Israel takes possession of the land; but all of the pagans are not destroyed

Of each of these tribes it is said that they dominated their territory, but that they did not drive out all of their enemies (chapter 1).

• Judah
• Simeon
• Benjamin
• Manasseh
• Ephraim
• Zebulun
• Asher
• Naphtali

The Lord admonishes them for their failure; and predicts that the remaining paganism will be a problem for Israel ( Judges 2:1-5).

Although the people served the Lord as long as Joshua was alive, and as long as those who had lived with Joshua were around, eventually there arose a generation that did not know the Lord and that was not familiar with the history of God’s intervention on behalf of Israel (Judges 2:7, 10).

Meditation Points:

1. What little sins do you tolerate?
2. God isn’t pleased when we only do part of what He asks us to do.
3. Are you obedient only when the boss is around, only when your parents are around, only when your teacher is around, only when the pastor is around, only when your friends are around?  Character is what you are when you are alone.
4. Ancient societies made it a habit to teach new generations their tribal history. Shouldn’t we follow their example?

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• Joshua recounts the history of Israel (1-13).
  • Abraham’s pagan beginnings, and subsequent pilgrimage in Canaan.
  • Isaac.
  • Jacob and Esau.
  • The move to Egypt.
  • Moses and Aaron.
  • The exodus and the crossing of the Red Sea.
  • Amorite opposition destroyed.
  • Balak and Balaam.
  • Jericho.
  • Possessing the land they did not labor in, or build or plant.
• The charge (14).
  • Fear the Lord.
  • Serve Him in sincerity and in truth.
  • Put away (false) gods of your fathers.
• The choice (15).
  • The (false) gods of their fathers.
  • The (false) gods of the Amorites.
  • The LORD.
• The people acknowledge God’s goodness and promise to serve Him (16-18).
• When Joshua warns them that God is holy and they are not (19-20), the people renew their promise to serve the LORD (21). Joshua declares that the people are witnesses against themselves (22); and the people consent (23).
• Joshua wrote the event the book of God, and erected a stone memorial (26-28).
• After the death of Joshua, the people of that generation continued to serve the LORD (31). Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar were buried (30-33).

Meditation Points:

1. Do you know the history of God’s work among your ancestors?
2. Did you notice that the Israelites were still harboring, if not honoring, pagan idols from Egypt?
3. God is holy; and sinners cannot serve him. You must be born again.
4. You really have to give credit to those Egyptian embalmers. The body of Joseph just spent more than 40 years in the hot sun!

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What message would you deliver if you were in Joshua’s shoes?

• I am old (verse 1). I have been around a long time; I’ve seen a lot of things; I won’t be around much longer.
• You have seen God at work on your behalf (verse 3).
• Keep on keeping on (verse 6). Don’t turn from the straight and narrow path that God has set before you (verse 6).
• Don’t get involved with pagans and their paganism (verse 7).
• Although the numbers are against you, God is for you; and you will prevail (verse 10).
• If you start running around with unbelievers, they will become snares and traps and scourges and thorns to draw you away from God (verse 13).
• God has kept His promise to bless you. You can be sure that if you will turn away from Him, God will keep His promise to destroy you (verse15-16).

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A word for those who live far away

• You have kept your word and helped your brethren to acquire the land that God assigned them. This is very good. (Joshua 22:2-3). Who shall ascend to God’s holy hill? They who keep their promises, even at great personal cost (Psalm 15:4).
• Now you may go home to your families (Joshua 22:4).  When the battle is over, then we can relax; but as the war continues, so we must continue diligent in the fight.
• Don’t let distance cause you to forget about God and your obligation to love and to serve Him (Joshua 22:5). How important this word is to those who leave home to seek their fame and fortune!
• On their way home, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh erected an altar by the Jordan River, When the other tribes heard of this, they inferred it to be an idolatrous act; and they were prepared to battle their brethren lest the same idolatry which had brought so many hardships on previous generations now find a home in the newly settled promised land. (Joshua 22:10-12).
• In their own defense, the three tribes declared the altar was not for sacrifices, but for a memorial that they were, indeed, part of Israel, even though they lived some distance from the others, separated by a river. They wanted future generations  to know that all the tribes were one family; and they didn’t want their children to be outcasts in the minds of those who lived west of the Jordan River. Have you established any memorials for future generations to know that you are part of God’s family?
• Cool heads prevailed; and civil war was averted. Sometimes things are not what they appear, and we should allow for discussion and defense before we falsely accuse others.
• When it was all over, Phineas declared that he perceived God to be in their midst (Joshua 22:31). Yes, when men live in peace, there is evidence of God in their midst.

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