July 6, 2023

Do not turn away from truth.

Joshua 23

Caroline Brown
Thursday's Devo

July 6, 2023

Thursday's Devo

July 6, 2023

Thursday's Devo

July 6, 2023

Thursday's Devo

July 6, 2023

Big Idea

God's definition of success is faithfulness.

Key Verse | Joshua 23:6

"Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left."

Joshua 23

Joshua's Charge to Israel's Leaders

1 A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, 2 Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. 3 And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. 4 Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. 5 The LORD your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. 6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day. 9 For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you.

14 And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things 1 23:14 Or words; also twice in verse 15 that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

Footnotes

[1] 23:14 Or words; also twice in verse 15

S2:129 Joshua 23

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Joshua 23

In the book of Joshua, we see God use Joshua to lead Israel to the Promised Land, the land He originally promised to Abraham and his descendants. Today's reading starts with Joshua gathering Israel's leaders and telling them that the land God promised them will soon be theirs. In our key verse, Joshua encourages the people to "do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left." He is reminding them of the importance of obeying what God's Word says.

In a world that is steadily turning away from truth, we must fight to cling to our ultimate source of truth, God's Word. Psalm 1:1-2 reminds us that joy and blessing are found in obedience: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." If we fight to stand firm in our convictions and submit to God's law, regardless of our circumstances, we can trust that in His presence we will find "fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11)!

But how do we stay obedient to God when we're struggling to trust that He is good? We remember Joshua's words in Joshua 23:14, "and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed." We can trust God is working for our good in all circumstances (Romans 8:28), and His Word does not return void.

Our reading ends with a warning in Joshua 23:16: if we fail to obey the covenant and serve other gods, God's anger will be kindled against us. May this serve as a healthy reminder that God is in control, and we are not. Surrendering our lives to His truth is worth it!

This month's memory verse

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

– James 3:17

Discussion Questions

1. Is your delight found in the law of the Lord like Psalm 1 says? What does meditating on Scripture look like for you? Is this an area in which you could grow?

2. Remembering instances of God's faithfulness throughout our lives is what helps us choose joy in the midst of hard circumstances. How have you seen God's goodness in the past?

3. Do you have community around you who reminds you of what's true? How can you encourage your community group to stand for truth?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

HS

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Caroline! Love your truth about the joy and blessing found in obedience. Well said. Q1. Early on I learned a pack of memory verses in Prodigal and re:gen. They still bless me. Q2. God has shown me His goodness in how He has protected me from harm over years of addiction. He has given me gifts and talents so that I can provide for myself and my family. Further, He has protected and watched over my non-believing children. Q3. I am blessed with a great CG. We work to process all big questions and issues together using God's truth. Sometimes that truth hurts.
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Hugh Stephenson

A few years ago a message made a very interesting point; your success is determined by your successors. As I have noted in past comments, there are a seemingly endless lists of poor successors in every field of endeavor. Two founders who were great at raising up successors are Warren Buffet and Steve Schwarzman. I know both organizations and they are top notch. The notes point out that up to this point each section starts with a “divine initiative”. Not this one. God has done all He promised. It’s now up to the Israelites to respond. It seems Joshua is focused on this same truth as chapter 23 opens with what God has done for the Israelites and then he follows up emphasizing how important it is that they continue in faithfulness. It does seem to me that he is calling the Israelites to prepare for the battle ahead by recalling all the ways God has been present with them and has fought for them. And that He will continue to do so as they more fully execute His plan for them. “The LORD your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight.” “…you shall possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you.” And here’s THAT word again- “But you shall CLING to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day.” See also Genesis 2:24. Even though the Israelites aren’t writing all this down in their Moleskin journals I’m sure they are attuned to the truth and power of what Joshua is saying. I’d also bet that they have been telling stories to their children about how God was present with them in this or that that situation. Taking license…I’m guessing part of Joshua’s concern is that there is no obvious successor to him as he was to Moses. In this I see the strength of his reminder- “Not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one has failed.” (See also Joshua 21:45 for same message.) And the last words in this message are a stern warning of the consequences of failure- “…the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that He has given to you.”
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Hugh Stephenson

The application to me seems very straightforward. God has kept every single promise that His word conveys to me. Even more. There are many yet to come. He calls me into battle to glorify Him and to live and serve others. He has equipped me and will continue to do so. He calls me out of idol worship. He is the full and sufficient provider of every need. This world has nothing for me. No matter what any earthly “idol” promises me it will prove to be an empty promise. As the notes say of the ancient Israelites the same applies to me- “…their greatest duty and challenge is to live and lead according to all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses (cf. Joshua 1:7–8) As always, the motive of my heart is key, (Proverbs 4:23). "What we do in religion we must do from a principle of love, not by constraint or from a slavish fear of God, but of choice and with delight."
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Michael Sisson

Re: Jos 23:16 When the biblical text says, “If you…,” for all practical purposes it means “When you….” See Dt 4:25-31
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Michael Scaman

Joshua's promise was true in David " One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, " David killed his thousand as did Samson. Joshua made a reminder of the problems unfaithfulness and not listening to God could cause. Moses was actually stronger in that he had 'would cause' in the future language in the Song of Moses (and echoed in Isaiah's opening)
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Amy Lowther

1. Yes I find delight in the law of the Lord. Meditation of scripture for me is reading the Bible and focusing on it without the tv on, without the radio on, and without others around. It helps me and it helps others. Discussions are more interesting and more people contribute. Yes, because God is always teaching us something new everyday. 2. I have seen families working out together in the gym, helping and encouraging each other in positive ways. 3. Yes, community surrounds me and encourages truth. I encourage them to continue their good work by practicing with them God’s goodness every week.