Sermon Tone Analysis

Joshua 24:1-33

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 1999

 

Judah Ben Hur

 

In the movie Ben Hur, there is a place where Masallah asks Judah Ben Hur to give him the names of citizens opposed to Rome.

Judah said that he couldn’t betray his countrymen.

Masallah said it is either them or me.

You have to make a choice, you are either for me or you are against me.

Judah Ben Hur chose against him.

Judah and his family suffered a good deal because he made this decision.

Often in life we have to make choices for one side or the other.

Sometimes the consequences can be great.

In the same way, Joshua places a choice before Israel in today’s text.

Israel's choice also had great consequences.

Last Sunday we saw Joshua give words of praise and challenge to the 2 1~/2 tribes from Transjordan.

We also saw him address a leaders summit where he challenged them to faithfulness.

Today he issues a similar challenge.

But this time he asks them to make a choice.

Whom will they */serve/*.

The word */serve/* is used 15 times in the chapter and is the key word.

Joshua asked Israel to choose whom they would */serve./*

They had to make a choice.

A good servant remains faithful to his master for life.

A true servant serves only one master.

The National Assembly

 

*Joshua 24:1* /Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God/.

*/a.

The Place/*

 

Shechem is in the centre of the land between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.

Shechem also had spiritual significance for Israel.

The lord appeared to Abraham here in Genesis 12:6-7 and promised the land to his descendants.

After this Abraham built an altar to the Lord.

Jacob dwelt there and built and altar to the Lord there after returning from his uncle Laban.

He also buried the idols that his family had brought back from Padan-aram.

This is the same place where Joshua renewed the covenant with Israel in ch 8. Joshua wrote the law out on large stones in this same place.

Joshua desired to build on the past remembrance of this place!

*/ /*

*/b.

The People/*

 

To this assembly Joshua summoned the entire nation, not just the leaders.

The leaders were present and described with the same titles as in chapter 23.

He gathered the 12 tribes together for this solemn occasion.

All Israel needed to hear this.

*/ /*

*/c.

The Purpose/*

 

Joshua knew he had only a little time left.

So he summoned all the people for one last address.

He wanted them to choose whom they would */serve./*

Moses lead Israel to make such a commitment twice before.

Firstly at Mount Sinai, and then on the plains of Moab.

Since entering the land Joshua had lead them to renew the covenant at this same place.

This was because each new generation must make their own choice.

Joshua gave Israel a history lesson reminding them of God’s past faithfulness.

Then he asked them to make a choice this day, whom they will serve.

Finally he renews the covenant with Israel at Shechem.

Joshua speaks here as God's prophet by using the pronoun I.

God is speaking through Him as he reviews God’s past faithfulness.

God says, /I took, I gave, I plagued, I sent/.

The personal pronoun I is used 17-18 times by Joshua, showing God’s personal involvement on Israel’s behalf.

Joshua divided his final address into these 3 parts.

1.

*/The Past/*      -* He Remembered Their Calling*

2. */The Present/* -*/ /**He Required Their Choice*

3. */The Future /* - *He Renewed Their Covenant*

/ /

/Firstly, Joshua/* Remembered Their Calling*

 

a.

God Formed The Nation

 

*Joshua 24:2-4* /And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods.

‘Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.

‘To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.

To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

/

 

The Lord called Abraham and Terah out of Ur in the Chaldee’s to create a special people, a holy nation.

He called them from */serving/* pagan gods on the other side of the Euphrates River to */serve/* Him.

Then the Lord worked miraculously to give Abraham a son, Isaac in his old age.

God multiplied his seed, and lead Jacob down to Egypt where He made them into a great nation.

He called them out from idolatry to be different, to be holy.

God chose Israel for a special purpose.

The sovereign call that God gave Abraham was totally based on His grace.

God kept His promise to Abraham even though he had to wait for it.

God formed the nation.

b.

God Freed The Nation

 

*Joshua 24:5-7* /‘Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them.

Afterward I brought you out.

‘ Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.

‘So they cried out to the LORD; and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them.

And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt.

Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time./

After Israel had become a great nation, the Lord delivered them from slavery to the Egyptians.

He sent Moses and Aaron to lead them out.

God plagued Egypt so that Pharoah would let His people go.

He redeemed His people Israel from Egypt with a strong hand.

He delivered them from Pharoah’s army in the Red Sea.

Probably only a few of the nation had seen this happen, since it took place about 70 years earlier.

However all knew of it since the Passover reminded them of God’s great deliverance.

The Passover was Israel’s great day of salvation.

God was still keeping His promise by bringing Israel out of Egypt as a great nation.

c.

God Fought For The Nation

 

*Joshua 24:8-13:* /And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you.

But I gave them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you.

‘Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.

‘But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you.