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Joshua 24:1

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Joshua 24:1

Verse 1 of 33

Scripture focus

And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua 24:1 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Joshua 24:1

Theological / Devotional

Joshua gathered. The gathering of ch. 23 had been an assembly of the leaders and people in which Joshua had pressed upon them their responsibility of driving out the enemy, and had warned them of the dangers of neglecting to carry out this command. He reminded them of the promise of God to be with them, and of their responsibility to carry out such a program. Now Joshua gathered the heads and representatives of the tribes to Shechem for a final appeal to them.

There was great appropriateness in the selection of Shechem. Here the covenant was first given to Abram (Gen. 12:6, 7); in the immediate neighborhood Jacob seems to have renewed it (Gen. 33:19, 20), and under an oak at Shechem he had “put away the strange gods” of his family (Gen 35:2-4), as Joshua now reminded the Israelites (Joshua 24:23); here also the covenant had been renewed after the fall of Ai (Joshua 8:30-35). There was no more fitting place than Shechem for Joshua’s parting words and where the covenant of Israel with God might be renewed.

Presented themselves. These leaders of Israel, numbering perhaps several hundred, presented themselves before the Lord. The ark had been brought from Shiloh for the occasion (PP 523).

By SdaBc