Joshua 24 Study Notes: Covenant Renewal at Shechem
At Shechem Joshua retells God's saving acts from Abraham's call out of idolatry to the gift of Canaan, and calls Israel to choose to serve God alone. The people pledge loyalty, Joshua sets up a stone as a witness, and the book closes with the burials of Joshua, Joseph's bones, and Eleazar.
General
According to 24:2, what were Abraham's forefathers, including Terah, doing in their homeland across the Euphrates?
Answer: Worshiping other gods
God's own retelling of Israel's story begins with a surprising fact: long ago Abraham's family, including his father Terah, lived on the far side of the Euphrates River and served other gods. Then God took Abraham from there, brought him through Canaan, and multiplied his descendants (24:2-3). The text names nothing in Abraham as the reason; every action is God's: He took him, led him, and gave him offspring. Genesis records that the call came from the LORD (Genesis 12:1), and Israel later confessed that God chose Abram and brought him out (Nehemiah 9:7-8). This is grace, meaning God's undeserved kindness: His choice of Israel rested on His own love (Deuteronomy 7:7-8), and Paul, in his discussion of Abraham, says that God counts faith as righteousness as a gift, not as wages earned, to the one who trusts the God who declares the ungodly righteous (Romans 4:4-5).
- Joshua 24:2-3 (BSB)“And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,”God's account of Israel's history begins with Abraham's family serving other gods until God took Abraham out.
- Genesis 12:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.”The call to leave country and family came from the LORD Himself.
- Nehemiah 9:7-8 (BSB)“You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.”Israel later confessed that God chose Abram and brought him out, then kept His promise to him.
- Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”God's choice of Israel rested on His own love and oath, not on anything in Israel.
- Romans 4:4-5 (BSB)“Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”In his discussion of Abraham, Paul says faith is credited as righteousness, as a gift, to the one who trusts God who justifies the ungodly.
Theological
What does 24:2 say about the religion of Terah's household beyond the Euphrates before God took Abraham?
Answer: Worshiping other gods
The LORD's recital of redemptive history opens by locating Israel's roots in idolatry: Terah and his family dwelt across the Euphrates and served other gods, until God took Abraham, brought him through Canaan, and multiplied his seed (24:2-3). The initiative is entirely divine. The call came from the LORD (Genesis 12:1), Israel's later confession credits God with choosing Abram and bringing him out (Nehemiah 9:7-8), and God's election of Israel is grounded in His own love and oath, not in their merit (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). Paul uses Abraham as the model of the one who is justified as a gift, trusting the God who declares the ungodly righteous (Romans 4:4-5). Israel's story begins with God's free, unearned grace.
- Joshua 24:2-3 (BSB)“And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,”God's account of Israel's history begins with Abraham's family serving other gods until God took Abraham out.
- Genesis 12:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.”The call to leave country and family came from the LORD Himself.
- Nehemiah 9:7-8 (BSB)“You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.”Israel later confessed that God chose Abram and brought him out, then kept His promise to him.
- Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”God's choice of Israel rested on His own love and oath, not on anything in Israel.
- Romans 4:4-5 (BSB)“Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”In his discussion of Abraham, Paul says faith is credited as righteousness, as a gift, to the one who trusts God who justifies the ungodly.
General
Where did Joshua gather the whole nation for his final address in chapter 24?
Answer: Shechem
Joshua gathered every tribe at Shechem, summoning their elders and other leaders, and they stood in God's presence (24:1). The place had a long history with God's promise. It was at Shechem that the LORD first appeared to Abram in Canaan and promised that land to his offspring (Genesis 12:6-7), and Jacob later bought land there and built an altar (Genesis 33:18-20). Now, centuries later, Abraham's descendants stood in that same place, living in the land God had promised.
- Joshua 24:1 (BSB)“Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.”Joshua gathers all the tribes and their leaders, and they present themselves before God.
- Genesis 12:6-7 (BSB)“Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”At Shechem the LORD first appeared to Abram in Canaan and promised the land to his offspring.
- Genesis 33:18-20 (BSB)“After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.”Jacob bought ground at Shechem on his return to Canaan and built an altar there.
