7. Deception by the Gibeonites (Josh. 9:1-27)
Related MediaNone of us likes to be deceived. We teach our children not to lie and we administer punishment if they do. And yet, lying and disobedience have been present since the fall of the human race. Satan lied to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - they were deceived and disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit. Then, they lied to God, by making false excuses – Adam said, I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid (Gen. 3:10). No, the reason why he was afraid and hid from God was because he feared the consequences of having sinned against God, by which act of disobedience his eyes were opened to know good and evil. Thus, the human race was plunged into sin, and ever since then lying and disobedience have characterized and plagued our existence. In our chapter, we will see how the Gibeonites resorted to lying in order, so they thought, to protect themselves from attack as the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land.
Our subject in this study is “the consequences of failing to seek God before we act.” As we will see, such action may lead us into a conflict of ethics. The primary theological principle that emerges from this study is that seeking God’s mind before making commitments is imperative to avoid conflict and disobedience.
The narrative opens with a coalition of kings against Israel (9:1-2). The news of Israel’s victory at Ai (chapter 8) spread throughout the region, just as it had earlier at Jericho (2:10-13) and at the crossing of the Jordan (5:1). Previously, Rahab had told the spies that when they heard what the Lord had done for Israel at the Red Sea and how they had utterly destroyed the two Amorite kings, they lost heart (2:10-11). Similarly, when the Amorite kings heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan they lost heart and their courage failed because of the Israelites (5:1). In both cases, what they “heard” about the Lord’s power exercised on Israel’s behalf generated in them “fear.” Such is not the case, however, in our passage among the kings who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the Judean foothills, and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon – the Hethites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Instead, when they heard about Jericho and Ai…they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel (9:1-2). What they heard did not generate fear in them but emboldened them to form a coalition to fight against Israel.
So, what changed? Why no fear now? Because Israel had been defeated at Ai. That’s what changed. Now their enemies knew that the Israelites were not invincible due, as we know, to the debilitating effect of sin in their midst. As we noted before in our study of the defeat at Ai (chapter 7), one person’s sin can have devastating effects on the entire congregation. In the case of Achan’s sin, it caused a delay in Israel’s possession of the land and, instead of fear, generated courage in a coalition of their opponents. If Achan had not sinned, none of this would have happened. In fact, all their enemies might well have capitulated, as Rahab had done earlier and as the Gibeonites do in our chapter. As someone else has pointed out, as with Adam and Eve in the garden, so with Israel in the Promised Land – one sin had long term consequences (Richard S. Hess, “Joshua: An Introduction & Commentary,” 175-176).
The Gibeonite treaty with Joshua follows similar patterns to previous experiences:
1. Rahab’s agreement with the spies in Joshua 2 preceded Israel’s attack against, and defeat of, Jericho in Joshua 6, just as the Gibeonites’ treaty with Israel in Joshua 9 precedes the wars of Joshua 10. In both cases, deliverance is preceded by the confession of God’s power and salvation for Israel.
2. The Gibeonite deception follows Israel’s covenant renewal (8:30-35), just as Achan’s sin followed the Israel’s consecration to God in circumcision (5:2ff) and the Passover celebration (5:10-12).
Notice these theological principles…
I. When You Act Without God’s Direction, You Can Easily Be Deceived (9:3-15)
The deception enacted - a treaty by trickery (9:4-5). Like the kings of the Hethites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, the Gibeonites also heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai (9:3). But unlike the allied kings, the Gibeonites chose a vastly different response. Rather than risk direct combat, which would undoubtedly lead to their defeat, the Gibeonites chose to trick Israel into making a peace treaty with them.
The Gibeonite deception was not motivated by any threat or loss of life by an Israelite attack - it was purely an act of self-defense and self preservation by way of a well-thought-out trick. In that sense the Gibeonites were shrewd in a prudent way, just like the business manager in Luke 16, who sought to deceive his boss for his own benefit. Somehow the Gibeonites knew that God had promised Israel that he would drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hethites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (Ex. 34:11). And they also knew that He had warned Israel to not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land that you are going to enter; otherwise, they will become a snare to you (Ex. 34:12). Moses repeats this instruction in Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (cf. Deut. 20:15-18).
Thus, the Gibeonites knew that without a peace treaty they would die as Israel took possession of the land. And evidently, since Gibeon was not far from Jericho or Ai, the Gibeonites must have reasoned that, in order to enter into a peace treaty and protect themselves from Israel’s attack, they would have to pretend to come from a distant land, a land beyond the borders of the Promised Land, a land with which Israel was permitted to make a peace treaty. Hence, their elaborate ruse to deceive Israel as to where they came from.
In order to make their fictional story about being from a far away country appear authentic, they gathered provisions and took worn out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly (9:4-5). Everything about their appearance, their clothes, and even their moldy food gave the appearance that they had been travelling for a long time.
The Gibeonite plea (9:6-13). When they meet with Joshua, (1) they profess to be from a distant land (9:6a); (2) they petition for a peace treaty (9:6b); and (3) they pledge to be Israel’s servants (9:8). Understandably Joshua and the men of Israel are skeptical of this story, challenging them: Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you? ...Who are you and where do you come from? (9:7-8). But the Gibeonites persist by repeating their earlier pleas, adding that their reason for coming such a distance to make this treaty with Israel is because of the reputation of the Lord your God. For we have heard of his fame and all that he did in Egypt and all that he did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan (9:9-10a). For this reason, their people had sent them (9:10b) to meet with the Israelites and gain their agreement, pleading: We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us (9:11).
No doubt the report they had heard about the power of the God of Israel was the driving force behind this whole drama. No doubt their fear of being attacked and possibly annihilated drove them to carry out this deception. Clearly, as on previous occasions, the reputation of Yahweh preceded the Israelites as they move into Canaan.
The Gibeonites’ confession parallels in some respects that of Rahab with the spies (2:10) in that (1) they had heard of Israel’s victories in Egypt and at the Jordan; (2) they confessed that Israel’s successes are due to the Lord your God (9:9). The Israelites, on the other hand, made no such confession about their God. Instead, they took some of the (Gibeonites’) provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision (9:14). They failed to ask for divine guidance, just as they failed to do so at Ai (7:3-4). They relied on their own intuition, their own self-confident abilities. Even for a decision as far-reaching as this, they didn’t stop to seek God.
This should be a powerful lesson to us. Though we are not commissioned by God to physically attack enemies in order to take vacant possession of a geographical area for God’s people, nonetheless we frequently face important, perhaps even life-changing, decisions for which we need God’s wisdom and guidance. This decision of the Israelites was not a simple or inconsequential everyday situation. Furthermore, they had explicit instructions from God through Moses to not make such a treaty (Ex. 34:12, 15). Without wisdom from God, they fell into a trap which would prove difficult to remedy.
In order to bolster their claim to be from a distant land, the Gibeonites describe again the “evidence” by repeating what they had already stated in 9:4-5 – this bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you; but see, it is now dry and crumbly. These wineskins were new when we filled them; but see, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey (9:12-13). All this, of course, was a bald-faced lie in order to manipulate the Israelites into protecting them by a peace treaty!
From our perspective, the words of Hamlet spoken about Lady Macbeth come to mind: “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” Surely, their description of the details about why they came and how far they travelled was a bit over the top. Surely, their explanation should have raised some questions about its truth. But when we are not in sync with God, we can be so easily deceived. We need the wisdom that comes from above, James writes as he draws a distinct contrast between earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom (James 3:13-18). There is no substitute for wisdom that comes from above. We need both the power of God and the wisdom of God which is found in Christ alone (1 Cor. 1:23-24).
The peace treaty finalized (9:14-15). Despite God’s prohibition through Moses against making a treaty with the inhabitants of the land, Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them (9:15b). The peace treaty is finalized.
The first theological principle, then, that we learn in this episode is that “When You Act Without God’s Direction, You Can Easily Be Deceived” (9:3-15). Second…
II. When You Act Without God’s Direction, You May Face An Ethical Dilemma (9:16-25)
The deception exposed (9:16-18). Deception will ultimately be exposed. No one can lie indefinitely without being caught. In this case, three days after making the treaty with them (the Israelites), they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, living among them (9:16). They were not from a distant land at all. They lived nearby, which meant that, according to God’s instructions, they had to drive them out of the land. What a shock for the Israelites to discover that they had been tricked! (This reminds us of how the Israelites themselves had tricked Ai with an ambush - 8:14, 20-21). So, the Israelites chased them to Gibeon and reached them on the third day (9:17).
So, what should they do now? How could they obey God and at the same time be true to their treaty? They had made an agreement based on a false premise and without God’s direction. This conflict of ethics is the direct consequence of failing to seek God before they acted; it is the ethical dilemma that can result from not seeking or following God’s guidance and wisdom.
True to their oath, the Israelites did not attack them… Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders (9:18). Unwise actions by leadership without God’s direction can cause conflict and complaints among God’s people. Grumbling seems to have been a common response of the Israelites when their leaders did not act as they thought they should. In this case, they certainly had justification for their complaint – not against God or Joshua but against the leaders as a group. But it’s always easy to complain after the fact and it’s always easy to complain about decisions made by others. Armchair quarterbacks are always around to give their opinion and to criticize. Nonetheless, the leaders had acted unwisely, perhaps we could say rashly, and in their own self-confidence. God’s thoughts on the matter did not even enter into their thinking when they made the treaty with the Gibeonites.
