Joshua 24

AND Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel To wit, by their Representatives, as Ios. 23. 2. to Shechem Either 1. To Shiloh, where the Ark and Tabernacle was; because they are here said to present themselves before God; and because the Stone set up here is said to be set up in or by the Sanctuary of the Lord; of both which I shall speak in their proper places. And they say Shilob is here called Shechem, because it was in the Territory of Shechem; but that may be doubted, seeing Shiloh was Ten Miles distant from Shechem, as S. Ierom affirms. And had he meant Shiloh, why should he not express it in its known and proper name, by which it is called in all other places, rather than by another name no where else given to it? Or rather, 2. To the City of Shechem, a place convenient for the present purpose, not only because it was a Levitical City, and a City of Refuge, and a place near to Ioshua's City, but especially for the two main ends for which he summoned them thither, 1. For the solemn Burial of the Bones of Ioseph, as is implyed here v. 32. and of the rest of the Patriarchs, as is noted Act. 7. 15, 16. for which this place was designed. 2. For the solemn renewing of their Covenant with God; which in this place was first made between God and Abraham, Gen. 12. 6, 7. and afterwards was there renewed by the Israelites at their first entrance into the Land of Canaan, between the two mountains of Ebal and Gerizim, Jos. 8. 30, &c. which were very near Shechem, as appears from Iudg. 9. 6, 7. and therefore this place was most proper, both to remind them of their former obligations to God, and to engage them to a farther ratification of them., and called for the elders of Israel, and for the heads, and for the judges, and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God Either 1. Before the Ark or Tabernacle, as that Phrase is commonly used; which might be either in Shiloh, where they were fixed; or in Shechem, whether the Ark was brought upon this great occasion, as it was sometimes removed upon such occasions, as 1 Sam. 4. 3. 2 Sam. 15. 24. Or 2. In that Publick, and Venerable, and Sacred Assembly met together for Religious Exercises; for in such God is present, Exod. 20. 24. Psal. 82. 1. Ma.... 18. 20. Or 3. As in Gods Presence, to hear what Ioshua was to speak to them in Gods Name, and to receive Gods Commands from his mouth. Thus Isaac is said to Bless Jacob before the Lord, i. e. in his Name and Presence, Gen. 27. 7. and Ieptha is said to utter all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh, i. e. as in Gods Presence, calling him in to be Witness of them..

And Joshua said unto all the people i. e. That people which were present, to wit, to the Elders, &c. by whom it was to be imparted to all the rest, and to as many of the people as came thither., Thus says the LORD God of Israel, your fathers dwelt on the other side of the floud Or, the River, to wit, Euphrates, as all agree, so called by way of Eminency. in old time, even Tera the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they i. e. Both Abraham and Nahor were no less Idolaters than the rest of Mankind. This is said to prevent their vain boasting in their worthy Ancestors, and to assure them that whatsoever good was in, or had been done by their Progenitors, was wholly from Gods free Grace, and not for their own merit or righteousness, as the Iews were very apt to conceit. served other gods.

And I took I apprehended him by my grace, and snatched him out of that Idolatrous and Wicked place, and took him into Acquaintance and Covenant with my self, which was the highest Honour and Happiness he was capable of. your father Abraham from the other side of the floud, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan i. e. I brought him after his Fathers Death into Canaan, Gen. 12. 1. and I conducted and preserved him in safety in all his Travels through the several parts of Canaan., and multiplyed his seed i. e. Gave him a numerous Posterity, not only by Hagar and Keturah, but even by Sarah and by Isaac, as it follows., and gave him Isaac By my special Power and Grace to be the Heir of my Covenant, and all my Promises, and the Seed in or by which all Nations were to be Blessed, Gen. 12. 1. and 21. 2..

And I gave unto Isaac, Jacob and Esau, and I gave unto Esau mount Seir to possess it That he might leave Canaan intire to his Brother Iacob and his Posterity, Gen. 36. 7, 8: but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt Where they long lived in grievous Bondage; which God having delivered us from, I shall now pass it over..

I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt according to that which I did i. e. In such manner, and with such Plagues as I inflicted, and are recorded. amongst them: and afterward I brought you out.

And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and ye came unto the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with charets and horsemen unto the Red-sea.

And when they cryed unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them, and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt He speaketh this to the Elders, v. 1. who were so, not only by Power and Dignity, but many of them by Age; and there being now not sixty years past since those Egyptian Plagues, it is very probable that a considerable number of those here present, had seen those things in Egypt, and being not twenty years old, were exempted from that dreadful Sentence of Destruction, passed upon all who were then of more years standing, Numb. 14., and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

And I brought you into the land of the Amorite, which dwelt on the other side Jordan: and they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you.

Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel Qu. How is this true, when Balak did never fight against Israel, Iudg. 11. 25? Ans. One Prince may commence a War against another, though he never come to a Battel, nor strike one stroke; So Balak warred, though not by open force, yet by Crafty Counsel and Warlike Stratagems, by Magical Arts, by Wicked Devices, by making bate betwixt them and God their Confederate; or by Warlike preparations, in case Balaam's Charms had succeeded, as may be gathered from Numb. 22. 11. or at least by design or intention; things being oft said to be done both in Scripture and other Authors, which were only designed or intended, as here v. 11. Gen. 37. 21. Ezek. 24. 13. Mat. 5. 28. Ioh. 10. 32, 33. And the old Lawyers note, That he is rightly called a Thief or an Adulterer, &c. who wanted nothing but occasion to be so., and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.

But I would not hearken unto Balaam Who hereby appears to have desired of God leave to Curse Israel; and therefore it is not strange, that God who permitted him simply to go, was highly angry with him for going with so wicked an intent, Numb. 22. 20, 22, 32., therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand i. e. From Balaks malicious Design against you..

And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho sought against you Made opposition against you by shutting their Gates, by endeavouring to cut off your Spies, &c. they Warred against you, if not by an Offensive, yet by a Defensive War., the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite To wit, successively; for in these few words he seems to comprise all their Wars, which being so fresh in their Memory, he thought it needless particularly to mention., and I delivered them into your hand.

And I sent the hornet Either siguratively, i. e. Terrors and Plagues, or other destroying Judgments. Or 2. Properly so called. See on Exod. 23. 28. And this being done before Ioshua's entrance into Canaan, it is not strange if it be not mentioned in this Book or Record of Ioshua's actions. before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites: but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow For though thou didst fight with them, and prevail against them in Battel, yet this was not because thou hadst more force or courage than they; but because by my Hornet which I sent like an Harbinger before thee, I had both broken their spirits, and greatly diminished their numbers, and particularly cut off those Giants or others who were like to give thee most trouble and difficulty; whence it comes to pass that we read of so few Giants in that Land which was called the Land of Giants, Deut. 3. 13..

And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not See on Ios. 10. 12, 13., and ye dwell in them: of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not, do ye eat.

¶ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth Either these two expressions note the same thing; or sincerity is opposed to the mixture of false gods with the true, as it here follows; or of a false and corrupt worship of God, with that which God appointed; and Truth is opposed to dissimulation and falseness, and instability of heart., and put away the gods Whereby it appears, That although Ioshua had doubtless prevented and purged out all publick and manifest Idolatry, yet there were some of them who practised it in their private houses and retirements. See below v. 23. Amos 5. 25, 26. Acts 7. 42, 43. which your fathers Terah, and Nahor, and Abraham, as v. 2. and others of your Ancestors. served on the other side of the floud, and in Egypt See Ezek. 23. 3, 8, 19, 21, 27. Under these particulars, no doubt he comprehends all other false gods, which were served by the Nations amongst whom they were, as appears from v. 15. 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 ruine; and partly, because the other Idols came recommended unto them by the venerable name of Antiquity, and the custom of their forefathers. See Ier. 44. 17. Ezek. 20. 18.; and serve ye the LORD.

And if it seem evil Unjust, unreasonable or inconvenient. unto you to serve the LORD, choose ye this day whom ye will serve Not that he leaves them to their liberty, whether they would serve God or Idols; for Ioshua had no such power or liberty 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 Rhetorical and powerful insinuation, whereby he both implies, That the Worship of God is so highly reasonable, so necessary and beneficial; and the service of Idols is so absurd, and vain, and pernicious, that, if it were left free to all men to make their choice, every man in his right Wits must needs choose the Service of God, before that of Idols; and provokes them to bind themselves faster to God by their own choice. See such manner of speeches in Ruth 1. 8, 15. 1 King. 18. 21., whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the floud, or the gods of the Amorite, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD 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 the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods.

For the LORD our God he it is that brought us up, and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed.

And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD, for he is our God.

