Joshua's Farewell to the Leaders

 Joshua 23:1-16

You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.

Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. 

If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.

Some years have elapsed since the division of the land. Joshua has reached the end of a long life and is appointing no single successor. It is therefore vital to ensure that the leaders keep the law and remain faithful to God - the God who keeps his promises. It is God who has given them the land, God who has driven out great and powerful nations: 'You must hold fast to the Lord your God, keeping covenant with him.

Why?

Joshua worries about his people after he passed away they may turn away from the Lord and associate with the survivors of these nations.

Joshua reminds them it is the Lord who fought for them. All they conquered were great nations and strong enemies. 

Be strong and be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left is the most important to Israelite and to all Christian today.

Even on the last day, Joshua was caring about the future of the Israelites. So he called the leaders and elders came to him. And he did not choose anyone to be the leader of them.

The Lord did not choose a new leader is to test them how their heart may obey the word of the Lord.

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約書亞的遺命

1. 神已經為他們打仗得到這些土地，要繼續往前走。靠主繼續爭戰。只要稍微有點破口，就會失去一切。

2.神是不改變的神，認識神經歷神，為使我們信心成長，一步步可以往前走。

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How?

Be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, the word of the Lord is the only way to survive on the promised land.