Theological
At what site does Joshua convene the tribes for the covenant renewal of chapter 24?
Answer: Shechem
The covenant renewal takes place at Shechem, where every tribe and its officials stand before God (24:1). The setting is significant: Shechem is where the LORD first appeared to Abram in the land and promised it to his seed (Genesis 12:6-7), and where Jacob purchased ground and raised an altar (Genesis 33:18-20). The promise first spoken there now stands fulfilled, and Israel is summoned to answer it with renewed covenant loyalty.
- Joshua 24:1 (BSB)“Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.”Joshua gathers all the tribes and their leaders, and they present themselves before God.
- Genesis 12:6-7 (BSB)“Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”At Shechem the LORD first appeared to Abram in Canaan and promised the land to his offspring.
- Genesis 33:18-20 (BSB)“After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.”Jacob bought ground at Shechem on his return to Canaan and built an altar there.
General
True or False: According to 24:9-10, Balak sent for Balaam, and Balaam cursed Israel just as Balak wanted.
Answer: False
This is false. Balak king of Moab sent for Balaam to curse Israel, but God says He refused to heed Balaam. Instead Balaam blessed Israel repeatedly, and God delivered Israel (24:9-10). Numbers records Balak's anger that Balaam had blessed Israel three times (Numbers 24:10). Moses explained that God changed the curse to blessing because He loved Israel (Deuteronomy 23:5), and Nehemiah remembered the same event (Nehemiah 13:2). No one could curse the people God had chosen to bless.
- Joshua 24:9-10 (BSB)“Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.”God recalls Balak's attempt to curse Israel through Balaam and how He turned it to blessing.
- Numbers 24:10 (BSB)“Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times.”Balak complained that Balaam had blessed Israel three times instead of cursing them.
- Deuteronomy 23:5 (BSB)“Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”Moses said God refused to listen to Balaam and turned the curse into a blessing out of love for Israel.
- Nehemiah 13:2 (BSB)“because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).”Nehemiah recalled that God turned Balaam's hired curse into a blessing.
Theological
True or False: According to 24:9-10, Balak sent for Balaam, and Balaam cursed Israel just as Balak wanted.
Answer: False
This is false. Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but the LORD refused to heed Balaam, so that he blessed Israel repeatedly, and God delivered His people (24:9-10). The episode shows God's protective sovereignty over His people: Balak's own complaint confirms the threefold blessing (Numbers 24:10), Moses roots the reversal in God's love for Israel (Deuteronomy 23:5), and Nehemiah cites it as settled history (Nehemiah 13:2).
- Joshua 24:9-10 (BSB)“Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.”God recalls Balak's attempt to curse Israel through Balaam and how He turned it to blessing.
- Numbers 24:10 (BSB)“Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times.”Balak complained that Balaam had blessed Israel three times instead of cursing them.
- Deuteronomy 23:5 (BSB)“Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”Moses said God refused to listen to Balaam and turned the curse into a blessing out of love for Israel.
- Nehemiah 13:2 (BSB)“because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).”Nehemiah recalled that God turned Balaam's hired curse into a blessing.
General
In 24:15, if serving the LORD seemed undesirable to the people, between which gods did Joshua tell them to choose?
Answer: Their ancestors' gods or the Amorites' gods
Joshua pressed the people to decide. If serving the LORD seemed wrong to them, they should choose that very day which gods they would serve: the gods their ancestors had worshiped across the Euphrates, or else the Amorites' gods in the land they now occupied. Joshua then declared his own choice: he and his household would serve the LORD (24:15). Joshua was not encouraging idolatry; he was forcing a clear decision, much as Elijah later did (1 Kings 18:21) and Moses before him (Deuteronomy 30:19). The call to choose is real, and it fits with God's rule over all: Paul urges believers to work out their salvation, because God is at work in them, producing both the desire and the doing (Philippians 2:12-13).
- Joshua 24:15 (BSB)“But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!””Joshua sets the choice before Israel and declares his own household's decision.
- 1 Kings 18:21 (BSB)“Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.”Elijah likewise confronted Israel with a decision between the LORD and Baal.