The irony is that Israel didn’t need to make a treaty with them. They weren’t under any obligation to do so. Moreover, surely you would think that before doing so they would have checked out the Gibeonites’ story. Certainly, the reason for their seeking a peace treaty was reasonable enough, for the reputation of the God of Israel and the victories of the Israelites had preceded them. That part of their story made sense. But would it have been sensible to at least verify their story as to where they came from before entering into this peace treaty? Should it not have seemed strange to the Israelite leadership for unknown people to come to them seeking a peace treaty without anything more than a made-up story? It wasn’t as though Israel had attacked them and they sought to prevent annihilation by seeking peace. No, this was an unprovoked unverified attempt to prevent Israel from taking possession of the land in accordance with God’s instructions.
The deception evaluated (9:19-21). By not consulting God, they now faced an ethical dilemma – namely, to punish the Gibeonites for their deception or to remain true to their treaty. What should they do? Under the circumstances, the Israelite leaders did the only thing they could: We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them (9:19). The treaty was unconditional; they must keep their word, erroneous or unwise as it was. This is how we will treat them: we will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them (9:19-20). To this the community agreed, Let them live (9:21a). As someone else has said, they must “live as faithfully as they could within the twisted situation” (Dale Ralph Davis, Joshua, 81).
But just because the Gibeonites had a peace treaty with Israel did not mean that there would be no consequences for their deceit in obtaining it. Thus, the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had promised (9:21b). Their lives would be spared, and they would be slaves. But the matter did not rest there. The deception exposed and evaluated is followed by…
The deception examined (9:22-25). Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? Therefore, you are cursed and will always be slaves – woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God (9:22-23). Their explanation is that they deceived the Israelites because they knew what the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. We greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this (9:24). The Gibeonites did what they did because of what they knew – that God had commanded them to destroy all the inhabitants of the land. And what they knew generated in them fear.
It’s ironic, isn’t it, that the Gibeonites acted on what they knew (albeit deceptively), whereas the Israelites did not. The Israelites knew that God had commanded them not to enter into a treaty with the inhabitants of the land and yet they did so anyway.
Both knowledge and fear are powerful motivators. Knowledge is power, they say. In this case, the Gibeonites’ knowledge was power in that it motivated them to action, to do something to prevent or avoid the inevitable destruction that they knew was coming. But that knowledge also generated fear. Put together, it is easy to understand why the Gibeonites acted so deceitfully. Deceit is never morally right, but when faced with the loss of life one wonders what you would do. Again, like the business manager in Luke 16, they acted shrewdly to make their future secure.
No wonder the Gibeonites said, Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is right (9:25). To be in your hands really indicates that they are throwing themselves on Israel’s mercy. Do whatever you think is right is an acknowledgement that Israel is the superior power with the authority to grant justice and mercy. This is unconditional surrender, complete dependence on Joshua’s grace and truthfulness.
The first theological principle, then, that we learn in this episode is that “When You Act Without God’s Direction, You Can Easily Be Deceived” (9:3-15). The second is that “When You Act Without God’s Direction, You May Face An Ethical Dilemma” (9:16-25). The third is…
III. When You Act Without God’s Direction, You Need A Redemptive Solution (9:26-27)
With the support of the community and based on what he and the elders had decided, Joshua did what was right under the circumstances. He was caught in an ethical dilemma between his obligation to the Gibeonites and his obligation to God. Now he acts with the wisdom that comes from above. First, he rescued (the Gibeonites) from the Israelites, and they did not kill them (9:26). Joshua lives up to the meaning of his name: “Salvation.” He is their redeemer and protector from the wrath if Israel. This is a huge demonstration of mercy. Their lives were spared for what otherwise could have been disastrous.
Second, on that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers – as they are today – for the community and for the Lord’s altar at the place he would choose (9:27). Though they are consigned to a life of servitude and drudgery, their lives are spared. That in itself would have been enough, but there’s more. In an even greater act of undeserved mercy and favor the Gibeonites joined the Israelite covenant community of faith by serving not only the community but also the Lord’s altar. Granted their position was at the lowest level of servanthood – woodcutters and water carriers - but they participated in the sacrificial worship of the God of Israel by serving at His altar. They were brought into the sphere of spiritual blessing, brought near to the Lord. This was true redemption for those who otherwise deserved to die.
The consequences for Israel and Gibeon could have been far worse. God is very gracious to them. Failure to seek God is different than outright rebellion against God. For that they would have suffered a far worse punishment. But God metes out to us the consequences of our sins and failures with justice and fairness. And that justice and fairness is also meted out by the Israelites to the Gibeonites. A life of servitude and drudgery is far better than annihilation. They recognized the fidelity of Joshua and the Israelite leaders to the covenant they had made with them.
Final Remarks
Israel’s failure to seek the Lord before entering into their treaty with Gibeon follows the same pattern as their failure to seek the Lord when they attacked Ai with only two or three thousand men because, so the spies reported, the people of Ai are so few (7:3). Indeed, they were few. But that didn’t mean they could attack them without seeking God’s direction and power, which they completely failed to do. What they forgot is that without God’s direction and power they were utterly weak, even before just a few. We can’t imagine how much the sin of self-confidence, like Israel’s at Ai, can affect our subsequent lives. It just seems that our own pride so often gets in the way of our dependence on, and trust in, God.
Interestingly, the alliance of the kings (9:1-2) didn’t seem to cause Israel any alarm. In fact, there is no record of this alliance actually fighting Israel, but there will be other alliances later that will do battle with them (chapters 10 and 11). In both instances, in pure grace, God speaks, assuring Joshua to not be afraid of them for He will give him victory over them (10:7 and 11:6). No, it wasn’t the outright threat of war by the kings that caused Israel’s failure and consequent ethical dilemma. Rather, they failed to consult the Lord and were duped by a simple, naïve, poorly executed deception.
Clearly, they had not learned their lesson, for the Gibeonites did not come to protect themselves by military might, but to protect themselves by deception. As at Ai, Israel did not seek the Lord’s counsel (9:14), nor did they consider the clear instructions they had received previously from the Lord (Ex. 34:11-12) and from Moses (Deut. 7:1-2) about destroying the nations in the Promised Land and not making any treaties with them.
So, Israel’s fault here was both a sin of commission (disobedience to God) and a sin of omission (failure to seek God’s direction), both of which exposed their utter weakness. But in spite of this, God is gracious. Israel does not suffer defeat as they did at Ai, but they suffer the humiliation resulting from a very simple deception – one that could have so easily been avoided.
Do you not find in your own life, that you do the same thing? Sometimes we just don’t stop to think about what we are doing and what its consequences might be. Sometimes we fail to seek the Lord in prayer or his word and we plunge ahead with a course of action based solely on or own judgement (or lack thereof). Then there comes a point at which God in his grace prompts us by the Holy Spirit as to why things did not go well, reminding us that we relied on our own understanding rather than on trusting in the Lord with all our heart (Prov. 3:5-6). How much and how often do we need to learn that lesson! But time and time again we neglect the Lord and trust our own self-confidence.
Remember the theological principles we have derived from this narrative:
I. When you act without God’s direction, you can easily be deceived (9:3-15).
II. When you act without God’s direction, you may face an ethical dilemma (9:16-25).
III. When you act without God’s direction, you need a redemptive solution (9:26-27).
Despite their failure here, Joshua and the leaders of Israel found a redemptive solution, one that (1) permitted them to act with integrity in keeping their oath to the Gibeonites; (2) allowed them to punish Gibeon for their deception; and yet (3) provided a way for Gibeon, by sheer grace, to participate in the service and worship of God, as well as their service to the Israelites. That’s brilliant, isn’t it? Only God could do that.
Remember our thesis, our sermon-in-a-sentence: Seeking God’s mind before making commitments is imperative to avoid conflict and disobedience. As we study these wonderful narratives about O.T. characters, may we apply the principles we learn from them to our own lives. God’s word never grows old or out of date, for, as the Scripture says, whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Rom. 15:4).
Related Topics: Character Study, Christian Life
8. Caleb: Finishing Strong (Josh. 14:6-15)
Related MediaWhen Vincent Foster, adviser to President Clinton, committed suicide in 1993, Clinton said, “It would be wrong to define a life like Vincent Foster’s in terms only of how it ended.” Nonetheless, that’s how Foster will be remembered—by how he finished the race. And that’s true of most people, isn’t it? – the end of their life defines who they were. I know that is true for my mentor, Dr. Stephen Olford. He was witnessing to the nursing and medical staff in the hospital right up to the moment he went into a coma and died.
We need to be people who finish strong in faith both to glorify the Lord and to be an encouragement and example to those who come behind us. That’s our subject: “Finishing Strong: The Life of Faith.” Our text is Joshua 14:6-15, the end of Caleb’s life. The overall lesson we learn from this passage is that we can finish strong in faith if we wholly follow the Lord.
You’ll remember the story, how Moses had sent 12 spies to look over the land that they were about to conquer, just to find out what they were up against. Their espionage trip took 40 days. When they came back, 10 of the spies brought a negative report but Joshua and Caleb brought a positive report. The fact is that all 12 spies had seen the same land but their reactions were entirely different.
The 10 spies admitted that the land flowed with milk and honey. They even brought back a sample of the land’s lush produce – its grapes and pomegranates and figs (Num. 13:23). Nonetheless, their report was negative, not because the land was no good or problematic, but because the inhabitants were giants and the cities strongly fortified and large (13:28-29). They went so far as to say that “32 the land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size… 33 To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them” (13:32-33).
Joshua and Caleb on the other hand saw things differently. They were kindred spirits. They had the same courage and the same faith that God would fulfill his promises and give them the land. They were not intimidated by the majority who sided with the 10 spies (Numbers 13). They were of one mind to “go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!” (Num. 13:30). The 10 spies only saw the problems but Joshua and Caleb saw God’s promises. They were very positive about things. They were ready to attack the country. They were confident in their ability, with God’s help, to defeat the enemy.
