Joshua Chapter 23
Joshua’s Farewell Address
A. The First Exhortation, Total Obedience to the Word of God
1. Joshua 23:1–3, Joshua Declares What the Lord Has Done
“And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age. And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.”
Joshua’s farewell address begins with a solemn and pastoral tone. The text places us at a significant moment in Israel’s history, when the Lord had given the nation rest from all surrounding enemies. This rest was not merely political stability but the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises. Joshua is now old and stricken in age, fully aware that his time of leadership is drawing to a close. With this awareness, he summons the covenant leadership of Israel, the elders, heads, judges, and officers. Though he cannot address every individual, by gathering the leaders he ensures the entire nation will hear and be reminded of the truth he is about to declare.
Joshua immediately gives glory to God rather than himself. He does not recount his victories or highlight his strategies, though he could have done so justifiably. Instead, he lifts the eyes of Israel to the true source of their victories. He reminds them, “ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done,” stressing that their success in conquering the land was not by human strength, but because “the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.” Joshua wants Israel to remember that every battle won, every fortified city conquered, and every enemy subdued was proof of God’s faithfulness to His promises. This is a call to humility and gratitude.
Joshua’s words also serve as a foundation for the exhortations that will follow. Before he calls Israel to obedience, he first reminds them of God’s grace and His mighty works on their behalf. True obedience is always a response to God’s revealed faithfulness. Joshua points their attention away from themselves and toward the character and actions of the Lord. This is the proper starting point for any call to covenant faithfulness.
Joshua’s example teaches current believers a powerful lesson. Near the end of his life, he is not concerned with building a legacy for himself, but with exalting the Lord and calling the next generation to remain faithful. Spiritual leadership is not about authority, but about influence rooted in truth, humility, and reverence for God. Just as Joshua reminded Israel of what God had done, Christian leaders must continually remind God’s people of His faithfulness, His finished work, and His promises yet to be fulfilled.
2. (Joshua 23:4–5) Joshua Describes the Challenges That Remain
“Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, and all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight, and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you.”
Joshua now turns the people’s attention from what God has already done to what still remains unfinished. Though Israel has rest from war, the land is not yet fully possessed. Joshua reminds them that he has divided the remaining territory among the tribes by lot, meaning each tribe has been given a clear inheritance from the Lord. Yet, there are still hostile nations dwelling within those allotted territories. God has given the land, but His people must actively step forward in faith to claim what has already been promised.
Joshua makes it clear that future victories will come the same way past victories did, by the Lord’s power. “The Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you.” This is both a promise and a warning. God will fight for Israel, but only if they walk in obedience and faith. The land is theirs by divine covenant, but it must be possessed through daily obedience. Their past success under Joshua did not remove their responsibility to continue trusting God and confronting remaining pockets of resistance.
This truth applies spiritually to believers today. God has already given His people “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” as it is written in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Yet, just as Israel had to conquer and occupy what was already theirs by promise, Christians must walk in the Spirit and take hold of what God has given. The promises of peace, joy, holiness, victory over sin, and usefulness in God’s service are already ours in Christ, but many believers live in defeat because they refuse to step forward in obedience. God gives the inheritance, but He does not bless passivity.
Joshua’s words teach that faith does not eliminate effort. God’s sovereignty does not cancel human responsibility. Israel was not allowed to sit idle in their allotted land and expect God to finish the work without them. They were called to trust Him, to obey Him, and to drive out what remained of the enemy. Likewise, the Christian life is not passive. We are called to fight the good fight of faith, to mortify the deeds of the flesh, to resist the devil, and to lay hold of eternal life.
The promise at the end of verse 5 strengthens this command: “ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you.” God’s promise guarantees victory for the obedient, but not for the complacent. His faithfulness is never in question, but our faithfulness often is. Joshua, nearing death, wanted the nation to understand that unfinished work remains and that the God who fought for them before will continue to fight for them if they continue to walk with Him.
3. (Joshua 23:6) How Israel Will Succeed: By Total Obedience to the Word of God
“Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left.”
