Day 40 : Joshua 24:14-28
Read Joshua 24:14-28
Helpful Background Information:
Joshua 24 is set at the end of Joshua’s life, after the Israelites have entered Canaan, the Promised Land. Joshua, their leader, gathers the tribes at Shechem, a significant site in Israel’s history where God first promised the land to Abraham (Genesis 12:6-7). This is a covenant renewal ceremony, where Joshua calls the people to commit themselves fully to Yahweh. He urges them to fear the Lord, serve Him faithfully, and abandon the idols of their ancestors.
This interaction is Joshua’s final exhortation to God’s people, the Israelites, to follow Yahweh and abandon the false gods they had formerly worshiped. Shortly after this, Joshua died (24:29-30). Although they pledged to serve God, their history reveals that they often failed to stay faithful. Joshua’s command to get rid of idols and fully commit to God connects with Jesus’ teaching in Mark 4 about how distractions can choke out faith. Like the "thorns" in the parable, idols and divided loyalties can keep us from being spiritually fruitful
Reflection Questions:
How does Joshua 24:16-20 relate to Mark 4:5-7?
What did the Israelites say was their motivation to serve the Lord? What can you learn from this?
The Israelites had to die to their desire to serve other things (in their case, pagan gods (Josh. 24:20) in order to serve the Lord. What is something in your life you do not want to give up, but you must part ways with in order to serve the Lord?