But as you remember, the negative report won out. The Israelites didn’t go up to take Canaan captive. In fact, the Israelites whined and complained so much so that they actually said, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!” (Num. 14:2). They were so opposed to Joshua and Caleb that they were ready to stone them to death (Num. 14:10)!
It must have been discouraging at the time to see the people turn against them and against Moses and against God, but God judged the rebellious majority by causing them to wander 38 more years in the wilderness until all the adult males (20 years old and up) died without entering the promised land – except, of course, Caleb and Joshua. At that time, God said of Caleb, “Since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it” (Num 14:24).
There is a leadership lesson here. Sometimes leaders need to do what is unpopular, not what the majority want. Indeed, the majority is not always right. The leadership of God’s people is not governed by democratic opinion but by spiritual, godly leaders who seek and act on the mind of the Lord.
Moving forward to our text in Joshua 14, we come to the first principle concerning “Finishing Strong: The Life of Faith” …
I. Those Who Finish Strong Remember God’s Faithfulness (14:6-10)
By now, 45 years have gone by since that spying episode in the life of Israel. Moses is dead, Joshua is now their leader, and Caleb is an 85 year old man. Caleb is evidently the spokesperson for a larger group, the descendants of Judah, who approached Joshua at Gilgal (14:6a).
It seems that Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho, was the operational center for Israel after crossing the river Jordan. Undoubtedly, it reminded them of God’s miraculous intervention earlier in parting the Red Sea (Ex. 14). Now again, God had cut off the waters of the river Jordan so that they could cross over into Canaan (Josh. 4:1-18). To celebrate that event and to serve as a permanent memorial to what God had done, they erected 12 memorial stones there (Josh. 4:19-24). This was a special place in Israel’s history, a place to give God thanks and a place to remember God’s intervention and power if they got discouraged, as they fought for possession of the land in the days to come.
What Gilgal was to Joshua, Bethel was to Abraham and Jacob, and Carmel and Shiloh were to Samuel and Elijah. These were watershed places, turning points, where powerful experiences with God took place, where important decisions were made that would affect their futures. We need memorial places and events so that we never forget what God has done for us in the past and what he will still do for us in the future. Isn’t that why Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper, a feast of memorial that reminds us of what He has done for us in the past, when He laid down his life at the cross so that we could live, and of what He is going to do for us in the future when He comes again? We need constant reminders of God’s faithfulness in the past – they enable us to deal with present circumstances and anticipate future blessings.
I remember years ago when I became convinced that God was calling me into fulltime pastoral ministry. The moment was very vivid then and it still is today. It was as though all the lights went on in my head. I knew that this was what God wanted me to do. I related the details of that experience to someone one time, and she said to me, “Don’t ever forget that moment. It will keep you going when the tough times come.” Her words have been ever so true. When you run into rough spots in your life and ministry, look back on how God has led you thus far in your Christian life, how He has provided for you and protected you. Those memories will give you encouragement just when you need it.
So now Caleb comes to Joshua, his old friend and fellow spy, the new leader of the Israelites, and he reminds Joshua of Moses’ promise to him back when he and Joshua had spied out the land at Kadesh Barnea. “6 You know what the Lord promised Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the Lord’s servant sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land, and I brought back an honest report. 8 My brothers who went with me caused the people to lose heart, but I followed the Lord my God completely” (14:6b-8).
Caleb remembers God’s promise that He had made all those years before at Kadesh-Barnea. Undoubtedly, Caleb’s experience of God since that time has reinforced his trust in God’s word back then. Such memories tend to put the present into perspective, reminding us of God’s constancy, faithfulness, goodness and power. In this case, Caleb remembers and reminds Joshua of a past commitment: “On that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land where you have set foot will be an inheritance for you and your descendants forever, because you have followed the Lord my God completely’” (14:9). Caleb remembers well the promise that God had made to Moses concerning Joshua and himself (14:6), a promise which Moses in turn made to Caleb and Joshua (cf. Num. 14:24, 30; Deut. 1:36-38), to bring them into the land of Canaan and give them a land inheritance there, “the land where you have set foot.”
Notice that the basis for this promise to Caleb of a land inheritance in Canaan was Caleb’s wholehearted and unswerving faithfulness to the Lord, despite the cowardice and rebellion of the people. He had brought back to the Israelites at Kadesh-barnea an honest report, whereas the other 10 spies had brought back a report that caused the people to become discouraged, to distrust the Lord, and to retreat in fear. Yet, despite the opposition and rebellion against him, Caleb “followed the Lord my God completely.” This is what Caleb remembers from the past, clearly and firmly.
We all love it when someone keeps their promise to us, don’t we? And we know how disappointed we are when someone fails to keep their promise. Well, take heart in this – God keeps his word, always and fully! If we remain faithful to God, persevering in faith to the end, we will have the joy and reward of hearing Jesus himself say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy” (Matt. 25:23).
Caleb continues to reflect on God’s faithfulness: “10As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised, since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then (14:10-11).
Now, 45 years later, Caleb attributes his longevity and strength to God: “The Lord has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised.” Through God’s faithfulness to his word, Caleb still sees the promise to occupy Canaan being fulfilled. Just as God, through all the changing scenes of life, had kept him alive to this moment, so He would continue to keep him alive to secure his promised inheritance. He is as strong this day as he was back then – strong for war, strong for daily tasks. He is still physically able, ready, and willing to engage in battle to secure his inheritance. The fortified cities and giants, which he had seen before, still do not deter him. His confidence is still in God’s word.
Isn’t it encouraging to see that the intervening years of wandering in the wilderness have not dimmed Caleb’s hope or diminished his anticipation of what God is going to do? Nothing has lessened his trust in God’s word. Nothing has discouraged him from moving ahead with this God-given task. That’s amazing, isn’t it? Discouragement is such a powerful tool in the hands of our enemy, Satan. I think it is one of his most potent weapons against the people of God now, just as it was among the Israelites back then.
So, the first lesson we learn here is that those who finish strong remember God’s faithfulness. Second…
II. Those Who Finish Strong Claim God’s Promises (14:12)
Caleb continues: “Now give me this hill country (mountain) the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised” (14:12). Notice these attributes of Caleb’s perspective on the future…
An undaunted request. Here is Caleb, in the waning years of his life, requesting that Joshua fulfill the Lord’s promise: “Give me this hill country (mountain) the Lord promised me on that day.” He reminds Joshua that what he heard back then about the Anakim giants and the large fortified cities is still true, but so is God’s promise. And, with the Lord’s help, “I will drive them out as the Lord promised.” God’s promise so many years before is still valid.
In faith, Caleb was still ready to storm a mountain and do battle with these enemies of God. He is as positive now as he was 45 years earlier. The land of giants and the fortified cities still do not discourage him; with the Lord’s help he will defeat them and possess the land that God had long ago promised to His chosen people. Nothing has dampened his spirit or his enthusiasm or courage, or faith. His positive outlook on life and his trust in the Lord remain steadfast.
Sometimes we think that God has forgotten us, or that God is slow in answering our prayers. Sometimes we get discouraged. But not so Caleb. Even though he is 85 years old and has experienced his fair share of opposition, criticism and discouragement, he is still positive and bold. Now, he is receiving the inheritance that God through Moses had promised him so many years before without any indication of bitterness for having to wait so long, no evidence of rebellion or anger, no “where-were-you-God-when-I-needed-you.” No, just quiet acceptance and submission to the sovereign will of God.
This really challenges us, doesn’t it? As we grow older, do we have such a positive perspective on the future? Do we have such enduring confidence in God to fulfill his word, even to confidently wait 45 years, still trusting God in our old age? What a wonderful example of persevering faith we see here in Caleb. What a blessing to have such a positive outlook, even after all that he and the Israelites had been through. What a powerful reminder that God faithfully fulfills his promises, even though it might be years later. Let this be a reminder to us that God does not necessarily act immediately, nor as quickly as, or in the way that, we would like. But in his sovereign purposes God always keeps his word, completing what He began.
I hope my attitude to life will be like that if I reach Caleb’s age. Some of you are closer to Caleb’s age than I am. I hope your outlook is like that. Oh, you may not have the physical strength that Caleb did but you can have his positive and confident attitude. Positive about what God can do. Positive about the prospects ahead. Determined to finish strong in the strength that God supplies. Never wavering in your faith in God. Ready to conquer a mountain. Confident that God is at work and that “he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Confident that Christ is building his church (regardless of what we may see around us) and that He will present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless (Eph. 5:27). Fully convinced that the gospel is as powerful today as it ever was. Encouraging the next generation to take over where we leave off.
I think in our latter years, that’s our calling - to cheer on those who are coming behind us; to leave them a legacy of faith and confidence; to impress on them that the God who has preserved and led us is the one who will preserve and lead them; to set the standard for them to aspire to; to instill in them a sense of hope, joy, peace, faith. John Phillips puts it this way: “As we age we may become weak in body. The important thing is to be strong in spirit, strong enough to say to God, ‘Give me this mountain’” (People of the O.T., 267).
Caleb’s perspective on the future is expressed in an undaunted request and…
An undeterred vision. Forty-five years earlier, Caleb had had the vision of life in Canaan. He had a strong and certain vision of what life would be like in the new land that God was giving them. He didn’t hanker for the “good old days” in Egypt. He had moved on in confidence that God had delivered them at the Red Sea and would lead them into the new land. He couldn’t wait to begin their new life as pioneers in the land that flows with milk and honey. This was God’s provision for them. He didn’t want to go back to a life of servitude under Egyptian taskmasters. What kind of life was that compared with what God had in store for them?