- Deuteronomy 30:19 (BSB)“I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,”Moses set life and death before Israel and urged them to choose life.
- Philippians 2:12-13 (BSB)“Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.”Paul calls believers to work out their salvation while affirming that God works in them to will and to act.
Theological
According to 24:15, what alternatives to the LORD does Joshua set before the people if they reject serving Him?
Answer: Their ancestors' gods or the Amorites' gods
Joshua confronts Israel with an unavoidable decision: if serving the LORD is displeasing, let them choose today between the ancestral gods from across the Euphrates and the Amorite gods of the land they now occupy; for his part, he and his house will serve God (24:15). The rhetoric excludes neutrality, like Elijah's challenge (1 Kings 18:21) and Moses' call to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). The summons is a genuine call to human decision, fully consistent with God's sovereign grace, as Philippians 2:12-13 holds together human working and God working within to produce both desire and deed.
- Joshua 24:15 (BSB)“But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!””Joshua sets the choice before Israel and declares his own household's decision.
- 1 Kings 18:21 (BSB)“Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.”Elijah likewise confronted Israel with a decision between the LORD and Baal.
- Deuteronomy 30:19 (BSB)“I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,”Moses set life and death before Israel and urged them to choose life.
- Philippians 2:12-13 (BSB)“Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.”Paul calls believers to work out their salvation while affirming that God works in them to will and to act.
General
In 24:7, when the Israelites cried out at the Red Sea, what did the LORD put between them and the Egyptians?
Answer: Darkness
In recounting the exodus, God reminds Israel that when the Egyptians chased their fathers to the sea with their chariot forces, the people called to the LORD for help. He placed darkness between Israel and the Egyptians, then brought the sea over the Egyptians, and Israel saw it with their own eyes (24:6-7). Exodus describes the same scene: the cloud moved behind Israel and stood between the two camps in the darkness through the night (Exodus 14:19-20), and then the waters returned and covered Pharaoh's whole army (Exodus 14:27-28).
- Joshua 24:6-7 (BSB)“When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.”God recalls the Red Sea, where He answered Israel's cry and destroyed the pursuing Egyptians.
- Exodus 14:19-20 (BSB)“And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them, so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other.”The Exodus account describes the cloud standing between the two camps in the darkness all night.
- Exodus 14:27-28 (BSB)“So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea. The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”Exodus records the sea returning and covering Pharaoh's army.
Theological
According to 24:7, what did the LORD set between Israel and the pursuing Egyptians in answer to their cry at the Red Sea?
Answer: Darkness
The historical prologue highlights God's response to Israel's cry at the sea: He interposed darkness between Israel and Egypt and then brought the sea upon the pursuers, a deliverance the people had witnessed (24:6-7). This agrees with Exodus, where the cloud stands between the camps in darkness through the night (Exodus 14:19-20) before the sea returns over Pharaoh's army (Exodus 14:27-28). The covenant demand that follows rests on this record of grace already shown.
- Joshua 24:6-7 (BSB)“When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.”God recalls the Red Sea, where He answered Israel's cry and destroyed the pursuing Egyptians.
- Exodus 14:19-20 (BSB)“And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them, so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other.”The Exodus account describes the cloud standing between the two camps in the darkness all night.
- Exodus 14:27-28 (BSB)“So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea. The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”Exodus records the sea returning and covering Pharaoh's army.
General
True or False: The book of Joshua ends by recording the death of Aaron's son Eleazar, who was buried in Ephraim's hills on land belonging to Phinehas, his son.
Answer: True
This is true. The book closes with the death of Aaron's son Eleazar, who was buried at Gibeah in Ephraim's hills, a town belonging to Phinehas, his son (24:33). Eleazar had become high priest when his father Aaron died (Numbers 20:28), and he had worked alongside Joshua in dividing the land among the tribes (14:1). Phinehas, his son, had already led Israel's delegation to the eastern tribes (22:13). With Joshua and Eleazar both gone, the generation that led Israel into the land passes from the scene.
- Joshua 24:33 (BSB)“Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.”The book closes with the death and burial of Eleazar the priest.
