February 5, 2021 – Joshua 20-24

Follow-through; lots of loose ends to tie up. Moses had instructed Israel to set up the cities of refuge and, now, they do it along with the establishment of the cities for the Levites. Furthermore, there was the matter of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, all which had requested land allotments east of the Jordan River. Joshua was able to say to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you” (22:2). They made good on their word, and Joshua made good on his. Trustworthy people. How about that!

Near the end of his life, Joshua called the people together and noted, “You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you” (23:3). Israel was what she was, and she had what she had, only because of her God. I attended a deacon ordination service, the other evening, and one of the men being ordained testified (paraphrased, as I remember it), “I find myself to be most wretched. But I know that God’s grace is greater still.” Oh, my! That’s our testimony, isn’t it? It certainly must be Israel’s.

Joshua closed his time with a rehearsal of God’s great works on behalf of Israel, a call to obedience, and a personal testimony: "Choose this day whom you will serve . . . as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:15). And the people said to Joshua, "'The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey'" (24:24).

So good, so far . . .