The small taste that he had garnered of Canaan as a spy at Kadesh Barnea years before was enough to make him steadfast, never wavering in his vision of the future. Why would he want to go back to a diet of leeks and onions and garlic in Egypt when ahead of them were grapes and pomegranates and figs hanging off the trees in Canaan, just waiting to be picked and eaten? No, Caleb never wavered in his outlook and his trust in God.
A life that is strong in faith asks for an unflinching request, sees an undeterred vision, and manifests...
An unwavering attitude. Now, forty-five years later, Caleb has lost none of his determination. Years may have passed, but his outlook is still the same. In the meantime they had experienced successes and defeats, victories and failures. They had stormed and destroyed the city of Jericho (Josh. 6) but they had suffered defeat at Ai (Josh. 7). Nonetheless, Caleb was still positive and enthusiastic about the future. He is determined to finish strong. He is still sure of God’s will.
This isn’t a case of physical strength, although undoubtedly Caleb had that. But this is a case of spiritual strength, the spiritual strength to take one more mountain. His attitude was like that of the apostle Paul who could say, 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
The same could be said of Caleb now as Moses said of him earlier, “You have followed the Lord my God completely” (14:9). Can you say that? Maybe there were times in your life when you waivered, times of a double life, times when you found the world attractive. But now you’re here and, by God’s grace, you can say, “I am wholly following the Lord.” You know without a doubt that God is your refuge and strength. You rejoice in the Lord always. You know whom you have believed and you are persuaded that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day (2 Tim. 1:12). How powerful is a life lived for God! How influential our lives can be on others when they see consistency, faithfulness, kindness, hope, love, and joy oozing out of our lives.
As Caleb asked Joshua for this “mountain,” he knew what he was asking for. He knew what it entailed. He knew that it would be an uphill climb, tough sledding. He knew that the battle at the end would be dangerous, after all the Anakim were there. He had seen them with his own eyes. He knew what he was up against. He was under no delusion about the dangers. In Paul’s words, he could say, But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 20:24).
A life that is strong in faith asks for an unflinching request, sees an undeterred vision, manifests an unwavering attitude, and rests on…
An unfailing confidence. As Caleb asked Joshua for this mountain, he still rested on the promises of God. “Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised” (14:12). Why was Caleb so positive, so optimistic about the future? It was his relationship with the Lord. He was fully confident in the Lord’s presence. He was fully dependent on the Lord’s power. He was fully trusting in the Lord’s promise.
Is that your strength and confidence as well? His presence, his power, his promises – “the Lord will be with me ... he will drive them out ... as the Lord promised.” I don’t think Caleb ever tired of the Lord’s wonder, the Lord’s work, and the Lord’s word. I don’t think he ever lost sight of God’s glory, God’s greatness, and God’s goodness. I don’t think he ever got over their deliverance from Egypt, their direction through the wilderness, and their destiny in Canaan.
May that be our strength and confidence as well. Looking to the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Cleaving to the Lord with steadfastness of heart. Seeing the finish line just ahead, even as we ask him for one more mountain. In the apostle Paul’s words, 13 Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14).
Firstly, we learn here that those who finish strong remember God’s faithfulness. Secondly, those who finish strong claim God’s promises. Thirdly…
III. Those Who Finish Strong Receive God’s Blessing (14:13-15)
Well, Joshua had every reason to grant Caleb’s request. Indeed, he must grant it in order to fulfill God’s promise. 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as an inheritance. 14 Therefore, Hebron still belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance today because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, completely (14:13-14).
There are many forms of blessing in Scripture. We bless God in worship by expressing our praise of him and our devotion to him. One person may bless another in their desire for God’s favor and protection to be upon them. God blesses us spiritually, physically, and, sometimes, materially. All that we have and are is a blessing from God. Generally speaking, when we invoke a blessing for ourselves or someone else, we are asking God for a favor or mercy or benefit. Here Joshua blesses Caleb with his long-awaited land inheritance in Canaan. There is never a question about Caleb’s singular, unswerving devotion to God and his trust in God. This is the recognition of Caleb having faithfully “followed the Lord, the God of Israel, completely.”
Hebron is the place that is granted to Caleb as his inheritance in the promised land. Hebron demonstrates God’s blessing on those who, like Caleb, remain faithful to God in spite of setbacks, unpopularity, criticism, and rejection. Caleb portrays a picture of a patient, faithful, persevering Christian, who believes and acts on the certainty of God’s word. Although Caleb’s true and honest report concerning the land was rejected by the people, Caleb did not abandon them nor did he turn against God. Rather, he stayed at his post, maintained his positive attitude, believed God and, ultimately, entered into the blessing of God in the land. Caleb was patient – he stuck it out, for years! He awaited God’s time to act, even though it was in his old age. Even now, he could face giants boldly with a faith that can move mountains (Matt. 17:20).
Ironic, isn’t it, that Kiriath-arba that formerly belonged to Arba, “the greatest man among the Anakim” (14:15b), became Caleb’s? The place that the 10 spies rejected because of doubt, became Caleb’s by faith and its name was changed from Kiriath-arba to Hebron, the place where the Israelites would move forward unitedly to possess the land. Hebron figures largely in the progress of redemptive history. Joshua leads the people to conquer it (Josh. 10). Caleb drives out the Anakim giants from it (Josh 14:12). Later, Joshua declares it to be the territory of Judah, specifically the Kohathite Levites (21:11). Later still, God himself gives Hebron to king David as the capital of his kingdom (2 Samuel 2:1). And here in our passage, Joshua gives it to Caleb as his inheritance (14:14).
The place of battle with the Anakim became one of the 6 cities of refuge in Israel and after this, the land had rest from war (14:15). It’s as though the writer is saying, “There was one more battle to be fought. One more war to be won. One more mountain to be taken. And Caleb did it. Then the land had rest from war.”
Final Remarks
What a magnificent finale to Caleb’s life. He finished strong in faith. If you had to write a title over Caleb’s life, what would it be? I think it would be: He wholly followed the Lord. I trust that will be said of you and me. I hope that the next generation will say this of us: They wholly followed the Lord.
Steve Green sings a song called “Find us faithful.” It goes like this:
We’re pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
And those who’ve gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace.
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who’ve gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives
Chorus:
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we’ve left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find
(Songwriter: Jon Mohr. Find Us Faithful lyrics © Birdwing Music, Jonathan Mark Music)
This is my prayer for my life. Is it yours as well? Remember, we can finish strong in faith if we wholly follow the Lord.
Related Topics: Character Study, Christian Life
9. Joshua’s Last Words: The Challenge of Faith (Josh. 23:1-24:28)
Related MediaWe can learn much from the last words of friends, family members, and influential leaders. Sometimes a person’s last words review their life, or reminiscence about their experiences, or repair relationships, or give the next generation wisdom as to how to live. Last words can either affirm the person’s faith or reveal the lack of faith. A Christian friend of mine died recently. Shortly before he died another friend asked him about his faith in the light of his health condition and impending death. He replied: “I am either a man of faith, or I am not. And I am a man of faith.” I thought that was a profound testimony to his faith at the end of his life, after having followed the Lord for many years.
It is incumbent on us to pay attention to those who have learned much from their experience and from their relationship with God over their lifetime. As with other last words (e. g. Jacob, Moses), these last words of Joshua demand our attention. As an old man now, Joshua’s memory is full of the experiences and lessons that he had learned over the course of his lifetime and, specifically, during his period of leadership.
Many years have passed since the Israelites first entered Canaan under Joshua’s leadership, during which time they had eliminated or subdued their enemies such that they now had rest from all their enemies (23:1). In view of his advanced age, Joshua summoned all Israel, including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers and said to them, “I am old, advanced in age” (23:2) and he passes on to them his last words of wisdom and warning. In his last words, Joshua reminisces about God’s faithfulness and challenges Israel to remain loyal to God and obedient to His word, failing which they would face dire consequences. The structure of these last two chapters of the book of Joshua is as follows:
1. A reminder (chapter 23). Joshua reminds the Israelites of God’s covenant faithfulness to them in the past and counsels them about the future.
2. An exhortation (chapter 24). Here, Joshua reviews God’s faithfulness to his people and calls them to a renewed commitment to their covenant relationship with Him.
In these two chapters, the abiding theological principle is that just as God is absolutely faithful to us, so must we be to Him if we want to continue to enjoy his blessings.
I. A Reminder About Covenant Faithfulness (Josh. 23:3-11)
Faithfulness to God is a prerequisite for blessing. In this case, it is a prerequisite for the Israelites to take full possession of the land. Persistence in faithfulness to God is the issue here. The question is, “Will the Israelites keep on being faithful to God, especially after Joshua, their leader, is no longer with them? Will they complete their task of possessing the land?”
This speech divides itself into two parts…
Part 1: A Reminder About Continued Obedience And Loyalty To God (23:3-8).
A. Remember God’s covenant faithfulness (23:3-5). First, as to the past, all their successes were due to God alone. Israel’s possession of the land to date was a gift from God: “You have seen for yourselves everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your account, because it was the Lord your God who was fighting for you” (23:3). Though Joshua had faithfully led their military campaigns and “destroyed” the nations west of the Jordan (23:4), nonetheless, their successes could only be attributed to “the Lord your God who was fighting for you.”
