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One-sentence summary: The tribes on the other side of the Jordan make an agreement with the rest of Israel, Joshua renews Israel's covenant with the Lord, and Israel promises to obey the Lord and serve Him only; then, Joshua dies.
The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh have fulfilled their promise to fight with Israel until the land is subdued, so Joshua tells them they may return to their land on the other side. Only he tells them to be careful to keep the law of the Lord, to love the Lord and walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him and serve him with all their hears and souls. So, he blesses them, and they go their way, and they build an "impressive altar" by the Jordan on Israel's side. When it is told to Joshua, Israel gathers for war against them, because they believe they have built the altar to other gods.. The leaders of Israel approach them to speak for the people and ask them why they have turned aside from the Lord in building this altar. They remind them of the plague that has been brought in the past, and say they will incur God's wrath on all Israel. They say if their land is unclean to come and take the land with them on the other side, only not to rebel. They remind them of the man who perished by taking the accursed thing and how others died for his sin, too. But the other tribes answer and say that if they have built an altar against the Lord, then may Israel and the Lord be against them. They said they did it for fear, lest their descendants ask if they are indeed a part of Israel and of the Lord. So they built the altar as a witness to all generations that they may worship the Lord, too, with all Israel, and the rest of Israel's descendants can't say to theirs that they have no part in the Lord. They say, "Far be it from us that we may rebel against the Lord and turn from following the Lord this day." When Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the rulers hear these words, they are satisfied, and they say that the Lord is among them, and that they are safe from God's wrath. So they bring back to Israel the good word, and all Israel blesses the Lord. And the altar is called "Witness," because it stands a witness that the Lord is God.
It is a long time after the Lord had given Israel rest from their enemies, and Joshua is old, so he calls all Israel- the leaders, priests, and judges- and tells them he is old, and that they have seen all God has done- how He has fought for them. He says the Lord will drive out the remaining nations and that they must be very courageous "to keep and do all that is written in the law of Moses, lest [they] turn aside from it to the right hand or left and lest [they] go among these nations, these who remain among [them]." He tells them not to mention their gods, name them, or serve them, but to hold fast to the Lord. He says, "One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you as He promised you." So he warns them to be careful to love the Lord. If not- if they follow the ways of the people and intermarry with the- the Lord will not drive out the nations, but they "shall be snares and traps to [Israel], and scourges on [their] sides and thorns on you[their] eyes until [they] perish from this good land that the Lord [their] God has give [them]." Then, he tells them he is going "the way of all the earth" and to know that the Lord has fulfilled all concerning them. But just as good has come upon them, so will harmful things if they transgress the covenant.
Then, Joshua gathers all the tribes and leaders to Shechem, and they present themselves before God, and he gives the people the word of the Lord. The Lord reminds Israel how he took their father Abraham and led him throughout Canaan and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac, the child of promise. And to Isaac He gave Jacob and Esau, and to Jacob the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. But He sent Moses and Aaron to Egypt and plagued Egypt and brought the people out. Egypt pursed them, but Israel cried out, and the Lord parted the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptians. Then, they dwelt in the wilderness "a long time." He defeated the Amorites for them. Then, Balaak arose against them and sent Balaam to curse them, but "[the Lord] would not listen to Balaam]," so he continued to bless them, and the Lord delivered them out of his hand. Then, the king of Jericho and all the other nations fought against them, and the Lord delivered all of them into Israel's hand. He sent the hornets against them. He says it was not with "[their] sword or [their] bow." He says He "gave them land for which [they] did not labor and cities for which [they] did not build." And "[they] ate of vineyards and olive groves [they] did not plant." Therefore, they are to fear the Lord and serve Him in "sincerity and in truth" and put away all other gods and serve Him only. If it "seems evil to them to serve the Lord," Joshua says, then he tells them to "choose for this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." And the people answer that they will not forsake the Lord because of all He has done for them. However, Joshua says the Lord is holy and a jealous God and will not forgive their transgressions or their sins. If they forsake him and serve other gods, He will turn and do them harm and consume them. But they insist they will. So Joshua says "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves to serve Him," and they answer, "We are witnesses," So he tells them to put away the foreign gods from among them and to incline their hearts to the Lord God of Israel, and they say they will serve the Lord and obey His voice. So Joshua makes a covenant for them and writes those words in the book of the law and sets up a large stone under the oak by the sanctuary of the Lord, and he tells them that the stone has heard the words of the Lord and will be a witness to Israel. Then, the people depart to their own land, "And Joshua... the servant of the Lord, dies." He lived 120 years, and Israel buries him. And it says that Israel served the Lord all the days and Joshua and the elders who were with him. And they bury Joseph's bones at Shechem, in the tribe of Joseph's land. Eleazar also dies.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
It is necessary to renew our vows to the Lord at times, to remember all He has done, and pledge our allegiance.
Do we think of the holiness of God enough today? Israel was constantly warned not to forget that the Lord is holy. We should continually remind ourselves of that as well.