Introduction: A physician my wife and I knew in college died recently. He knew he was dying, so he had the time to write a note to be read at his funeral. If you knew you were dying, what would you write? If I were writing one now, it would be a note of gratitude for God’s kindness. I don’t think I would write to tell my children what to do, because they are adults and they know what to do. My wife knows a man from her hometown whose father died. Before he died, he was able to write a note which informed his surviving children what terrible people they were. Our study this week is the message Joshua proclaimed to the people before he died. Let’s dive into our study of Joshua to study his message and find what we can learn from it.

I. Early Pagan Beginnings

A. Read Joshua 24:1-2. Joshua tells the people that their ancestors served other gods. What do you think is his purpose in this? (Some spouses like to remind the other of their humble beginnings. “I married you when you were poor and uneducated…”)

1. If you were the spouse with the humble background, would you appreciate hearing that?
2. Or would it make you feel grateful?
3. Let’s look at another possibility. Could it be that God mentioned that Terah followed other gods to say something positive to the people? (This sounds like God had a very limited number of people who followed Him. But He saw potential in Terah’s son Abraham.)

B. Read Joshua 24:3-5. What point is Joshua making here that could be helpful? (The helpful point is that God has been actively involved with Abraham and his descendants. Because Abraham chose God, his life was different.)

1. Notice verse 4. What do you conclude from the fact that Joshua mentions Esau only once even though he is a son of Isaac? (This shows us election. Isaac, even though he was flawed, wanted to have a relationship with the true God. Esau apparently did not and that ended his recorded journey with God.)

II. The Journey With God

A. Read Joshua 24:6-8. What point is being made about having a relationship with the true God when you face large obstacles in life? (God will make you a victor. He will give you success.)

1. Notice that Joshua did not mention the most frustrating time of his life, the first time they approached Canaan and turned away because of a lack of faith. Why is there no mention?

B. Read Joshua 24:9-10. Why do you think Joshua mentioned the Balak and Balaam story? What is different about the conflict with King Balak’s people? (King Balak tried to manipulate the prophet Balaam to have the true God curse Israel. This is not a story about opponents relying on other gods, this is a story about an opponent appealing to the true God.)

1. What important spiritual point do we find in verse 10? (God was faithful. He did not “listen” to Balaam.)
2. What kind of situation in your life would make this point relevant and comforting to you? (Your opponents may be in your church. They may appeal to your God. If you are faithful to God, He will be faithful to you.)

C. Read Joshua 24:11-13. What point is Joshua making when he refers to the “hornet” and vineyards and olive orchards that they did not plant? (God will do the hard work when you face opposition. He used an insect to defeat nations. He gave them a reward they did not have to build or plant.)

III. The Decision

A. Read Joshua 24:14. What does this tell us about Joshua’s audience? (Some of them still have other gods with them.)

1. Does this fact speak to you? Do you still cherish sins that you know are not right?

B. Read Joshua 24:15. This says that some in the audience thought it was “evil” to serve God. Does this suggest that my question about “cherished sins” is inappropriate? (If you think something is “sin,” then you have made a choice for the true God. This reference to people who knowingly and willingly reject God is a different sort of problem.)

1. Is the advice to “choose God” relevant to those who have already chosen God? (Yes. Recall that Moses had several failures even though he chose God. We need to keep choosing God even when the choice is only how to better choose God.)
2. Was it necessary for Joshua to tell the people at the end of his life that he and his family will serve God? (Joshua was their leader. Leaders need to inspire by their words and their example.)

C. Read Joshua 24:16-18. The people respond positively to Joshua’s challenge. What is their stated reason for choosing the true God? (They agree with Joshua’s statement of the great things God has done for them in the past.)

1. Is this a part of your decision-making in choosing God? (I think this is an extremely important point. When I face challenges, I think about how God has helped me in the past and it gives me confidence for the future. On the other side, I remember a couple of times when I actively considered turning away from God and it made me fear. How could I live without God by my side?)

D. Read Joshua 24:19. Wait a minute! Joshua is encouraging the people to serve God, and then Joshua says, “Well, you cannot do it.” How should we interpret that?

1. Let’s try to break this down logically. What is the reason why Joshua seems to suddenly say that they cannot serve God? (God is holy. God is jealous (meaning He demands exclusive loyalty). God will not forgive sin.)

• a. Whoa! We know something seems wrong with this last point. We have read the New Testament, God does forgive sins. Is Joshua getting off the right track?

E. Read Joshua 24:20. Joshua threatens the people by saying that God will hurt them if they serve foreign gods. Is this true? Is this how Joshua should present God?

F. Read Joshua 24:21. Despite Joshua telling them they cannot do it, and threatening them, the people respond, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” Do they disbelieve Joshua?

1. Have you ever heard something like this before? A person who wants you to do something tells you that you cannot do it? (This was my brother’s job at one point in his life. He flew around the country telling people who wanted to become movie stars that they could not do it. My brother’s employer made money taking photos of those who wanted to become stars and putting those photos in a directory that was sent to movie producers. This came at a price! Telling these aspiring actors the truth made them more determined to try.)

G. Read Joshua 24:22. Why does Joshua tell them that they are witnesses “against yourselves?” (He is impressing on them the importance of their words. Choosing God exclusively is a serious matter.)

H. Read Joshua 24:24-26. What else is Joshua doing to elevate the importance of the decision to choose God? (He writes it in a book and he sets up a large stone by the sanctuary to memorialize this decision.)

I. Let’s skip down and read Joshua 24:31. Did Joshua’s final message accomplish its purpose? (God’s people were faithful even after Joshua died. They were faithful during the lives of the elders who were present with Joshua.)

IV. A Life Well-Lived

A. Read Joshua 24:29-30. How would you describe Joshua’s life? (He was God’s man, even from his youth. He was one of two (with Caleb) faithful spies who argued they should immediately enter Canaan. He suffered 40 years in the wilderness because of the unfaithfulness of others. He remained faithful and led the charge to rely on God to enter Canaan and take the land promised them. He was a faithful advocate for following the Lord.)

B. Friend, will they say the same about you after you have died? Will you remain a faithful advocate for God even through frustrating times? Will you stand strong and serve God only?

V. Next week: We begin a new series of studies on Philippians and Colossians.

Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

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