Joshua 23 Study Notes
Share
This resource is exclusive for PLUS Members
Upgrade now and receive:
- Ad-Free Experience: Enjoy uninterrupted access.
- Exclusive Commentaries: Dive deeper with in-depth insights.
- Advanced Study Tools: Powerful search and comparison features.
- Premium Guides & Articles: Unlock for a more comprehensive study.
23:10 God wins the victories and enables Israel to succeed.
23:11 This warning to love the Lord your God is based on Dt 6:4 and is at the heart of Joshua’s message.
23:12 This warning against association or intermarriage with other nations is repeated in 24:20.
23:13 Disobedience would result in God withdrawing his strength so that Israel would not fully possess the land. This compromise would lead to a trap for Israel and ultimately, in anticipation of the exile centuries later, to the tribes of Israel disappearing from the promised land.
23:14 The way of the whole earth is death, since everything on earth eventually dies (Ec 9:3; Rm 5:12; Heb 9:27).
23:15 God’s promises of trouble for Israel if they prove unfaithful are just as reliable as his promises for their benefit. Just as no nation had been able to stand against them when they were obedient, they would not stand against any nation when they failed to obey the Lord.
23:16 Joshua’s warning, If you break the covenant, uses the same verb (Hb ‘avar) as the opening chapters where it describes the crossing of the Jordan River (1:2). The same God who enabled Israel to benefit from great miracles can also turn against a faithless nation. The breaking of God’s covenant by worshiping other gods would cause the loss of the land.