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Texts -- Joshua 23:1-16 (NET)

Context
Joshua Challenges Israel to be Faithful
23:1 A long time passed after the Lord made Israel secure from all their enemies , and Joshua was very old . 23:2 So Joshua summoned all Israel , including the elders , rulers , judges , and leaders , and told them: “I am very old . 23:3 You saw everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your behalf , for the Lord your God fights for you. 23:4 See , I have parceled out to your tribes these remaining nations , from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea in the west , including all the nations I defeated . 23:5 The Lord your God will drive them out from before you and remove them, so you can occupy their land as the Lord your God promised you. 23:6 Be very strong ! Carefully obey all that is written in the law scroll of Moses so you won’t swerve from it to the right or the left , 23:7 or associate with these nations that remain near you. You must not invoke or make solemn declarations by the names of their gods ! You must not worship or bow down to them! 23:8 But you must be loyal to the Lord your God , as you have been to this very day . 23:9 “The Lord drove out from before you great and mighty nations ; no one has been able to resist you to this very day . 23:10 One of you makes a thousand run away , for the Lord your God fights for you as he promised you he would. 23:11 Watch yourselves carefully ! Love the Lord your God ! 23:12 But if you ever turn away and make alliances with these nations that remain near you, and intermarry with them and establish friendly relations with them , 23:13 know for certain that the Lord our God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. They will trap and ensnare you; they will be a whip that tears your sides and thorns that blind your eyes until you disappear from this good land the Lord your God gave you. 23:14 “Look , today I am about to die . You know with all your heart and being that not even one of all the faithful promises the Lord your God made to you is left unfulfilled ; every one was realized – not one promise is unfulfilled ! 23:15 But in the same way every faithful promise the Lord your God made to you has been realized , it is just as certain, if you disobey, that the Lord will bring on you every judgment until he destroys you from this good land which the Lord your God gave you. 23:16 If you violate the covenantal laws of the Lord your God which he commanded you to keep , and follow, worship , and bow down to other gods , the Lord will be very angry with you and you will disappear quickly from the good land which he gave to you.”

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  • Jos 23:1-16 -- Joshua Challenges Israel to be Faithful

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • This pericope presents the characteristics of the three branches of the human family that grew out of Noah. Moses stressed the themes of blessing and cursing. God cursed Canaan with slavery because Ham showed disrespect towar...
  • I. The conquest of the land chs. 1-12A. Preparations for entering Canaan chs. 1-21. God's charge to Joshua 1:1-92. Joshua's charge to Israel 1:10-183. The spying out of Jericho ch. 2B. Entrance into the land 3:1-5:121. Passag...
  • Having received his marching orders from Yahweh, Joshua prepared to mobilize the nation.1:10-11 Joshua expected to be able to cross the Jordan within three days."The Jordan River wanders about two hundred miles to cover the s...
  • Chapters 13-24 describe how Joshua divided the land and the results of that division. Many if not all the Israelite tribes did not conquer or control all the land allotted to them (15:63; 16:10; 17:12-13). The record of the a...
  • These verses conclude the account of the division of the land proper (chs. 13-21; cf. 1:2-6; 11:23). They bind the two parts of the second half of the book together. They form a theological conclusion to the entire book up to...
  • The main part of the second half of the Book of Joshua dealing with the division of the land ends with the appointment of the Levitical cities (chs. 13-21). The rest of the book deals with settlement in the land (chs. 22-24)....
  • Joshua had reached what he believed were the final days of his life. Before he died, he wished to address the whole nation, as Moses had done before his death (Deut. 31). Therefore he assembled all the leaders of the people f...
  • Joshua reminded the Israelites of God's faithfulness in fighting for them and giving them victory over their enemies as He had promised if they kept His covenant with them. Joshua urged the people to remain loyal and promised...
  • In this summary section Joshua concisely restated the main ideas previously expressed in more detail. His warning to the people was strong. God would be just as faithful in sending discipline on His people if they transgresse...
  • These final verses record the end of Joshua's life and ministry that terminated an important and successful era in Israel's history. Israel's success continued as long as the elders who had served Israel contemporaneously wit...
  • The Book of Ruth is one of the most fascinating and important short stories that anyone has ever written. As a piece of literature it is almost perfect. The German poet Goethe called it "the loveliest complete work on a small...
  • God eventually withdrew the famine from Judah (v. 6) probably in response to His people's calling out to Him for deliverance (cf. Judg. 3:9, 15; 4:3; 6:6; 10:10; 16:28). This verse sounds one of the major themes of the story:...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • These verses summarize Samuel's continuing ministry as a prophet in Israel. Samuel qualified for this privilege by his faithful obedience to God's will as he knew it. God sovereignly chose Samuel for this ministry, but his di...
  • It was when God had subdued all of David's enemies that He gave this covenant to him (vv. 1, 9). Those enemies included the Ammonites with whom David was at war when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband Ur...
  • Jeremiah first viewed Jerusalem's destruction as an outsider looking in. Verses 1-7 describe the extent of the desolation and verses 8-11 its cause.1:1 Jeremiah bewailed the abandoned city of Jerusalem that had once been so g...
  • 14:1 The Lord announced through His prophet that a day was coming, for His benefit primarily, when the nations that had plundered Israel victoriously would divide their spoil among themselves in Jerusalem. This would be the L...
  • "The style of the third oracle differs from the others. Instead of an initial statement or charge followed by a question of feigned innocence, this oracle begins with three questions asked by the prophet. However, as at the b...
  • Jesus began His farewell address (cf. Moses, Deut. 31-33; Joshua, Josh. 23-24; Paul, Acts 20) with an object lesson....
  • "The comparison between Christ and Moses leads to one between their followers. The writer uses the conduct of the Israelites as a means of challenging his readers to a closer walk with God."109The writer next reminded his rea...

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