Joshua now declares the foundation of Israel’s future success. If they are to remain in the land, experience God’s continued protection, and enjoy His blessings, it will not be through superior military tactics or political alliances, but through unwavering obedience to the Word of God. Victory in the past came from God’s power, and victory in the future will come by faithfulness to His commandments.
a. “Be ye therefore very courageous”
The same courage needed to fight giants and conquer walled cities is now required to faithfully obey God’s Word. Spiritual courage is not less demanding than physical courage. Obedience in a rebellious world requires strength. It is easier to compromise, to go with the flow, or to do what pleases others. True courage is seen in the one who will stand firm on God’s truth even when it is unpopular. Joshua had been told earlier in Joshua 1:7, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law.” Now, at the end of his life, he gives Israel the same charge.
b. “To keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses”
Joshua emphasizes full obedience. Not partial, selective, or convenient obedience. The people are not allowed to choose the parts of God’s Word that they like and ignore the rest. God requires complete submission to His revealed will. Every command is inspired, every statute is righteous, and none are optional. The human heart tends to admire certain truths—such as God’s love, mercy, or promises—while ignoring commands about holiness, purity, separation from sin, and wholehearted devotion. But Joshua makes it clear: success in God’s eyes demands obeying all that is written.
c. “That ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left”
God’s Word is a straight path. To depart into either direction is to leave His will. Turning to the right hand often represents legalism, adding to God’s Word, creating man-made traditions and burdens. Turning to the left represents compromise and lawlessness, subtracting from God’s Word, living in disobedience while still claiming God’s favor. Satan does not care which extreme he drives people into. Whether through strict religious pride or careless worldliness, if God’s people depart from His Word, they lose power, blessing, and fellowship with Him. The command is balance: walk straight in the path God has laid down, neither adding nor subtracting from Scripture. Moses gave Israel the same instruction in Deuteronomy 5:32, “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.”
For the believer today, success in the Christian life does not come by talent, emotion, or human wisdom. It comes by courageous, consistent obedience to the written Word of God. Obedience is not motivated by legalism, but by love for the One who first loved us.
B. The Second Exhortation, Do Not Make Peace with the Enemy
1. (Joshua 23:7–8) Hold Fast to the Lord
“That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you, neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.”
Joshua now moves from obedience in general to separation in particular. Israel is surrounded by remnants of pagan nations who still live within the land. The danger is no longer open warfare, but silent compromise. With the sword at rest, Israel’s greatest threat is now spiritual corruption, not military defeat. Joshua warns them not to coexist spiritually with paganism or treat idolatry as harmless. The command is clear and direct: do not make peace with the enemy by tolerating their gods or participating in their practices.
a. “Neither make mention of the name of their gods”
Even mentioning the names of their false gods in a reverent or approving way was forbidden. This does not mean Israel could never speak their names historically or politically, but they were not to give honor, curiosity, or attention to them in a way that normalized or respected their worship. The law had already stated in Exodus 23:13, “Make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.” To speak approvingly of them, invoke them, or swear by them would plant seeds of tolerance and eventually adoption. The danger of idolatry always begins with fascination, then dialogue, then participation, and finally devotion. Joshua cuts this process off at the root: do not even begin to entertain it.
b. “Neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them”
Joshua moves from speech to action. Israel must not swear oaths in the name of pagan gods, must not participate in their religious ceremonies, and must not bow down in worship. The enemy’s worship must not be imitated, sampled, or blended with the worship of the Lord. Israel was called to be a holy nation, set apart from all others. They were not to adopt the religion, culture, or morality of the world around them. God does not permit spiritual compromise.
c. “But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day”
The command to separate from idols is immediately followed by the command to cling to the Lord. The word cleave or hold fast carries the idea of being firmly joined, like glue or like a husband cleaving to his wife in Genesis 2:24. Israel was not simply to reject false gods; they were to passionately cling to the true God. The Christian life is not only about separation from sin, but devotion to the Savior. Victory over the enemy is not achieved by studying evil, but by clinging to the Lord.
Some believe the way to combat error is to become experts in everything false. But Scripture teaches that the best defense against deception is deeper devotion to truth. Bank tellers do not study counterfeit bills in detail; they become so familiar with the real currency that anything false is immediately evident. In the same way, believers are not called to live with their enemies “even closer,” but to stay close to the Lord. Our safety is in loyalty to Him, not in understanding every false religion.
Joshua commends them, “as ye have done unto this day,” acknowledging their faithfulness thus far and urging them to continue. Past devotion is good, but future faithfulness is essential.
2. (Joshua 23:9–13) Their Abiding Had Brought Blessing; Departing from the Lord Will Remove That Blessing
“For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.”
