JOSHUA CHAPTER 23 “PASSING THE TORCH”
Joshua has led Israel for 30 years and had been faithful to God and the people. He is now near the time of his death and is ready to pass the torch to other leaders.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters.” In this chapter, Joshua tells the people basically the same thing: “Hold fast to God; don’t dabble in the things of this world.” An important concept in the book of Joshua is: godly living is not accomplished by winning a single skirmish but by enlisting for life long service. For Joshua and Israel, the clashing of the sword had stopped, but the need for a faithful, diligent commitment is greater than ever.
JOSHUA 23:1-5 Look Back on God’s Work
Verses 1-2 Complacency and temptation marked the people who just a few years ago had marched victoriously against Jericho and watched the walls fall. This chapter is about Joshua’s challenge to Israel’s leaders. Joshua had walked faithfully with God, had only lost one battle (Ai), had taken a vast number of nomads and brought them to their promised land to become an established and respected nation. Note how the promised land mirrors the Christian’s life. If we have battles to fight, enemies to evict and ground to be taken, we need both the courage to fight and the faith to trust God for the victory.
Verses 3-5 Joshua reminds them of what they had personally witnessed. God’s provision of victory after victory. God had been faithful. God would continue to help them. God had the power and the desire to do so.
JOSHUA 23:6-11 Hold Fast to God’s Word
Verses 6-11 Joshua moves from celebrating God’s faithfulness to challenging the leaders to be faithful people. If verse 6 sounds familiar, it is almost exactly what God had said to Joshua years before when He gave him his leadership position. (Joshua 1:7-8) He had led for 30 years with a priority of steadfast obedience to God’s command. Now he calls on these leaders to lead with that same priority.
What was the standard of godly living in the land? 1. God’s Word and 2. separation from sin and sinners
Spiritual intermingling was a problem and a danger. They dared not mix the worship of Jehovah with the worship of other gods. They could not serve both.
Note Joshua’s connection between love and obedience. They go together. Joshua doesn’t tell them to obey out of hard, cold duty nor did he tell them to just love God and not worry about the rest. Jesus said it best in John 14:15, “If you love me, you’ll obey what I command.”
JOSHUA 23: 12-16 Watch Out for God’s Warning
Verses 12-13 Joshua used positive motivation first, obey God out of appreciation for what He has done but if that didn’t work, there was always the fear of consequences. This is not an empty threat, for he says, “Then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out the nations before you.” Note this national failure will not be because of:
1. a political coup
2. an economical recession
3. a natural disaster
4. a national plague
The greatest danger facing Israel (and the USA today) would be to turn away from God and connect with a pagan culture.
Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the US Congress, once said, “We have become technological giants and moral adolescents. Our progress in ethics and morals and humanness has declined in inverse ration to our technical and scientific expertise.” Joshua knew Israel’s decline would be moral, not military.
Joshua used picturesque language to emphasize the problems Israel would face. “They will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.” The same God who blessed will certainly bring destruction and punishment.
Verses 14-16 Joshua ends on a negative note. They must grasp the consequences of turning against the Lord. In our modern world, we tend to downplay the wrath and destructive power of God but God is just as serious about our worship and reverence as he was then. God is righteous and He demands righteousness from his people. He will not change his demands for sinful human beings. We should develop a sense of awe and reverence for God and a commitment to obey Him. This chapter tells us to:
1. Look back on God’s works
2. Hold fast to God’s Word
3. Watch out for God’s warnings
Every adult is a mini-Joshua standing somewhere along the path of life and leading others into spiritual warfare. We are torch passers. What can we do:
1. Teach kids on Sunday
2. Come along side a friend
3. Conduct regular family devotions
4. Preach/teach in a formal setting
Think about those to whom you are/could pass the torch. How are you doing? What could you start doing now?
What is God looking for? Leaders who will model godliness and separation as a Christian lifestyle.
What principles can we learn from this chapter?
1. The greatest danger in our lives is that we lose our way by losing our focus on God.
2. The result of abandoning God is nothing short of a divine disaster.
3. God is gentle, loving and kind but He also deals directly and seriously with sin
Application: We must heed Joshua’s warnings and make certain that we do not turn our backs on God’s faithful blessings.