God made His covenant with His people through Moses on the fiftieth day of the Exodus...
God made His covenant with His people through Moses on the fiftieth day of the Exodus. Decades have passed since then, during which Israel, led by Moses and then by Joshua, who in turn were led by God Himself, crosses the wilderness, enters the Promised Land, and wins a place for itself there. Throughout this time, the leaders of the people preserve the memory of the covenant, but one or two generations have changed, and the people whom Joshua brought into Canaan must make their choice: will they remain faithful to the God who brought them out of Egypt and led them through the wilderness, or will they worship the local Palestinian gods? God promises them His faithfulness, and the question is Israel’s faithfulness. The people promise Him such faithfulness, and Joshua renews the Mosaic covenant with Israel. A new generation of Israelites enters the agreement once made with God. We see that even a covenant with a whole people needs periodic renewal. We, who through Jesus Christ have entered the New Covenant addressed personally to each of us, need all the more for it to be renewed within us, renewed continually.
24 Joshua assembling the people, recounts what great things God had done for them, Jos 24:1-13.
Exhorts them to serve God, which they engage to do, Jos 24:14-28.
His age, death, and burial, Jos 24:29-31.
The burying of Joseph's bones, Jos 24:32.
The death and burial of Eleazar, Jos 24:33.
24:14 The gods - Whereby it appears, that although Joshua had doubtless prevented and purged out all public idolatry, yet there were some of them who practised it in their private houses and retirements.Your fathers - Terah, and Nahor, and Abraham, as ver. Jos 24:2, and other of your ancestors. In Egypt - See Eze 23:3, Eze 23:8, Eze 23:19, Eze 23:21, Eze 23:27. Under these particulars, no doubt he comprehends all other false gods, which were served by the nations amongst whom they were, but only mentions these, as the idols which they were in more danger of worshipping than those in Canaan; partly because those of Canaan had been now lately and palpably disgraced by their inability to preserve their worshippers from total ruin; and partly, because the other idols came recommended to them by the venerable name of antiquity, and the custom of their forefathers.
24:15 Seem evil - Unjust, unreasonable or inconvenient. Choose ye - Not that he leaves them to their liberty, whether they would serve God or idols; for Joshua had no such power himself, nor could give it to any other; and both he and they were obliged by the law of Moses, to give their worship to God only, and to forbear all idolatry in themselves, and severely to punish it in others; but it is a powerful insinuation, whereby he both implies, that the worship of God is so highly reasonable, necessary and beneficial; and the service of idols so absurd, and vain, and pernicious, that if it were left free for all men to take their choice, every man in his right wits must needs chuse the service of God, before that of idols; and provokes them to bind themselves faster to God by their own choice. He will - But know this, if you should all be so base and brutish, as to prefer senseless and impotent idols, before the true and living God, it is my firm purpose, that I will, and my children, and servants (as far as I can influence them) shall be constant and faithful to the Lord. And that, whatever others do. They that resolve to serve God, must not start at being singular in it. They that are bound for heaven must be willing to swim against the stream, and must do, not as most do, but as the best do.