23:12,13
The warning becomes more explicit. Joshua tells them what will happen if they ally themselves with the survivors, and intermarry and associate with them. Now this is very strange, why would they think that they could learn something from a defeated enemy? Why would adopting their ways be a sensible thing to do? Yet Israel frequently did this very thing. And the church is forever wanting to adopt the world’s ways, and it never ends wll.
23:14-16
Joshua knows that soon he will die. He reminds them again that God’s promises have never failed. So they know that the word of the Lord is true. This also means that God’s words of judgement if they abandon His ways are equally true and reliable. Israel had conquered the land, but not for her own sake. She had done this for the Lord’s sake. If she remained true to the Lord all would go well. But if she abandoned the Lord, nothing would go well. They were tenants in the land, not freeholders. Sadly, as we know and will read, Israel never kept the word of the Lord for long.
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