Just as everything they had experienced, achieved, and now possessed was due to God’s gracious gift to them in fulfillment of his promise to Abraham, so for us everything that we have and are is from God (1 Chron. 29:10-19; James 1:17; 2 Corinthians 9:10–11; Rom. 11:36). We need to acknowledge this on a regular basis and govern ourselves accordingly.
Second, as to the future, the Lord God will continue to help them take possession of the land. God himself will enable them to drive out their enemies “so that you can take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you” (23:5). Just as in the past, so in the future, they could only accomplish their God-given purpose of dispossessing the land of their enemies through the Lord’s power and according to his promises.
Sometimes, I think, we forget this when we make plans for our own future. We can only secure success in achieving certain goals as long as those goals are from the Lord and we conduct ourselves in submission to him, recognizing his sovereignty over every aspect of our lives. We need to remember that a person’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps (Prov. 16:9). We may make plans for the future (and that is right and proper), but those plans must always be subject to the Lord’s determination of each step we take.
These two reminders of God’s faithfulness in the past and the future are followed by a warning…
B. Remember God’s covenant requirements (23:6-8). In order to remain faithful to God and avoid his judgement, Joshua urges the Israelites, first, to obey God’s word (23:6-7). “Be very strong and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you do not turn from it to the right or the left” (23:6). Obedience to God’s word is the foundation of faithfulness to God.
Second, to be loyal to the Lord your God (23:7-8). Stated in negative terms, this means in practice: “Do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them; do not serve them or bow in worship to them” (23:7). Faithfulness to God demands exclusive obedience to, and worship of, him. There can be no contamination with the gods of the Canaanites. Our God is a jealous God and demands our absolute and exclusive worship, loyalty, and obedience (24:19).
From a N.T. perspective, the apostle Paul says the same thing: Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?... Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you (2 Cor. 6:14-17). Separation from the world is evidence of our love for God, our obedience to God, and our loyalty to God.
Stated in positive terms (instead of negative as in v. 7), this means, “Instead, be loyal to the Lord your God, as you have been to this day” (23:8). Today, most people do not think in terms of loyalty – neither to their employer, to their wife and family, to the church, nor to God. Loyalty is an undervalued characteristic. For the people of God, loyalty to God is of paramount importance. This means being steadfast in our allegiance to God, holding on to Him, being joined inseparably to Him. Our God brooks no divided affections from his people.
Thus, Joshua’s primary message here for the Israelites is a reminder about continued obedience and loyalty to God. These are the foundations for faithfulness to God and are the primary substance of Joshua’s final words to the Israelites.
Part 2: A Reminder About Covenant Faithfulness To God (23:9-16).
A. A reminder about their successes to date (23:9-10). Joshua reminds them of two reasons for their success so far in taking possession of the land. First, “the Lord has driven out great and powerful nations before you” (23:9a). They could not have done it on their own, as the defeat at Ai proves (ch. 7). When Israel failed to consult the Lord and acted in independence and arrogance, they failed miserably. The people who previously had miraculously defeated the city of Jericho were unable to defeat even the small town of Ai. Why? Because they left God out of their plans.
We can only defeat the enemy of our souls if we depend upon the Lord. He alone can drive away wicked opponents who are far more powerful than we ourselves.
Second, “no one is able to stand against you to this day…because the Lord your God was fighting for you as he promised” (23:9b-10). It wasn’t simply that they won certain battles. It was that no opposing army, no matter how big or strong, was able to stand up against them. Why? Because of the Lord’s power and his faithfulness to them. They had invaded Canaan in the confidence that God was on their side in accordance with his promise to Moses (Deut. 31:6-8) and to Joshua himself (Josh. 1:5). Indeed, God’s power was made so great and so evident that “one of you routed a thousand because the Lord your God was fighting for you, as he promised” (23:10). With God on their side, each person was able to accomplish far more than they could otherwise achieve. Thus, Joshua is really encouraging them that, as in the past so in the future, God would be with them, enabling them to finish the task of driving out their enemies.
As Christians, we also have the assurance from God’s word that he will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He is fighting for us on our side such that no enemy can defeat us, for he has given us spiritual armor for our protection and power in withstanding the schemes and fiery arrows of the evil one (Eph. 6:11, 16). Indeed, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:37).
B. A warning about their relationship to Yahweh (23:11-16). First, pay attention to your spiritual life. “Diligently watch yourselves! Love the Lord your God!” (23:11). Here is a much-needed warning, for the Israelites (and for us) about faithfulness to Yahweh. To preserve their relationship with Yahweh, they must pay attention to their spiritual lives.
Don’t become comfortable based on your past successes. Don’t think that past successes are a guarantee of future successes. No, we need to constantly pay attention to ourselves in the sense of examining and being aware of our relationship with God (our spirituality), our desires, our thoughts, our diligence in the work of the Lord. Don’t become distracted by secular activities. Be like a good soldier who does not get entangled with civilian life but always seeks to please his commanding officer (2 Tim. 2:4).
The apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesian elders follows the same pattern: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers” (Acts 20:28). The idolatry of Ephesus could easily have become a distraction and an enticement to them. To withstand such temptations, the elders needed to pay careful attention to their personal relationship with the Lord and with the people over whom God had called them to be overseers.
Again, Paul exhorted Timothy, 12 Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. 13 Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. 14 Don’t neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Tim. 1:4:12-16). This matter of paying attention to yourself has nothing to do with self-centredness or self-promotion. Rather, this is a spiritual matter about guarding your heart, your mind, your relationships, and your desires such that you are focussed on serving the Lord with diligence and faithfulness. Don’t lose focus. Don’t drift away from the Lord. Be diligent in maintaining holiness of life so that your communion with God is not broken. Your connectedness with God is of paramount importance if you are going to remain faithful to him.
This also follows the same pattern as Jesus’ teaching: “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Whole-hearted devotion to serving and following Jesus is required, in order to guard yourself against unfaithfulness to God, disloyalty to Jesus, and forgetfulness of your calling.
So, first, pay attention to your spiritual life…
Second, be aware of God’s judgement (23:12-16). Unfaithfulness to God incurs the threat of His punishment. “12 If you ever turn away and become loyal to the rest of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry or associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out before you” (23:12-13a). If the Israelites fail to love and obey God exclusively (cf. 23:6-8), if they turn away from God and become loyal to the nations around them, then God will no longer “drive out these nations before you.” On the contrary, the nations would “become a snare and a trap for you, a sharp stick for your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you disappear from this good land the Lord your God has given you” (23:13b). Such would be the consequence if they became like the nations around them and turned their back on God. They would only have themselves to blame if they were disloyal to God and became integrated into the pagan life and people of Canaan.
Indeed, any punishment they may face in the future would not be because of any failure on God’s part to keep and fulfill his promises to them concerning their possession of the land, for throughout their history God has remained utterly faithful to his word: “14 I am now going the way of the whole earth, and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the Lord you God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed” (23:14). They would never be able to point the finger at God and accuse him of failing them.
Here’s the bottom line of Joshua’s closing argument in this section: “15 Since every good thing the Lord your God promised you has come about, so he will bring on you every bad thing until he has annihilated you from this good land the Lord your God has given you. 16 If you break the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow in worship to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly disappear from this good land he has given you” (23:15-16). A strong warning from Joshua! If Israel broke the covenant and worshipped other gods, they would lose their inheritance in the land. Not only would they face defeat and expulsion from the land by the nations, but they would face annihilation by God himself such that “you will quickly disappear from this good land he has given you.” Remember, just as obedience brings “good things” (i.e. blessings), so disobedience brings “bad things” (i.e. punishment).
Again, this follows the same pattern as Jesus’ teaching: “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). There is abundant instruction and warning in the Scriptures about the consequences of unfaithfulness to God.
So, in Joshua’s farewell address, first we find a reminder about covenant faithfulness to God. Second…
II. An Exhortation To Covenant Renewal (Josh 24:1-28)
A. Israel’s Covenant History Reviewed (24:1-13). Joshua communicates to all Israel “what the Lord, the God of Israel, says” (24:2). What follows is a truncated recounting of what God did for the Israelites throughout their history to date, starting with (1) the call of Abraham and his descendants (24:2-3); (2) the sending of Moses and Aaron to lead them out of captivity in Egypt (24:4-10); and (3) the conquest of Canaan (24:11-13).
The story appropriately begins with God’s choice of their pagan-worshipping ancestors from Mesopotamia from where God sovereignly led Abraham to Canaan where He “multiplied his descendants” (24:2-3). The story quickly progresses to Abraham’s descendants – Isaac, Jacob, and Esau (24:3b-4) - with Esau receiving his land possession in Seir while Jacob and his sons “went down to Egypt” (24:4) in the days when Joseph was prime minister there.
The text says nothing about their long years of slavery but focuses on what God did to deliver them from Egypt. God sent to them Moses and Aaron under whose leadership He “defeated Egypt” (24:5) and brought the Israelites out by way of the Red Sea, with the Egyptians in hot pursuit (24:6). In response to the Israelites’ cry, He delivered them from the Egyptians at the Red Sea by (1) the cover of darkness, and (2) drowning the Egyptians in the Red Sea (24:7a).
In addition, nothing is said about their wilderness wanderings, except that they “lived in the wilderness a long time” (24:7b). While this historical review concerns previous generations, nonetheless, the repetition of “you” and “your” indicates the personal identification of the present generation with their people of the past. Also, it implies that some of the present generation may have been survivors of the wilderness wanderings (Num. 14:29-33), in which case they may have had personal memory of that event.
