Joshua 24:1-15
Introduction
: Joshua’s Farewell Address to Israel.
What Joshua does partly, in his final farewell is to remind or point out just how far God had brought them.
A before and after kind of speech. He does so by referencing the past and what that was really like.
1 Corinthians 5:17 –
‘Old things pass away, all things become as new.’
What we should remember about the past:
A. From Accountability Standpoint, everyone is Included
– vr.1
Joshua calls everyone, elders of Israel, heads, judges, officers, and all the people.
Heb. 9:27, ‘
It is appointed unto men once to die
…’
Heb. 14:12,
‘So then each of us shall give account of himself to God
.’
B. (Old/Past) Served other Gods
– 2 –
‘and they served other gods.’
Served
=`
abad
{aw-bad’}
Meaning:
1) to work, serve 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to labor, work, do work 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labor 1a3) to serve as subjects 1a4) to serve (God) 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land) 1b2) to make oneself a servant 1c) (Paul) to be worked 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to compel to labor or work, cause to labor, cause to serve.
I would like to denote that
this was a forced or forceful requirement
. They had no choice
. By nature, bondage and servitude follow one’s declaration of lordship
.
Rom. 6:16, ‘
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?’
(NKJ)
Oppression
= the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
Psalm 9:9
‘The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.’
(NKJ)
Luke 4:18
–
19
‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted
1
, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.
’ (NKJ)
Transition
(The After): (Or maybe despite the bondage & oppression) …look at what God did, and has done.
The third thing Joshua references about the past is that despite issues/problems, he provided a way out.
C. Leadership / Direction
– 3 – ‘I took Abraham from’ and ‘lead him through all the land.’
Application
: In God’s goodness, he leads and directs ‘out of’ to the ‘let’s go,’ ‘this way.’
Application
: I love the thought of ‘through
ALL
the land.’
God was that
‘cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.’
Exodus 13:21
Transition
: Joshua not only reminds the people, leaders (and us), that God was there direction and instruction but pushes the privilege even more by stating God’s favor over them by the multiplying of blessings!
D. Great Multiplication
– 4 – ‘multiplied his seed.’
Application
: This is the right place and time to shout!
Psalm 5:12
‘For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O LORD, Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield.
’ (NAS)
Psalm 30:7
‘LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;’
(NKJ)
Favor
(
raw-tsone
) = pleasure, delight
Psalm 37:23 ‘The steps of a
good
man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.’ (NKJ)
Ordered
= 1) to be firm, be stable, be established 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed 1a1a) to be firmly established 1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring
Transition
: Joshua concluded this section by also adding the understanding of possession.
E. Possession
– vr. 4
He began is example of this reminder by referring to Abraham, right?
Now he goes from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob…
Speaks about possessing or possession but not just for the short term!
Genesis 45:10
“You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.’
(NKJ)
Conclusion:
Today we looked at the 1
st
part of Joshua’s farewell message which referenced the past, I will pick up on the 2
nd
half after Easter which will be about proclamations for the future
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