Outline: (BKC)
I. The Invasion of Canaan (1:1–5:12)
II. The Conquest of Canaan (5:13–12:24)
III. The Division of Canaan (chaps. 13–21)
IV. Conclusion (chaps. 22–24)
A. A border dispute (chap. 22)
B. The last days of Joshua (23:1–24:28)
1. Joshua’s final challenge to the leaders (chap. 23)
2. Joshua’s final charge to the people (24:1–28)
Bg: (BKC) The geographical setting is of interest. Shechem, a few miles northwest of Shiloh, was where Abraham first received the promise that God would give his seed the land of Canaan. Abraham responded by building an altar to demonstrate his faith in the one true God (Gen. 12:6–7). Jacob too stopped at Shechem on his return from Paddan Aram and buried there the idols his family had brought with them (Gen. 35:4). After the Israelites completed the first phase of the conquest of Canaan they journeyed to Shechem where Joshua built an altar to Yahweh, inscribed the Law of God on stone pillars, and reviewed these laws for all the people (Josh. 8:30–35). Joshua had good reason, therefore, to convene the Israelites at this location.
The parts of the covenant renewal, like a suzerainty treaty, included a preamble (vv. 1–2a), a historical prologue (vv. 2b–13), the stipulations for the vassals with the consequences of disobedience (vv. 14–24), and the writing of the agreement (vv. 25–28). The Mosaic Covenant established at Sinai was not an everlasting covenant; hence it needed to be renewed in every generation. That renewal was now transacted in a formal and impressive ceremony.
1. Repeated words:
A. (BKC) It was God who spoke in this recapitulation of Israel’s history; 18 times the personal pronoun “I” is used: I took … I gave … I assigned … I sent … I afflicted … I brought … I delivered, etc. Like a Hittite king reviewing the benevolent acts he had performed for his vassal subjects, God reviewed the marvelous deeds He had performed for Israel’s benefit. Any greatness Israel achieved was not by her effort but through God’s grace and enablement. From first to last Israel’s conquests, deliverances, and prosperity were because of God’s good mercies and were not of their own making.
B. The word, "serve" and note the repeat of the geographic locations in v.1-13 and in v.14-15
v.2 your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River...They worshiped (served) other gods
v.4b-5, 7 while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt...I struck Egypt down...he drowned them in the sea. You witnessed with your very own eyes what I did in Egypt
v.8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites...I handed them over to you...I destroyed them from before you
v.9-10 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab... I rescued you from his (Balaam) power...
v.11 The leaders of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you
14 Now obey the LORD and worship him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and worship the LORD. 15 If you have no desire to worship the LORD, then choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the LORD”
2. Conclusion: First, the only reasonable response to all the mercies God has done to our lives is to serve Him. The review of history require our actions. To serve. In other words, from whom I serve reflect whom do I really grateful to their caring and guiding. My idol never care or guide me in the past, but God did. I am an adulterer if I serve my idols.
On one hand, worshipping other gods is a sign of ungrateful for the mercy of God. On the hand, it is unreasonable to worship someone who is defeated by our God.
Reflection: In what way, my worshipping of idols (comfort, healthy body)4 is ungrateful for the mercy of God? It is a sign of my ignoring of my history of all the caring and guiding of God. It is also unreasonable in how empty, temporal, and useless when comparing with God.
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