel's Faithlessness and God's Patience
'And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3. Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee.
Subdivision B. At Jacob's Well, and at Sychar. ^D John IV. 5-42. ^d 5 So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 and Jacob's well was there. [Commentators long made the mistake of supposing that Shechem, now called Nablous, was the town here called Sychar. Sheckem lies a mile and a half west of Jacob's well, while the real Sychar, now called 'Askar, lies scarcely half a mile north of the well. It was a small town, loosely called …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Meditations for Household Piety.
1. If thou be called to the government of a family, thou must not hold it sufficient to serve God and live uprightly in thy own person, unless thou cause all under thy charge to do the same with thee. For the performance of this duty God was so well pleased with Abraham, that he would not hide from him his counsel: "For," saith God, "I know him that he will command his sons and his household after him that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Promise to the Patriarchs.
A great epoch is, in Genesis, ushered in with the history of the time of the Patriarchs. Luther says: "This is the third period in which Holy Scripture begins the history of the Church with a new family." In a befitting manner, the representation is opened in Gen. xii. 1-3 by an account of the first revelation of God, given to Abraham at Haran, in which the way is opened up for all that follows, and in which the dispensations of God are brought before us in a rapid survey. Abraham is to forsake …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). In our last chapter we considered at some length the much debated and difficult question of the human will. We have shown that the will of the natural man is neither Sovereign nor free but, instead, a servant and slave. We have argued that a right conception of the sinner's will-its servitude-is essential to a just estimate of his depravity and ruin. The utter corruption and degradation of human nature is something which …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God And for Your Fearlessness against them Hold this Sure Sign -- Whenever There Is...
43. And for your fearlessness against them hold this sure sign--whenever there is any apparition, be not prostrate with fear, but whatsoever it be, first boldly ask, Who art thou? And from whence comest thou? And if it should be a vision of holy ones they will assure you, and change your fear into joy. But if the vision should be from the devil, immediately it becomes feeble, beholding your firm purpose of mind. For merely to ask, Who art thou [1083] ? and whence comest thou? is a proof of coolness. …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
That the Lord gave special token of his approbation of the exercise of Covenanting, it belongs to this place to show. His approval of the duty was seen when he unfolded the promises of the Everlasting Covenant to his people, while they endeavoured to perform it; and his approval thereof is continually seen in his fulfilment to them of these promises. The special manifestations of his regard, made to them while attending to the service before him, belonged to one or other, or both, of those exhibitions …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting The First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Why is the commandment in the second person singular, Thou? Why does not God say, You shall have no other gods? Because the commandment concerns every one, and God would have each one take it as spoken to him by name. Though we are forward to take privileges to ourselves, yet we are apt to shift off duties from ourselves to others; therefore the commandment is in the second person, Thou and Thou, that every one may know that it is spoken to him, …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Moses and his Writings
[Illustration: (drop cap W) Clay letter tablet of Moses' time.] We now begin to understand a little of the very beginning of God's Book--of the times in which it was written, the materials used by its first author, and the different kinds of writing from which he had to choose; but we must go a step farther. How much did Moses know about the history of his forefathers, Abraham and Jacob, and of all the old nations and kings mentioned in Genesis, before God called him to the great work of writing …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making "The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not Subject to the Law of God, Neither Indeed Can Be. So Then they that Are
Rom. viii. s 7, 8.--"The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." It is not the least of man's evils, that he knows not how evil he is, therefore the Searcher of the heart of man gives the most perfect account of it, Jer. xvii. 12. "The heart is deceitful above all things," as well as "desperately wicked," two things superlative and excessive in it, bordering upon an infiniteness, such …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Manner of Covenanting.
Previous to an examination of the manner of engaging in the exercise of Covenanting, the consideration of God's procedure towards his people while performing the service seems to claim regard. Of the manner in which the great Supreme as God acts, as well as of Himself, our knowledge is limited. Yet though even of the effects on creatures of His doings we know little, we have reason to rejoice that, in His word He has informed us, and in His providence illustrated by that word, he has given us to …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Joshua
The book of Joshua is the natural complement of the Pentateuch. Moses is dead, but the people are on the verge of the promised land, and the story of early Israel would be incomplete, did it not record the conquest of that land and her establishment upon it. The divine purpose moves restlessly on, until it is accomplished; so "after the death of Moses, Jehovah spake to Joshua," i. 1. The book falls naturally into three divisions: (a) the conquest of Canaan (i.-xii.), (b) the settlement of the …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Joshua 24:23 NIVJoshua 24:23 NLTJoshua 24:23 ESVJoshua 24:23 NASBJoshua 24:23 KJV
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