Joshua’s Charge to Leaders
1A long time after Yahweh had given Israel rest from all the enemies around them, when Joshua was old and well along in years, 2he summoned all Israel, including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers. “I am old and well along in years,” he said, 3“and you have seen everything that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations for your sake, because it was Yahweh your God who fought for you.
4See, I have allotted as an inheritance to your tribes these remaining nations, including all the nations I have already cut off, from the Jordan westward to the Great Sea. 5Yahweh your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as Yahweh your God promised you.
6Be very strong, then, so that you can keep and obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, not turning aside from it to the right or to the left. 7So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them. 8Instead, you shall hold fast to Yahweh your God, as you have done to this day.
- JOSH 23:7[DEMONIC]Do not call on or swear by the names of their gods
9Yahweh has driven out great and powerful nations before you, and to this day no one can stand against you. 10One of you can put a thousand to flight, because Yahweh your God fights for you, just as He promised. 11Therefore watch yourselves carefully, that you love Yahweh your God. 12For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, 13know for sure that Yahweh your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that Yahweh your God has given you.
14Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises Yahweh your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed. 15But just as every good thing Yahweh your God promised you has come to pass, likewise Yahweh will bring upon you the calamity He has threatened, until He has destroyed you from this good land He has given you. 16If you transgress the covenant of Yahweh your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of Yahweh will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from this good land He has given you.”
- JOSH 23:14[HEART]Joshua tells them to know it in all their hearts: not one of God's good promises failed.
- JOSH 23:14[NOTABLE]An old man's testimony at the end of his life. Joshua had seen every promise kept, and he wanted Israel to know it in their bones.
- JOSH 23:16[DEMONIC]Serving other gods will cause Israel to perish