Joshua reminds Israel that all their victories were the direct result of God’s faithfulness, not their military strength or strategy. God Himself had driven out great and strong nations. As long as Israel remained in fellowship with Him, no enemy could stand before them. The promise was supernatural: “One man of you shall chase a thousand,” not because of Israel’s power, but because “the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you.” Their strength was never in their numbers, but in their obedience.
a. “For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong”
Every victory Israel experienced came from the hand of God. Their abiding in the Lord produced triumphs that could never have been accomplished by human effort alone. The lesson is clear: past victories are no guarantee of future blessing if the people cease to walk with God. Abiding brought blessing; abandoning God would bring defeat.
b. “Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God”
This is the heart of Joshua’s exhortation. The command is not first to serve, sacrifice, or conquer, but to love the Lord. Loving God is not an emotional suggestion but a deliberate choice of the will. Jude 1:21 says, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” This requires diligence, because our hearts are prone to wander, and the world constantly seeks to draw us away from devotion to God. Love is maintained by obedience, by remembering His mercy, and by rejecting competing affections.
c. The danger of turning back and clinging to the nations
Joshua warns that if Israel turns back and attaches itself to the remaining pagan nations—through alliances, intermarriage, or shared worship—they will forfeit God’s protection. Compromise, not warfare, is now the greatest threat. To “cleave” to these nations is the opposite of cleaving to the Lord. Separation from ungodliness is necessary to remain in God’s love. James 1:27 calls believers to remain “unspotted from the world.”
d. “They shall be snares and traps unto you… until ye perish from off this good land”
If Israel refuses to remain separate, the pagan nations will no longer be enemies outside their borders, but poisons within their hearts. These influences will become snares, traps, scourges, and thorns—pictures of pain, torment, and spiritual deception. What may seem small and harmless today, like an “innocent Canaanite,” can later become a source of destruction. Sin never advertises itself as a scourge; it presents itself as desirable, pleasurable, or harmless. But if allowed to remain, it becomes a tyrant.
Redpath wrote, “The compromising Christian is not a happy man. Let the enemy remain in a Christian life, let him have one foothold, and he soon becomes a scourge.” Joshua’s warning is not theoretical—Israel will later prove it true during the time of the Judges, when compromise with these nations led to idolatry, oppression, grief, and exile.
C. The Warning: God’s Faithfulness Works Both Ways
1. (Joshua 23:14) Joshua Calls Each Man to Acknowledge God’s Faithfulness
“And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.”
Joshua now speaks as a dying leader. “I am going the way of all the earth” is a humble acknowledgment of mortality. Kings, soldiers, prophets, leaders—all eventually go this same way. Joshua had fought battles, divided land, led the nation, and remained faithful to God. Yet now, at the end of his life, his greatest concern is not his legacy but the spiritual condition of the people.
He tells Israel to examine their own hearts and souls. Deep within themselves, they know the truth: God has never failed them. Every promise made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and now fulfilled under Joshua had come to pass exactly as God said. Not one word had fallen to the ground. Every victory, every provision, every protection was evidence of God’s perfect faithfulness.
a. “Ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed”
Joshua is not asking for surface-level agreement. He requires personal testimony. He wants each man to search his memory and conscience and admit that God has never once been unfaithful. There is no one who can rightly claim that God promised something and failed to deliver.
b. “All are come to pass unto you; not one thing hath failed thereof”
If a person thinks they have found failure in God, it only proves they do not truly know Him. Every time God speaks, His word stands. Doubt arises from ignorance, not from God’s inconsistency. This is a challenge for believers today: to look honestly at their lives and confess that God has always been true even when we have not.
2. (Joshua 23:15–16) God Is Just as Faithful to Judge Disobedience as He Is to Bless Obedience
“Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.”
Joshua now presents a sobering truth: God’s faithfulness cuts both ways. He was faithful to bless their obedience, and He will be faithful to judge their rebellion. Just as surely as His promises of victory came true, His warnings of judgment will also come true if they forsake His covenant.
a. “As all good things... so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things”
Joshua is not introducing a new principle but reinforcing what was already written in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. The covenant was clear: obedience brought blessing; disobedience brought cursing. God’s character does not change based on human behavior. His promises of grace and His warnings of judgment are equally reliable.
b. The New Covenant Application
Believers today are under a new and better covenant through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 8:6–7 says, “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry... established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Galatians 3:13–14 declares, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us... that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Therefore, while Christians no longer experience covenant curses the way Israel did, God still disciplines His children. Hebrews 12:7 states, “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.” Disobedience does not bring eternal condemnation but it may bring correction, loss of joy, loss of power, and removal of blessing. If we do not abide in Christ, we do not lose salvation, but we do lose fellowship and fruitfulness.