- Numbers 20:28 (BSB)“After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.”Eleazar succeeded his father Aaron as high priest when Aaron died.
- Joshua 14:1 (BSB)“Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.”Eleazar the priest shared with Joshua in distributing the land among the tribes.
- Joshua 22:13 (BSB)“The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the land of Gilead, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”Phinehas son of Eleazar had led Israel's delegation to the eastern tribes.
Theological
True or False: The book of Joshua ends by recording the death of Aaron's son Eleazar, who was buried in Ephraim's hills on land belonging to Phinehas, his son.
Answer: True
This is true. The final verse records the death of Aaron's son Eleazar and his burial at Gibeah in Ephraim's hill country, a town granted to Phinehas his son (24:33). Eleazar had received the high priesthood at Aaron's death (Numbers 20:28) and shared with Joshua in apportioning the inheritance (14:1), while Phinehas had already served prominently (22:13). The book thus ends with the passing of both the leader and the priest of the conquest generation.
- Joshua 24:33 (BSB)“Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.”The book closes with the death and burial of Eleazar the priest.
- Numbers 20:28 (BSB)“After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.”Eleazar succeeded his father Aaron as high priest when Aaron died.
- Joshua 14:1 (BSB)“Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.”Eleazar the priest shared with Joshua in distributing the land among the tribes.
- Joshua 22:13 (BSB)“The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the land of Gilead, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”Phinehas son of Eleazar had led Israel's delegation to the eastern tribes.
General
According to 24:32, what was done with Joseph's remains that Israel had carried from Egypt?
Answer: Buried at Shechem on land Jacob had bought
Joseph's bones, which Israel had carried from Egypt, were laid in the ground at Shechem, on the field Jacob had once bought from Hamor's sons for a hundred silver pieces, and that field passed to Joseph's descendants as their inheritance (24:32; Genesis 33:18-19). This fulfilled an oath sworn centuries earlier. As he died in Egypt, Joseph made the Israelites swear that when God came to their aid they would carry his bones up from there (Genesis 50:24-25), and Moses carried them along at the exodus (Exodus 13:19). Hebrews 11:22 says Joseph gave these instructions by faith. His burial in the promised land shows that God's word to the patriarchs had come true.
- Joshua 24:32 (BSB)“And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.”Joseph's bones, brought from Egypt, are buried at Shechem in the plot Jacob had bought.
- Genesis 50:24-25 (BSB)“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.””Joseph, dying in Egypt, made Israel swear to carry his bones up when God brought them out.
- Exodus 13:19 (BSB)“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.””Moses took Joseph's bones with him at the exodus because of that oath.
- Hebrews 11:22 (BSB)“By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.”Hebrews presents Joseph's instructions about his bones as an act of faith in God's promise.
- Genesis 33:18-19 (BSB)“After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.”Jacob had bought this plot at Shechem from the sons of Hamor for a hundred pieces of silver.
Theological
What does 24:32 record concerning Joseph's remains carried from Egypt?
Answer: Buried at Shechem on land Jacob had bought
Joseph's bones are finally laid to rest in Shechem, in the field Jacob had once bought from Hamor's sons for a hundred silver pieces, which passed to Joseph's descendants as their inheritance (24:32; Genesis 33:18-19). The burial closes a thread running from Genesis: the dying Joseph bound Israel by oath to carry his bones up when God visited them (Genesis 50:24-25), Moses honored that oath at the exodus (Exodus 13:19), and Hebrews 11:22 counts Joseph's instruction as an act of faith in God's promise. The promise of land made to the patriarchs now stands fulfilled.
- Joshua 24:32 (BSB)“And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.”Joseph's bones, brought from Egypt, are buried at Shechem in the plot Jacob had bought.
- Genesis 50:24-25 (BSB)“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.””Joseph, dying in Egypt, made Israel swear to carry his bones up when God brought them out.
- Exodus 13:19 (BSB)“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.””Moses took Joseph's bones with him at the exodus because of that oath.
- Hebrews 11:22 (BSB)“By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.”Hebrews presents Joseph's instructions about his bones as an act of faith in God's promise.