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD He speaks not of an absolute impossibility, (for then both his resolution to serve God himself, and his exhortation to them to do so, had been vain and ridiculous; but of a moral impossibility, or a very great difficulty, which he alledgeth, not to discourage them from Gods Service, which is his great design to engage them in; but only to make them more considerate and cautious in obliging themselves; and more circumspect and resolved in answering their obligations. The meaning is, Gods Service is not, as you seem to fancy, a slight and easy thing, as soon done as said; but it is a work of great difficulty, and requires great care, and courage and resolution; and when I consider the infinite purity of God, that he will not be mocked or abused; and withal your great and often manifested proneness to Superstition and Idolatry, even during the Life of Moses, and in some of you, whilst I live, and whilest the obligations which God has laid upon you in this Land, are fresh in remembrance; I cannot but fear that after my Decease you will think the Service of God too hard and burdensom for you, and therefore will cast it off, and revolt from him, if you do not double your Watch, and carefully avoid all occasions of Idolatry, which I fear you will not do, but I do hereby exhort you to do.: for he is an holy God: he is a jealous God He will not endure a corrival, or partner in his Worship; you cannot serve him and Idols together, as you will be inclined and tempted to do., he will not forgive your transgressions If you who own your selves for his People and Servants, shall wickedly and wilfully transgress his Laws by Idolatry or other Crimes, he will not let this go unpunished in you, as he does in other Nations; Therefore consider what you do when you take the Lord for your God, weigh your advantages and inconveniences together; for as if you be sincere and faithful in Gods Service, you will have admirable benefits by it; so if you be false to your Professions, and forsake him whom you have so solemnly avouched to be your God, he will deal more severely with you, than with any people in the World., nor your sins.

If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn i. e. He will alter his course and the manner of his dealing with you, and will be as severe as ever he was kind and gracious., and do you hurt, and consume you after that he has done you good He will repent of all his former kindness, and his goodness abused will be turned into fury..

And the people said unto Joshua, Nay, but we will serve the LORD To wit, him only, and not strange gods, as was supposed by Ioshua, v. 20..

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against your selves This Solemn Profession will be a swift Witness against you, if hereafter you Apostatize from God., that ye have chosen the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you Those Idols which you either brought out of Egypt, or have taken in Canaan, which I have too much reason to believe that some of you contrary to Gods Command do keep, whether for the preciousness of the matter, or rather for some secret inclination to Superstition and Idolatry, as the following words imply. See v. 14., and encline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.

And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute, and an ordinance Either 1. He set, or propounded, or declared unto them the Statute and Ordinance, i. e. the summ of the Statutes and Ordinances of God which their Covenant obliged them to. Or 2. He set or established it, to wit, that Covenant with them, i. e. the People, for a Statute or an Ordinance, to bind themselves and their Posterity unto God for ever as a Statute and Ordinance of God does. in Shechem.

And Joshua wrote these words i. e. This Covenant or Agreement of the people with the Lord. in the book of the law of God i. e. In that Volume which was kept in the Ark, Deut. 31. 9, 26. whence it was taken and put into this Book of Ioshua: This he did partly for the perpetual remembrance of this great and solemn Action; partly to lay the greater obligation upon the people to be true to their engagement; and partly as a Witness for God, and against the people, if afterwards he severely punished them for their defection from God, to whom they had so solemnly and freely obliged themselves., and took a great stone, and set it up there As a witness and monument of this great transaction, according to the custom of those ancient times, as Gen. 28. 18. and 31. 45. and 35. 14. Exod. 24. 4. Deut. 27. 2. Ios. 4. 3. and 8. 32. Possibly this agreement was written upon this Stone, as was then usual., under an oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD i. e Near to the place where the Ark and Tabernacle then were; for though they were forbidden to plant a Grove of Trees near unto the Altar, Deut. 16. 21. as the Gentiles did, yet they might for a time set up an Altar, or the Ark, near a great Tree which had been planted there before..

And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it has heard It shall be as sure a Witness against you, as if it had heard. This is a common Figure, called Prosopopoeia, whereby the sense of hearing is oft ascribed to the Heavens and the Earth, and other senseless creatures, as Deut. 32. 1. Isa. 1. 2. Ier. 2. 12. all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us, it shall be there for a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.

¶ And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD died, being an hundred and ten years old.

And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north-side of the hill of Gaash.

And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that over-lived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.

¶ And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem Not in the city of Shechem, but in a Field near, and belonging to it, as appears from the following words, and from Gen. 33. 18. and from the ancient custom of the Israelites to have their Burying places without Cities, in Fields or Gardens., in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of silver, and it became the inheritance of the children of Israel.

And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him By special favour, and for his better conveniency in attending upon the Ark, which then was, and for a long time was to be in Shiloh, which was near to this place; whereas the Cities which were given to the Priests, were in Iudah, Benjamin and Simeon, which were remote from Shiloh, though near to the place where the Ark was to have its settled abode, to wit, to Ierusalem. in mount Ephraim.