The story moves on to what God did on their behalf before crossing the Jordan (24:8-10). As to the Amorites, “I handed them over to you. You possessed their land, and I annihilated them before you” (24:8). As to Balak the king of Moab, God “rescued” them from him by turning Balaam from cursing them to blessing them (24:9-10; cf. Num. 22:10-12).
Now the story moves on to what God did for them after crossing the Jordan (24:11-13). Jericho’s citizens - along with the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hethites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites – all “fought against you, but I (God) handed them over to you” (24:11), just as He had promised. “I sent hornets ahead of you, and they drove out the two Amorite kings before you. It was not by your sword or bow” (24:12). There is some debate amongst scholars as to whether these “hornets” were literal wasps (cf. Ex. 23:28-30; Deut. 7:17-21) or a metaphor for the terror that the nations experienced when confronted by the Israelites (cf. Josh. 2:9-11, 24; 5:1). Since God used other insects like gnats and flies and locusts to plague Pharaoh and the Egyptians, it seems to me that there is no reason to interpret these hornets as anything but literal insects.
In any event, what is clear is that the entire process of bringing them to the Promised Land, and everything they now had, is all attributed to God. “I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from the vineyards and olive groves you did not plant” (24:13). Their possession of Canaan and the defeat of their enemies was all God’s work. It was not by the power of their swords or bows, but God’s power. On their own, their weapons would have been useless. It was not by their own labor by which they possessed the land where they built cities to live in and farmed vineyards and olive groves for fruit. The emphasis is completely on God – his power, his provision – just as He promised (Deut. 6:10-11).
God is faithful to his word which never fails. Let us remember this essential principle: Everything we have and are is all a gift from God – our salvation, our spiritual gifts, our possessions, our daily food, our jobs, our families, our successes, our blessings.
B. Israel’s Covenant with God Renewed (24:14-28). First, Joshua calls the Israelites to worship the Lord exclusively (24:14-18). “Therefore” – on the basis of all that God has done for you and his faithfulness to you throughout your history - “fear the Lord and worship / serve him in sincerity and truth (24:14a). Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites is, first, to “fear the Lord.” Solomon’s counsel is that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 1:7).
A true “fear” of the Lord is our response to him out of the awareness of who he is - his power and his holiness, which are so far beyond us and are so demanding of us that we “fear” him. We “fear” him, not in the sense of being afraid of eternal condemnation (for we are secure in Christ), but out of a sense of our finiteness, frailty, and fallenness in comparison to his divine sovereignty, absolute supremacy, and utter sinlessness. He is the mighty God who created us and who holds the world in his hand. He is above all and through all and in all (Eph. 4:6). This surely should cause us to fear him in the sense that He is the Creator, we are his creatures; He is the one to be worshipped and we are his worshippers. This is not the fear of a scared puppy, but the fear of disobeying him, of dishonoring him, of disappointing him, and of incurring his discipline. Anyone who divides their affections between the one true God and the pagan gods simply does not “fear” the Lord.
The outcome of true fear of the Lord is to “worship him in sincerity and truth.” This is to worship and serve him in total devotion and utter transparency – no hidden or ulterior motives but complete commitment. The practical expression of such devotion is to “get rid of the gods of your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord” (24:14b). The choice is theirs: “If it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship – the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living?” (24:15a). There is an urgency to this choice – “today.” Don’t put it off since we do not know what tomorrow may bring forth (Prov. 27:1).
The alternative to worshipping and serving the Lord is to worship the pagan gods of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Canaan. Every human being worships someone or something. Which will it be? Evidently, the worship of pagan gods had been a protracted practice among the Israelites from the time of Abraham up to the present. Otherwise, Joshua would not have needed to call them to fidelity to the one true God. They needed once and for all to rid themselves of false worship and commit themselves to the God of Israel exclusively. The choice for Joshua and his household was clear and unequivocal, as he had demonstrated throughout his lifetime: “As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord” (24:15b).
How appropriate and relevant is this for us today? In similar fashion, in the light of God’s goodness to us the apostle Paul calls us, just as Joshua called the Israelites, to an exclusive, life-transforming commitment to God: 1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:1-2).
In response to Joshua’s call, the Israelites respond with a vow of commitment (24:16-18). The earlier review of their history caused them to remember what God had done for them. They recognized the faithfulness of God in delivering them from slavery, performing miracles, providing for their needs, leading them through the wilderness, enabling them to take possession of the Promised Land, and protecting them from their enemies. Hence, their commitment: “16 We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods! 17 For the Lord our God brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. 18 The Lord drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the Lord, because he is our God” (24:16-18).
Second, Joshua challenges the Israelites with a warning (24:19-21). Having put the charge and the choice to them, Joshua now articulates the challenge – can they live up to their commitment, particularly given their history of fickleness? “19 You will not be able to worship the Lord, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions and sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you, after he has been good to you” (24:19-20). It seems that Joshua wants to shock them into realizing the seriousness of their commitment by reminding them of God’s holiness and his exclusive, jealous claims on them. This kind of commitment to God cannot be made lightly. God’s holiness bars any defilement in his presence (cf. Lev. 19:2) and God’s jealousy for his people bars any competition from other gods. It is all or nothing. Devotion to God demands separation from any defilement, whether in behavior, thought, or association. Their choice, therefore, is very serious. They cannot presume on God’s grace, even though they (and we) know from experience that God is a forgiving God. I think Joshua is trying to tell them that there is no room for nominal religion, just as there is no room today for “nominal Christianity” (i.e. profession without reality).
In this case, the people affirmed their pledge of allegiance to the Lord: “No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship the Lord” (24:21).
Lastly, the renewed covenant is finalized (24:22-28). By denying Joshua’s warning and affirming their pledge of allegiance, the people witnessed against themselves: 22 Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.” “We are witnesses,” they said (24:22). They would be responsible for their decision. They could never claim that Joshua talked them into it. Nor could they ever claim that they didn’t know the consequences. Thus, the renewed covenant was ratified by the people.
But words are not enough. Their commitment requires appropriate action that confirms a change of heart. “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel” (24:23). Evidently, even as they made this commitment, there were still “foreign gods” among them that needed to be destroyed. So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey him” (24:24). The two go together – worship and obedience. There can be no true worship without obedience.
Thus, the covenant was finalized and Joshua made a binding covenant for the people to worship, serve, and obey the Lord, drawing up its terms in a statue and ordinance: 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them (24:25). Furthermore, the agreement was documented and memorialized: 26 Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God; he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak at the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 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 said to us, and it will be a witness against you, so that you will not deny your God.” 28 Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance (24:26-28). The stone would be a permanent, public marker, reminding them of their covenant with God and God’s faithfulness to them.
Final Remarks
Remember our thesis statement for this study: Just as God is absolutely faithful to us, so must we be to Him if we want to continue to enjoy his blessings. The book of Joshua closes in the last two chapters with a vivid reminder of this principle and a warning if it is not obeyed.
Fittingly, the book concludes with a memorial to Joshua’s legacy. First, Joshua’s history and accomplishments. Joshua was, first and foremost, the LORD’s servant (24:29). He was God’s spokesperson, appointed by God to be Moses’ substitute and successor. He was God’s servant, who, as a faithful warrior, led Israel in taking possession of their land (ch. 6-12). He was God’s servant, who faithfully assigned the land inheritances to the various tribes and clans according to Moses’ instructions (ch. 13-21). He was God’s servant, who faithfully reminded Israel about covenant faithfulness (23:3-11) – God’s faithfulness to them and their faithfulness to God – and faithfully exhorted and induced them to renew their covenant commitment (24:1-28).
There is an air of finality here: 29 After these things, the Lord’s servant, Joshua son of Nun, died at the age of 110. 30 They buried him in his allotted territory at Timnath-serah, in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash (24:29-30). The assignment of the territories is complete (24:28), including, at the last, Joshua’s own inheritance in the hill country of Ephraim (24:30).
Second, Israel’s continued dedication to the Lord. Clearly, the author is trying to convey to us that Joshua’s testimony lived on among the Israelites long after his death: Israel worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua and who had experienced all the works the Lord had done for Israel (24:31). Israel served the Lord all Joshua’s days and the days of his successors. Clearly, they carried out their renewed commitment to the Lord (24:24). Considering Israel’s many failures, it is noteworthy how the book ends on such a positive note. They continued to worship God based on their experience and knowledge of what God had done for them under Joshua’s leadership. Joshua’s godly influence carried on among his elders and the people. What a legacy!
Third, the Israelites faithfully fulfilled Joseph’s dying request (see Gen. 50:25-26). Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the parcel of land Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. It was an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants (24:32). In this way we see that the story and development of the covenant people of God which began in Genesis comes full circle and conclusion in Joshua.
Finally, the record of the burial of Eleazar. Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim (24:33). The last recorded allotment of land is assigned to Eleazar, the high priest, who played such a leading and important role in the life of Israel.
What giants of faith God has recorded in his word! They had their failures, after all they were human. But the permanent and final testimony to Joshua is full of praise for who he was and what he did among the Israelites. May his example and legacy influence us to courageously fight on through the battles we face in this world, until that great and glorious day when 16 the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Thess. 4:16-18).
Related Topics: Character of God, Christian Life
Introduction
Related MediaElijah ministered during a terrible time in Israel’s history. Apostasy was at an all-time high because Ahab, Israel’s worst king, was on the throne (1 Kgs 16:30). His ungodly influence was augmented by his wife, Jezebel, who introduced Baal worship to Israel. In order to restore Israel to God, the Lord called one of his greatest prophets, Elijah, to confront Ahab (1 Kings 17:1).