- Genesis 33:18-19 (BSB)“After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.”Jacob had bought this plot at Shechem from the sons of Hamor for a hundred pieces of silver.
General
According to 24:29, how old was Joshua when he died?
Answer: 110
Joshua died when he was 110 years old, and he was laid to rest within his own inheritance, Timnath-serah in Ephraim's hills (24:29-30). That town was the inheritance the Israelites had given him at his request after the land was divided (19:49-50). At his death Joshua is honored with the title the LORD's servant, which Moses also carried when he died (Deuteronomy 34:5). The faithful assistant had become a faithful servant like his master. Judges 2:8-9 repeats this record.
- Joshua 24:29-30 (BSB)“Some time later, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.”Joshua dies and is buried in his own inheritance in the hill country of Ephraim.
- Joshua 19:49-50 (BSB)“When they had finished distributing the land into its territories, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the city of Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, as he requested. He rebuilt the city and settled in it.”Timnath-serah was the city the Israelites gave Joshua as his inheritance at his request.
- Deuteronomy 34:5 (BSB)“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said.”Moses too is called the servant of the LORD at his death.
- Judges 2:8-9 (BSB)“And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.”Judges repeats the record of Joshua's death at 110 and his burial in his inheritance.
Theological
In 24:29, at what age does Joshua, the LORD's servant, die?
Answer: 110
Joshua dies at 110 and is buried within his own allotment, Timnath-serah in Ephraim's hills (24:29-30), the city granted to him in 19:49-50. The title the LORD's servant, given to Moses at his death (Deuteronomy 34:5), is now given to Joshua, marking him as Moses' faithful successor. Judges 2:8-9 repeats the notice as it opens the next era.
- Joshua 24:29-30 (BSB)“Some time later, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.”Joshua dies and is buried in his own inheritance in the hill country of Ephraim.
- Joshua 19:49-50 (BSB)“When they had finished distributing the land into its territories, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the city of Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, as he requested. He rebuilt the city and settled in it.”Timnath-serah was the city the Israelites gave Joshua as his inheritance at his request.
- Deuteronomy 34:5 (BSB)“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said.”Moses too is called the servant of the LORD at his death.
- Judges 2:8-9 (BSB)“And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.”Judges repeats the record of Joshua's death at 110 and his burial in his inheritance.
General
What does 24:12-13 emphasize about how Israel came to possess the land?
Answer: God gave it to them, not their own weapons or labor
God says He sent the hornet before Israel to drive out their enemies, and that it was not Israel's own weapons that won. He gave them a land they had not worked, towns they had not built, and orchards they had not planted (24:12-13). The hornet had been promised in Exodus 23:28, and Moses had told Israel they would receive cities and crops they had not produced, and warned them not to forget God when they were full (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). The psalmist later confessed the same thing: Israel did not take the land by its own strength but by God's power and favor (Psalm 44:3). The land was a gift.
- Joshua 24:12-13 (BSB)“I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’”God says He drove out Israel's enemies and gave them a land, cities, and crops they had not labored for.
- Exodus 23:28 (BSB)“I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.”God had promised to send the hornet ahead of Israel to drive out the nations.
- Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (BSB)“And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”Moses foretold cities, vineyards, and olive groves Israel had not produced, and warned them not to forget the LORD.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”The psalmist confesses that Israel took the land not by their own arm but by God's power and favor.
Theological
What is the main point of 24:12-13 about the way Israel obtained the land?
Answer: God gave it to them, not their own weapons or labor
The prologue ends by insisting that the land was sheer gift: God sent the hornet to drive out Israel's foes, the victory was not by Israel's weaponry, and Israel now enjoyed land, towns, and orchards it had not labored for (24:12-13). This fulfills Exodus 23:28 and Deuteronomy 6:10-12, which also warned that abundance must not breed forgetfulness. Psalm 44:3 confesses the same theology of conquest by grace: not their arm but God's right hand, because He favored them. Grace received is the ground of the covenant demand that follows in 24:14.
- Joshua 24:12-13 (BSB)“I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’”God says He drove out Israel's enemies and gave them a land, cities, and crops they had not labored for.
