"Each of the final three chapters describes a single event. At first glance, these events seem to be a random collection of leftovers: a dispute between the tribes about an altar, a farewell address, and another covenant ceremony. However, upon closer examination it becomes apparent that they all focus on a single matter, the proper worship of Israel's God--how to offer it and what will happen if Israel does not do so."196
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). There is much emphasis in these chapters on the importance of remaining faithful to God (22:5, 16, 18-19, 25, 29, 31; 23:6, 8, 11; 24:14-16, 18, 21, 23-24). This emphasis grows out of the record of God's faithfulness that 21:43-45 affirms.
Joshua's preparations for the conquest of Canaan began with his summoning the two and one-half tribes to join their brethren to help them in the battles ahead (1:12-18). Now Joshua dismissed the two and one-half tribes and allowed them to return to their tribal inheritances east of the Jordan River. This ended the task of conquering and dividing the land.
22:1-8 Joshua commended these Israelites for their faithfulness to their promise to go to war with their brothers (vv. 2-3; cf. 1:16-18). He also charged them to remain faithful to the Mosaic Law (v. 5). Obedience included complete devotion to Yahweh.
"This is the key verse in this chapter. It is another statement of the theme of the book that the people must be faithful to the Lord and obey his laws if they wish to be blessed and live in the land."197
Joshua then dismissed these Israelites with his blessing (vv. 6-8).
22:9-12 The writer used the terms "the land of Canaan"and "the land of Gilead"to refer to the land west and east of the Jordan River respectively in this section. The altar then stood on the west side of the Jordan.
These tribes evidently intended the altar they built to be a replica of the brazen altar in the tabernacle courtyard at Shiloh (cf. v. 28). If they did, it is easy to understand why the other tribes reacted to its construction so violently. God had prohibited the building of altars in the land apart from the ones He ordained (Deut. 12:1-14).198The Canaanites built many altars, but this was not to be Israel's practice.
When the other Israelites learned what the two and one-half tribes had done they prepared to go to war against them (v. 12). This is what God had commanded the Israelites to do if any of their brethren sought to lead others in Israel away from God and His law (Deut. 13:12-18).
22:13-20 To its credit the main body of Israelites did not attack and then ask questions later. Instead these Israelites sent a delegation of their leading men to persuade their brethren to take a different course of action.
"A noble example of moderation, forbearance, and charity, shines forth in this conduct. How many an unhappy strife might be prevented by similar precaution, by simply staying to inquire calmly into that which constitutes the avowed matter of offence [sic]! How often would a few words of candid explanation smother in embryo the most angry controversies, violent quarrels, and embittered persecutions! By barely adopting the prudent conduct of Israel on this occasion, individuals, families, churches, and communities, might, in a thousand instances, be saved a world of jealousy, enmity, discord, war and bloodshed."199
Phinehas accompanied this group (v. 13). His presence would have impressed the two and one-half tribes with the importance of the delegation. It also would have reminded them of the war with the Midianites in which Phinehas figured as a prominent person (Num. 25; 31). The Israelites referred to that war here (v. 17). They also mentioned Achan's transgression (v. 20) to warn the Gileadite (transjordanian) tribes that God would punish disobedience to the law. The western Israelites believed that the whole nation would experience God's discipline if this act of rebellion went unpunished.
22:21-29 The leaders of the Gileadites explained that their motive was not to use the altar to promote departure from Yahweh or the tabernacle. It was to memorialize the unity of the 12 tribes for future generations. The Israelites had, of course, erected other memorials for this purpose in the Jordan, at Gilgal (ch. 4), and on Mt. Ebal (8:30-35). However, God had not ordered the building of this altar as He had the other monuments. He had made provision for preserving the unity of the nation by calling all the males in Israel back to the tabernacle three times each year. He had also done so through the stone memorials and altars that He had ordained.
"The combination of the three names of God--El, the strong one; Elohim, the Supreme Being to be feared; and Jehovah, the truly existing One, the covenant God (ver. 22)--serves to strengthen the invocation of God, as in Ps. 1.1; and this is strengthened still further by the repetition of these three names."200
22:30-34 The Gileadites' explanation relieved and satisfied Phinehas and his companions. They were glad to discover that their brethren were not apostatizing and that the nation would not therefore fall under God's discipline. They allowed this altar to remain in place and apparently felt its presence would do more good than harm.
Probably the Israelites should not have allowed this altar to stand. God had not ordained it. In the future other people would misunderstand its existence as some had already done. Though there is no record in Scripture that this particular altar became a snare to the Israelites, the practice of building altars continued in Israel. It resulted in the weakening of tribal ties and allegiance to Yahweh rather than strengthening these (e.g., Judg. 17:5).