Elijah’s ministry was unique. He prayed that it would not rain as a judgment for Israel’s sins, and it did not rain for three and a half years. He challenged Baal’s prophets to a contest to prove that Yahweh was God. After they lost, he had the false prophets killed. Then, he prayed for it to rain, and it did, ending three and a half years of drought and famine (1 Kgs 18). In fact, because of his faithfulness, God took Elijah straight to heaven without him dying (2 Kgs 2). However, as great as Elijah was, James says he was a human being like us (Jam 5:16-18), meaning that the power in his life can be in ours (Jam 5:16-18). Therefore, as we study Elijah’s life, we learn principles about becoming a person God can use greatly. May God richly bless your study and use you greatly for his kingdom!
Copyright © 2022 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
Related Topics: Character Study, Christian Life
Appendix 1: Study Group Tips
Related MediaLeading a small group using the Bible Teacher’s Guide can be done in various ways. One format is the “study group” model, where each member prepares and shares in the teaching. This appendix will cover tips for facilitating a weekly study group.
- Each week the members of the study group read through a selected chapter of the guide, answer the reflection questions (see Appendix 2), and come prepared to share in the group.
- Prior to each meeting, a different member is selected to lead the group and share his answer to Question 1 of the reflection questions, which is a short summary of the chapter read. This section of the gathering could last from five to fifteen minutes. This way, each member can develop his ability to teach and will be motivated to study harder during the week. Or, each week the same person could share the summary.
- After the summary has been given, the leader for that week facilitates discussion of the remaining reflection questions and selected questions from the chapter.
- After discussion, the group shares prayer requests and members pray for one another.
The strength of the study group is that the members are required to prepare their responses before the meeting, allowing for easier discussion. Another is that each member has the opportunity to further develop his ministry skills through teaching. These are distinct advantages.
Copyright © 2022 Gregory Brown
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
Appendix 2: Reflection Questions
Related MediaWriting is one of the best ways to learn. In class, we take notes and write papers, and all these methods are used to help us learn and retain the material. The same is true with the Word of God. Obviously, all of the authors of Scripture were writers. This helped them better learn the Scriptures and also enabled them to more effectively teach it. In studying God’s Word with the Bible Teacher’s Guide, take time to write so you can similarly grow both in your learning and teaching.
- How would you summarize the main points of the text/chapter? Write a brief summary.
- What stood out to you most in the reading? Did any of the contents trigger any memories or experiences? If so, please share them.
- What follow–up questions do you have about the reading? Are there parts you do not fully agree with?
- What applications did you take from the reading, and how do you plan to implement them in your life?
- Write several goals: As a result of my time studying God’s Word, I aspire to . . .
- What are some practical ways to pray as a result of studying the text? Spend some time in prayer.
Copyright © 2022 Gregory Brown
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
Appendix 3: Walking The Romans Road
Related MediaHow can a person be saved? From what is he saved? How can someone have eternal life? Scripture teaches that after death each person will spend eternity either in heaven or hell. How can a person go to heaven?
Paul said this to Timothy:
You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15
One of the reasons God gave us Scripture is to make us wise for salvation. This means that without it nobody can know how to be saved.
Well then, how can a people be saved and what are they being saved from? A common method of sharing the good news of salvation is through the Romans Road. One of the great themes, not only of the Bible, but specifically of the book of Romans is salvation. In Romans, the author, Paul, clearly details the steps we must take in order to be saved.
How can we be saved? What steps must we take?
Step One: We Must Accept that We Are Sinners
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What does it mean to sin? The word sin means “to miss the mark.” The mark we missed is looking like God. When God created mankind in the Genesis narrative, he created man in the “image of God” (1:27). The “image of God” means many things, but probably, most importantly it means we were made to be holy just as he is holy. Man was made moral. We were meant to reflect God’s holiness in every way: the way we think, the way we talk, and the way we act. And any time we miss the mark in these areas, we commit sin.
Furthermore, we do not only sin when we commit a sinful act such as: lying, stealing, or cheating. Again, we sin anytime we have a wrong heart motive. The greatest commandments in Scripture are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:36-40, paraphrase). Whenever we don’t love God supremely and love others as ourselves, we sin and fall short of the glory of God. For this reason, man is always in a state of sinning. Sadly, even if our actions are good, our heart is bad. I have never loved God with my whole heart, mind, and soul and neither has anybody else. Therefore, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We have all missed the mark of God’s holiness and we must accept this.
What’s the next step?
Step Two: We Must Understand We Are Under the Judgment of God
Why are we under the judgment of God? It is because of our sins. Scripture teaches God is not only a loving God, but he is a just God. And his justice requires judgment for each of our sins. Romans 6:23 says, “For the payoff of sin is death.”
A wage is something we earn. Every time we sin, we earn the wage of death. What is death? Death really means separation. In physical death, the body is separated from the spirit, but in spiritual death, man is separated from God. Man currently lives in a state of spiritual death (cf. Eph 2:1-3). We do not love God, obey him, or know him as we should. Therefore, man is in a state of death.
Moreover, one day at our physical death, if we have not been saved, we will spend eternity separated from God in a very real hell. In hell, we will pay the wage for each of our sins. Therefore, in hell people will experience various degrees of punishment (cf. Lk 12:47-48). This places man in a very dangerous predicament—unholy and therefore under the judgment of God.
How should we respond to this? This leads us to our third step.
Step Three: We Must Recognize God Has Invited All to Accept His Free Gift of Salvation
Romans 6:23 does not stop at the wages of sin being death. It says, “For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because God loved everybody on the earth, he offered the free gift of eternal life, which anyone can receive through Jesus Christ.
Because it is a gift, it cannot be earned. We cannot work for it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”
Going to church, being baptized, giving to the poor, or doing any other righteous work does not save. Salvation is a gift that must be received from God. It is a gift that has been prepared by his effort alone.
How do we receive this free gift?
Step Four: We Must Believe Jesus Christ Died for Our Sins and Rose from the Dead
If we are going to receive this free gift, we must believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Because God loved us, cared for us, and didn’t want us to be separated from him eternally, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Similarly, John 3:16 says, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God so loved us that he gave his only Son for our sins.
Jesus Christ was a real, historical person who lived 2,000 years ago. He was born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life. He was put to death by the Romans and the Jews. And he rose again on the third day. In his death, he took our sins and God’s wrath for them and gave us his perfect righteousness so we could be accepted by God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” God did all this so we could be saved from his wrath.
Christ’s death satisfied the just anger of God over our sins. When God saw Jesus on the cross, he saw us and our sins and therefore judged Jesus. And now, when God sees those who are saved, he sees his righteous Son and accepts us. In salvation, we have become the righteousness of God.
If we are going to be saved, if we are going to receive this free gift of salvation, we must believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our sins (cf. 1 Cor 15:3-5, Rom 10:9-10). Do you believe?
Step Five: We Must Confess Christ as Lord of Our Lives
Romans 10:9-10 says,
Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.
Not only must we believe, but we must confess Christ as Lord of our lives. It is one thing to believe in Christ but another to follow Christ. Simple belief does not save. Christ must be our Lord. James said this: “…Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear” (James 2:19), but the demons are not saved—Christ is not their Lord.
Another aspect of making Christ Lord is repentance. Repentance really means a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. Before we met Christ, we were living our own life and following our own sinful desires. But when we get saved, our mind and direction change. We start to follow Christ as Lord.
How do we make this commitment to the lordship of Christ so we can be saved? Paul said we must confess with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” as we believe in him. Romans 10:13 says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
If you admit that you are a sinner and understand you are under God’s wrath because of them; if you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead for your salvation; if you are ready to turn from your sin and cling to Christ as Lord, you can be saved.
If this is your heart, then you can pray this prayer and commit to following Christ as your Lord.
Dear heavenly Father, I confess I am a sinner and have fallen short of your glory, what you made me for. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and rose from the dead so I can have eternal life. I am turning away from my sin and accepting you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and change me. Thank you for your gift of salvation.
Scripture teaches that if you truly accepted Christ as your Lord, then you are a new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!” God has forgiven your sins (1 John 1:9), he has given you his Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15), and he is going to disciple you and make you into the image of his Son (cf. Rom 8:29). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5), and he will complete the work he has begun in your life (Phil 1:6). In heaven, angels and saints are rejoicing because of your commitment to Christ (Lk 15:7).
Praise God for his great salvation! May God keep you in his hand, empower you through the Holy Spirit, train you through mature believers, and use you to build his kingdom! “He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this” (1 Thess 5:24). God bless you!
Copyright © 2022 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
The Bible Teacher’s Guide, Elijah: Becoming A Person God Can Use Greatly
Related MediaAnd entrust what you heard me say in the presence of many others as witnesses to faithful people who will be competent to teach others as well.
2 Timothy 2:2 (NET)
Paul’s words to Timothy still apply to us today. The church needs teachers who clearly and fearlessly teach the Word of God. With this in mind, The Bible Teacher’s Guide (BTG) series was created. This series includes both expositional and topical studies, with resources to help teachers lead small groups, pastors prepare sermons, and individuals increase their knowledge of God’s Word.
Elijah: Becoming a Person God Can Use Greatly can be used for personal study or as a fourteen-session small group curriculum. For small groups, the members will read a chapter within their gathering and discuss the reflection questions and anything else that stood out in the reading. Or, the chapter can be read before the gathering, with the meeting focusing only on discussion.
Copyright © 2022 Gregory Brown
This book is also available for purchase here on Amazon.
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
Related Topics: Character Study, Christian Life
Preface
Related MediaAnd the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
2 Timothy 2:2
Paul’s words to Timothy still apply to us today. The church needs teachers who clearly and fearlessly teach the Word of God. With this in mind, The Bible Teacher’s Guide (BTG) series was created. This series includes both expositional and topical studies, with resources to help teachers lead small groups, pastors prepare sermons, and individuals increase their knowledge of God’s Word.