- Exodus 23:28 (BSB)“I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.”God had promised to send the hornet ahead of Israel to drive out the nations.
- Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (BSB)“And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”Moses foretold cities, vineyards, and olive groves Israel had not produced, and warned them not to forget the LORD.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”The psalmist confesses that Israel took the land not by their own arm but by God's power and favor.
General
When the people promised their loyalty to God, Joshua told them in 24:19 that they were not able to keep it. What reason did he give?
Answer: God is holy and jealous and would not pardon their sin
The people had just promised their loyalty to God because He rescued them from Egypt and protected them (24:16-18). Joshua's reply sounds startling: they lacked the ability to serve Him, because He is holy and jealous and would not pardon their rebellion and sins. If they abandoned Him for foreign gods, He would bring calamity on them, even after doing them good (24:19-20). Jealous here means that God rightly refuses to share His people's worship with any other god (Exodus 34:14). Joshua was not trying to turn them away; he was showing how serious the commitment was and that they could not keep it in their own strength. Moses had said that God had not yet granted Israel real understanding (Deuteronomy 29:4), and he pointed to God's own answer: God would one day change their hearts (circumcise them, meaning cleanse and renew them) so that they would love Him (Deuteronomy 30:6). The people answered by insisting they would serve the LORD (24:21).
- Joshua 24:19-20 (BSB)“But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.””Joshua answers the people's pledge with a sober warning about the holiness and jealousy of God.
- Exodus 34:14 (BSB)“For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”God revealed Himself as jealous, refusing to share His worship with any other god.
- Deuteronomy 29:4 (BSB)“Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.”Moses had told Israel that God had not yet given them a mind to understand or eyes to see.
- Deuteronomy 30:6 (BSB)“The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.”Moses promised that God Himself would circumcise their hearts so they would love Him.
Theological
On what ground does Joshua tell the people in 24:19 that they lack the ability to keep their pledge of service?
Answer: God is holy and jealous and would not pardon their sin
Against the people's ready pledge (24:16-18), Joshua sets the character of God: He is holy and jealous and will not pardon their transgression and sins, and if they forsake Him for other gods He will bring calamity on them despite His former goodness (24:19-20). God's jealousy is His rightful claim to exclusive worship (Exodus 34:14). Joshua's words expose the gravity of covenant faithfulness and Israel's inability to render it in their own strength. Moses had made the same diagnosis (Deuteronomy 29:4) and pointed to the remedy only God could supply, the circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6). The people persist in their vow (24:21), and the witnesses and the stone follow.
- Joshua 24:19-20 (BSB)“But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.””Joshua answers the people's pledge with a sober warning about the holiness and jealousy of God.
- Exodus 34:14 (BSB)“For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”God revealed Himself as jealous, refusing to share His worship with any other god.
- Deuteronomy 29:4 (BSB)“Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.”Moses had told Israel that God had not yet given them a mind to understand or eyes to see.
- Deuteronomy 30:6 (BSB)“The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.”Moses promised that God Himself would circumcise their hearts so they would love Him.
General
After recounting God's acts, how does Joshua call Israel to serve God in 24:14?
Answer: With sincerity and faithfulness, putting away other gods
Joshua's call follows directly from everything God had done: so revere God and give Him sincere and faithful service, and throw away the gods their ancestors had worshiped in Egypt and across the Euphrates (24:14). Israel's service was to be whole-hearted, not mixed with other worship. The mention of Egypt's gods recalls that Israel had refused to give up Egypt's idols while still in Egypt, as God later said through Ezekiel (Ezekiel 20:7-8). Samuel would give the same call in his day (1 Samuel 7:3), and Moses had summed up God's requirement in the same terms of fear, love, and service (Deuteronomy 10:12).
- Joshua 24:14 (BSB)“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.”Joshua draws the conclusion from God's history of grace: fear and serve the LORD alone.
- Ezekiel 20:7-8 (BSB)“And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.”God later recalled that Israel had refused to give up the idols of Egypt.
- 1 Samuel 7:3 (BSB)“Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.””Samuel likewise called Israel to put away foreign gods and serve the LORD only.