This incident illustrates the fact that sometimes action taken with the best of motives and for worthy purposes can result in worse rather than better conditions. This can be the outcome if people do not clearly understand and carefully obey the whole revealed will of God. This kind of mistake often results from enthusiasm over a previous blessing, as was true here.
Nevertheless the major lessons of this chapter are positive. The zeal of the two and one-half tribes for the unity of their nation and the purity of their faith was commendable. The other Israelites' unwillingness to judge their brethren's motive on the basis of circumstantial evidence is also admirable. Furthermore we learn that gentle confrontation and candid discussion of problems can often result in the resolution of misunderstandings (cf. Prov. 15:1).201The Israelites dealt wisely with a situation that could have split the people of God. Instead they were able to continue to follow God faithfully in unity.
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 from every tribe in Israel (v. 2).
Joshua's experiences duplicated those of Moses in several particulars. Both men led the Israelites across a body of water. Both met God in a theophany. Both held out their staffs at a crucial time in battle. Both built altars to the Lord. Both gave farewell addresses to the Israelites that were similar in their contents.
"The content [of Joshua's address here] . . . relates to that of a covenant renewal ceremony, but again in a distinctive manner. The liturgy of covenant renewal has become the sermon of a dying leader."202
This address consists of two parts. The structure of the two parts is parallel, and the contents are similar.
"Unlike other narrative texts, this one has no specific setting in time or space. It simply connects to 13:1, when Joshua was old, and 21:44, when God had given rest. The setting thus marks Israel at the moment she had dreamed of from the Exodus onward (Exod 33:14). But it also marks the crisis of leadership transition. The message which follows is at the same time one for prosperity, and also for crisis."203
"Joshua did not merely settle for a series of public admonitions in order to guide Israel after his death. The twenty-fourth chapter describes a formal covenant renewal enacted at the site of Shechem for the purpose of getting a binding commitment on the part of the people of Israel to the written Word of God."208
The structure of this covenant renewal speech is similar to the typical Hittite suzerainty treaty. It includes a preamble (vv. 1-2a), historical prologue (vv. 2b-13), stipulations for the vassals with the consequences of disobedience (vv. 14-24), and the writing of the agreement (vv. 25-28).
"Joshua 24 completes the book by giving the theological definition of the people of God. Here we suddenly find highly loaded theological language, defining God and the God-man relationship. This makes the chapter one of the most important chapters in the OT for biblical theologians."209
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 with Joshua lived (v. 31).
Joshua died shortly after the renewal of the covenant just described (vv. 1-28). He was 110 years old (v. 29), the same age as Joseph when he died (Gen. 50:26). Joshua evidently died about 1366 B.C.216God greatly used Joshua as He had used Joseph in delivering His people. God recorded no moral blemish on the lives of either of these two remarkable men in Scripture.
"Perhaps the outstanding characteristic of the man Joshua was his unqualified courage. . . . The real success of Joshua, however, probably lies in the fact that he was a Spirit-filled man (Num. 27:18; cf. Deut. 34:9)."217
"Joshua's epitaph was not written on a marble gravestone. It was written in the lives of the leaders he influenced and the people he led. They served Yahweh. Here is the theological climax to the theme introduced in 22:5 and repeated like a chorus in 23:7, 16; 24:14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24. Ironically, the minister of Moses brought the people to obey Yahweh, while Moses saw only the perpetual murmuring and rebellion of the people (cf. Deut 31:27). Even Moses had to die outside the Land of Promise."218
Evidently the writer included the record of the burial of Joseph's bones here (v. 32) because the Book of Joshua is a remarkable testimony to the faithfulness of God. Joseph had counted on God's faithfulness in bringing the Israelites into the land and had asked that when that took place his descendants would lay his bones to rest there. The event may have taken place earlier when Joseph's descendants received Shechem as their inheritance. This burial fulfilled the promise Joseph's heirs had made to him before he died that they would bury him in Canaan (Gen. 50:25). God now rewarded his faith.
Eleazar's death and burial were also significant because, as Israel's high priest and co-leader with Joshua during this period of history, Eleazar was a very important person. As Israel's high priest he was more important than the brief references to his ministry might suggest.
"Three burials--it seems a strange way to end the Book of Joshua! But these three peaceful graves testify to the faithfulness of God, for Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar once lived in a foreign nation where they were the recipients of God's promise to take His people back to Canaan. Now all three were at rest withinthe borders of the Promised Land. God kept His word to Joshua, Joseph, Eleazar--and to all Israel. And by this we are encouraged to count on the unfailing faithfulness of God."219
Thus the times of Joshua came to a close. This period of Israel's history was its greatest so far. The people had followed the Lord more faithfully than their fathers, though not completely faithfully. Consequently they experienced God's blessing more greatly than the previous generation and many generations that followed theirs did.
"After Joshua, the history of Israel goes downhill [until David]. Joshua 24 thus marks the high point of Israel's history, the full realization of her identity as people of God."220