Each lesson is based around the hermeneutical principle that the original authors wrote in a similar manner as we do today—with the intention of being understood. Each paragraph and chapter of Scripture centers around one main thought, often called the Big Idea. After finding the Big Idea for each passage studied, students will discuss the Big Question, which will lead the small group (if applicable) through the entire text. Alongside the Big Question, note the added Observation, Interpretation, and Application Questions. The Observation Questions point out pivotal aspects of the text. The Interpretation Questions facilitate understanding through use of the context and other Scripture. The Application Questions lead to life principles coming out of the text. Not all questions will be used, but they have been given to help guide the teacher in preparing the lesson.
As the purpose of this guide is to make preparation easier for the teacher and study easier for the individual, many commentaries and sermons have been accessed in the development of each lesson. After meditating on the Scripture text and the lesson, the small group leader may wish to follow the suggested teaching outline:
- Introduce the text and present the Big Question.
- Allow several minutes for the members to discuss the question, search for the answers within the text, and listen to God speak to them through His Word.
- Discuss the initial findings, then lead the group through the Observation, Interpretation, and Application Questions.
On the other hand, the leader may prefer to teach the lesson in part or in whole, and then give the Application Questions. He may also choose to use a “study group” method, where each member prepares beforehand and shares teaching responsibility (see Appendices 1 and 2). Some leaders may find it most effective to first read the main section of the lesson corporately, then to follow with a brief discussion of the topic and an Application Question.
Again, The Bible Teacher’s Guide can be used as a manual to follow in teaching, a resource to use in preparation for teaching or preaching, or simply as an expositional devotional to enrich your own study. I pray that the Lord may bless your study, preparation, and teaching, and that in all of it you will find the fruit of the Holy Spirit abounding in your own life and in the lives of those you instruct.
Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
Introduction
Related MediaAuthorship
Who is the author of the book of James? Like other general epistles, except Hebrews, it is named after its author. It begins with “From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1). Since James was a very common name, it is clear that this person must have been very well-known. There are four different people named James in the New Testament: (1) James the father of Judas the apostle (not Iscariot, Lk 6:16), (2) James the son of Alphaeus, who is one of the twelve apostles (Mk 3:18), (3) James the brother of John, another apostle (Mk 1:19), and (4) James the half-brother of Jesus (Gal 1:19). Since the first two are rather obscure, only James the brother of John and James the half-brother of Jesus have really been considered. However, James the brother of John was martyred around AD 44, which probably happened before the writing of the epistle.1 Therefore, the general consensus is that James, the brother of Jesus, wrote the letter.
James, the brother of Jesus, being the author of the epistle is further confirmed by external and internal evidence. Externally, James’ authorship is confirmed by Origen (AD 185-253), Eusebius (AD 265-340), and Jerome (AD 340-420).2 It is also confirmed internally by the Jewish flavor of the epistle. There are over forty allusions to the Old Testament in the book3, such as the “first fruits” (1:18), repeated references to the “law” (2:8-12, 4:11), the “synagogue” (2:2), a reference to “Abraham,” “Rahab,” and “Job” (2:21, 25, 5:11), and the “early and latter rains” (5:4-7). Since James oversaw the Jerusalem church, which was primarily Jewish, Jewish allusions are to be expected. Further internal evidence is the fact that James continually alludes to the Sermon on the Mount, his brother’s most famous sermon. There are twenty-one parallel statements to the Lord’s sermon.4 Others have also pointed to the similarities between the vocabulary in the epistle and James’ address at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15:13-29.5
James originally doubted his brother’s claim of being the messiah, but after Jesus resurrected and appeared to James (1 Cor 15:7), James soon became the leader of the Jerusalem church and an apostle (Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18, 1 Cor 15:7)—an official witness of the resurrection. Paul called James a pillar of the church along with the original apostles, Peter, James, and John (Gal 2:9). Because of his righteous character and ascetic practices, James became known as James the Just. Reportedly his knees became hard like a camel’s knees because of his constant worship and time in prayer.6 James was stoned to death by Jewish religious leaders because of his faith in AD 62.7 Because of the date of his death and since the Jerusalem church council (AD 48 or 49) that James presided over is never mentioned within the epistle, which one would expect if the book was written after it, the book of James is estimated to have been written around AD 44-49.8 This would make it the earliest book written in the NT canon.9 Further support for this early dating is the fact that James referred to the Jewish Christians meeting in an “assembly,” which can also be translated “synagogue” (ASV), in James 2:2. Gathering in Jewish places of worship was normal in the early years of the church, which was primarily Jewish, as they saw themselves as a continuation, or fulfillment, of Judaism (Acts 2:46).
Background
James 1:1 says the audience of this letter is “the twelve tribes dispersed abroad.” Most likely, this refers to Jewish Christians who were scattered from Jerusalem because of persecution. In Acts 8, the church began to scatter after Stephen was martyred. Acts 8:1 says, “Now on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.” Acts 11:19 describes this further, “Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one but Jews.” No doubt, more Christians scattered when King Herod began to persecute the church including killing James the brother of John and imprisoning Peter (Acts 12). James probably knew many of the Jewish believers he wrote to, as they were perhaps members of his church in Jerusalem. Therefore, he writes with great pastoral care, as demonstrated in the use of the familial term “brothers” fifteen times.10 This term not only confirms that these Jews were believers, but it also demonstrates his great love and concern for the audience—many probably being his former congregants. In addition, since James refers to “teachers” and “elders” in the epistle (Jam 3:1, 5:14), his audience was probably scattered Jewish believers who had formed local congregations.
Purpose
What was James’ purpose in writing the epistle? Unlike other epistles, which commonly have a large section on doctrine and then a section on application, James’ epistle is largely practical in nature. This is demonstrated in the fact that over half the verses are commands (59 out of 108). James is clearly concerned with the Jewish believers living righteously despite the trials and temptations they were encountering (Jam 1:1-18). Because of its practical nature and short, pithy statements, the book is often compared to Proverbs.11 It is also commonly called a practical commentary on the Sermon on the Mount because of its similarities.12
In the epistle, James writes both to encourage suffering believers and to correct their behavior. While doing so, several themes emerge: (1) One theme is being faithful in trials (Jam 1:1-18). This would have been extremely important since believers throughout the ancient world were experiencing persecution. Most likely, Jewish Christians experienced this more than Gentile believers since Jews treated them as a sect or cult. Also, it is clear from James 5:1-6, that many Christian workers were being oppressed by their wealthy bosses. Therefore, James calls them to faithfully and patiently endure as they wait for Christ’s return (Jam 5:7-12).
(2) Another theme is the need for believers to grow in spiritual maturity. James uses the word “perfect” several times (cf. Jam 1:4, 17, 25; 2:22; 3:2). James 1:4 says, “And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.” “Perfect” can also be translated as “mature” or “complete.”13 God desires for his people to grow in spiritual maturity, especially through their trials, so James challenges them to do so throughout the book.
(3) Furthermore, James writes to address conflict happening in these scattered congregations. Trials often reveal sinful desires in our hearts (cf. Dt 8:2), and it is clear that the suffering was causing them to fight with one another. In James 3:15-16, he talks about a worldly, demonic wisdom that leads to “disorder and every evil practice.” In James 4:1-2, he says,
Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight…
As part of these conflicts, they were speaking evil of each other, as James focuses on the misuse of the tongue throughout the letter. He calls them to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger” (1:19). In James 1:26, he says, “If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.” In James 3:1-12, he warns them about the power of the tongue to destroy. In James 4:11, he warns them to “not speak against one another.” In James 5:9, James calls for them to “not grumble against one another.” For them to have peace instead of conflict, they needed to learn how to control their tongues.
(4) Throughout the book, James also challenges these believers to treat the poor fairly and care for them. In James 1:27, he says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” In James 2:1-13, he warns them against showing partiality to the rich and prejudice to the poor. They are to love their neighbor as themselves (2:8) and to act as people who will be judged by God’s law (2:9-13). Then, in the final chapter, he rebukes the rich for mistreating their poor workers and declares that God will judge them (5:1-6). As believers, they were commanded to treat the poor fairly and, in fulfillment of God’s law, to love their neighbor by caring for them.
(5) Finally, James challenges these believers to produce godly works that correspond with their faith in Christ. The word “faith” is used fourteen times within the book, which shows James’ emphasis on it.14 For James, a faith that doesn’t produce good works is a dead, demonic faith (2:15, 19)—as even demons believe in God but don’t obey him. Therefore, throughout the letter, he provides a series of tests of genuine faith.15 For instance, James 1:22 says, “But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.” To be deceived means for one to be deceived about the reality of his faith. Christ said the same thing, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matt 7:21, cf. 24-27). Also, James 1:26 says, “If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.” Since our tongues reveal what is in our hearts (Lk 6:45), a consistently ungodly tongue proves that one’s heart has never been changed.
Martin Luther struggled with James’ theme of the necessity of works so much that he called it a “book of straw” and claimed the apostle did not write it.16 Of course, Martin Luther misunderstood how James focused on works as a proof of salvation, not the root of salvation, as in the Catholic church. Because of James’ strong emphasis on faith producing godly works, many have called this the epistle’s primary theme, which all the other themes fall under. James is challenging these believers to develop a faith that works. Lord, help our faith produce godly works as well!
Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown
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14 Platt, David. Exalting Jesus In James (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) (Kindle Locations 90-97). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
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