- Deuteronomy 10:12 (BSB)“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,”Moses summed up God's requirement as fearing, loving, and serving Him wholeheartedly.
Theological
In what manner does Joshua call Israel to serve God in 24:14, as the response to God's saving acts?
Answer: With sincerity and faithfulness, putting away other gods
The imperative of 24:14 rests on the indicative of 24:2-13: because God has done all this, Israel must fear Him and serve Him with integrity and faithfulness, renouncing the gods once worshiped in Egypt and across the Euphrates. The service demanded is exclusive and sincere. Ezekiel 20:7-8 confirms that Israel clung to Egypt's idols while still in Egypt, Samuel later issues the same summons (1 Samuel 7:3), and Deuteronomy 10:12 frames covenant obedience as fear, love, and wholehearted service.
- Joshua 24:14 (BSB)“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.”Joshua draws the conclusion from God's history of grace: fear and serve the LORD alone.
- Ezekiel 20:7-8 (BSB)“And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.”God later recalled that Israel had refused to give up the idols of Egypt.
- 1 Samuel 7:3 (BSB)“Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.””Samuel likewise called Israel to put away foreign gods and serve the LORD only.
- Deuteronomy 10:12 (BSB)“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,”Moses summed up God's requirement as fearing, loving, and serving Him wholeheartedly.
General
According to 24:31, for how long did Israel serve the LORD?
Answer: Through Joshua's lifetime and that of the elders after him
The narrator records that Israel remained faithful to God as long as Joshua lived and as long as the elders who survived him lived, men who had personally witnessed God's mighty deeds on Israel's behalf (24:31). Judges 2:7 repeats this summary, but Judges 2:10 adds that after that generation died, another generation grew up that knew neither God nor what He had done. Moses had warned Israel to remember what they had seen and to teach it to their children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9). Faithfulness lasted as long as the eyewitnesses lived.
- Joshua 24:31 (BSB)“Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.”The narrator summarizes Israel's faithfulness during the lifetime of Joshua and the elders who outlived him.
- Judges 2:7 (BSB)“And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.”Judges repeats this summary almost word for word.
- Judges 2:10 (BSB)“After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.”Judges then reports that the following generation did not know the LORD or His works.
- Deuteronomy 4:9 (BSB)“Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.”Moses had charged Israel not to forget what they had seen and to teach it to their children and grandchildren.
Theological
What span of Israel's faithfulness to the LORD does 24:31 record?
Answer: Through Joshua's lifetime and that of the elders after him
The book closes its account of Israel's obedience with a carefully bounded statement: Israel served God throughout Joshua's lifetime and that of the surviving elders who had known all God's mighty deeds on Israel's behalf (24:31). Judges 2:7 repeats it nearly verbatim before Judges 2:10 records the next generation, who knew neither the LORD nor His works. The transmission Moses commanded (Deuteronomy 4:9) is the hinge on which the following era turns.
- Joshua 24:31 (BSB)“Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.”The narrator summarizes Israel's faithfulness during the lifetime of Joshua and the elders who outlived him.
- Judges 2:7 (BSB)“And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.”Judges repeats this summary almost word for word.
- Judges 2:10 (BSB)“After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.”Judges then reports that the following generation did not know the LORD or His works.
- Deuteronomy 4:9 (BSB)“Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.”Moses had charged Israel not to forget what they had seen and to teach it to their children and grandchildren.
General
According to 24:27, why would the large stone Joshua set up testify?
Answer: It had heard every word God spoke to them
On that occasion Joshua established a covenant (a binding agreement) for the people at Shechem, set statutes for them, and recorded the proceedings in God's law book. He set up a large stone beneath the oak beside the LORD's sanctuary and said it would be a witness, because it had heard everything God had said to them; it would testify against them if they ever denied their God (24:25-27). Stones and altars served as witnesses elsewhere too: Jacob and Laban set up a stone and a mound to witness their covenant (Genesis 31:44-48), and the eastern tribes built an altar as a witness for later generations (22:27). Moses had even said the written law itself, kept beside the ark, would testify against Israel (Deuteronomy 31:26).
