Joshua 24 Footnotes

24:2-13 Joshua began his farewell speech with a review of the salvation history of Israel from Terah the father of Abraham down to that present time. He recounted the mighty acts of the Lord on behalf of his people in liberating them from Egyptian enslavement, guiding them through the wilderness, and subduing their opponents. Joshua reminded them that it was not by their own power that these great deeds were accomplished. This “historical recital” is one of the elements of covenant renewal, seen in brief form in the introduction to the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:2; Dt 5:6).

24:15 “As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD.” Joshua and his family were committed to the Lord regardless of the decision of the people. Joshua spoke as the head of his household and the spiritual leader of his family. His words reflected an undivided devotion to the Lord that served as an example of faithfulness for all the people and an incentive for them to reaffirm their loyalty to the covenant. His undivided devotion is a source of encouragement for Christian believers today.

24:29-33 The book of Joshua ends with the record of the death of Joshua and Eleazar the priest. Israel was faithful to the Lord during Joshua’s lifetime and the lives of the leaders of his generation (24:31). However, after the passing of that generation—the group that had known Moses’s leadership in the wilderness and had followed Joshua in the conquest of Canaan—fell once again into idolatry.