- Joshua 24:25-27 (BSB)“On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance. Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.””Joshua makes a covenant, writes the words down, and sets up a large stone as a witness.
- Genesis 31:44-48 (BSB)“Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.” So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar, and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.”Jacob and Laban set up a stone and a mound as a witness to their covenant.
- Joshua 22:27 (BSB)“Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’”The eastern tribes' altar was likewise meant as a witness for future generations.
- Deuteronomy 31:26 (BSB)““Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.”The Book of the Law placed beside the ark was itself to stand as a witness against Israel.
Theological
What reason does Joshua give in 24:27 for the stone's role in testifying against Israel?
Answer: It had heard every word God spoke to them
Joshua ratifies the covenant at Shechem, establishes statute and ordinance, records the proceedings in God's law book, and erects a great stone under the oak by the LORD's sanctuary. Personifying it, he says the stone has heard all that God spoke and will testify against them if they deny their God (24:25-27). Such memorial witnesses were familiar: the stone and mound of Jacob and Laban's covenant (Genesis 31:44-48), the altar named as a witness in 22:27, and the written law kept beside the ark to testify against Israel (Deuteronomy 31:26).
- Joshua 24:25-27 (BSB)“On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance. Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.””Joshua makes a covenant, writes the words down, and sets up a large stone as a witness.
- Genesis 31:44-48 (BSB)“Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.” So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar, and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.”Jacob and Laban set up a stone and a mound as a witness to their covenant.
- Joshua 22:27 (BSB)“Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’”The eastern tribes' altar was likewise meant as a witness for future generations.
- Deuteronomy 31:26 (BSB)““Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.”The Book of the Law placed beside the ark was itself to stand as a witness against Israel.
General
True or False: After the people agreed that they were witnesses against themselves, Joshua told them to throw away the false gods in their midst and turn their hearts toward God.
Answer: True
This is true. Joshua told the people that by choosing God they had made themselves witnesses against themselves, and they agreed. He then told them to discard the idols in their midst and to turn their hearts toward God, and the people promised to serve and obey Him (24:22-24). The command suggests that some false gods were still present among them. The scene echoes Jacob, who at Shechem had his household give up their idols, which he hid in the ground beneath the oak there (Genesis 35:2-4). Samuel would later give the same call (1 Samuel 7:3), and Moses too had called witnesses when he set the covenant choice before Israel (Deuteronomy 30:19).
- Joshua 24:22-23 (BSB)“Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said. “Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.””The people accept that they are witnesses against themselves, and Joshua tells them to put away their foreign gods.
- Genesis 35:2-4 (BSB)“So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.”At Shechem long before, Jacob had his household give up their foreign gods and buried them under the oak.
- 1 Samuel 7:3 (BSB)“Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.””Samuel later linked returning to the LORD with putting away foreign gods and preparing the heart.
- Deuteronomy 30:19 (BSB)“I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,”Moses had called witnesses against Israel when he set the covenant choice before them.
Theological
True or False: After the people agreed that they were witnesses against themselves, Joshua told them to throw away the false gods in their midst and turn their hearts toward God.
Answer: True
This is true. Having chosen the LORD, the people accept Joshua's word that they are witnesses against themselves; he then commands them to remove the idols in their midst and turn their hearts toward God, and they pledge obedience (24:22-24). The command implies idols were still in their midst. Shechem had seen this before, when Jacob's household surrendered its foreign gods to be buried beneath the oak (Genesis 35:2-4). The pairing of outward renunciation with inward turning of the heart recurs in 1 Samuel 7:3, and the witness language echoes Deuteronomy 30:19.
- Joshua 24:22-23 (BSB)“Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said. “Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.””The people accept that they are witnesses against themselves, and Joshua tells them to put away their foreign gods.
- Genesis 35:2-4 (BSB)“So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.”At Shechem long before, Jacob had his household give up their foreign gods and buried them under the oak.
- 1 Samuel 7:3 (BSB)“Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.””Samuel later linked returning to the LORD with putting away foreign gods and preparing the heart.
- Deuteronomy 30:19 (BSB)“I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,”Moses had called witnesses against Israel when he set the covenant choice before them.