Joshua 23:6-9 "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;
(7) 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: (8) But
cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. (9)
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."
Joshua is now of an old age and realizes his time on earth is short. He gathered the elders of each tribe together to give them instructions and encouragement in the Lord. No doubt, he was looking back on his life and remembering times when the Lord had intervened on his behalf, as well as all of Israel's behalf. He takes this opportunity to relay to the people that which the Lord had given him.
"Be ye therefore very courageous." If that phrase is taken by itself, we could imagine Joshua was telling them to reach down deep inside themselves to pull the courage out and display it. But that is not what Joshua was saying. He was reminding them of the strength and the courage that comes from "the Lord your God." He reminded them of the victories God has given them in the past and that God will still be with them to guide them and protect them.
The courage was to be used in keeping the Word of God in their lives. They were in a new land. Remnants of some of the nations remained in the land. We know the Gibeonites deceived them into making a covenant. They were drawers of water and hewers of wood, but you can be assured they brought their own worship of gods with them. Joshua was telling the people of Israel, "Do not allow their influence to come upon you." Always remember, the Lord, He is the God. The Lord, He is the God!
We hear a lot today by some individuals who try to convince us that the gods of other religions are the same as our God. If that had been so, God would have told Israel its okay to let them worship their gods and you can worship them too. The gods of other religions require the individual to sacrifice unto them. But OUR GOD gave the ultimate sacrifice to and for us. His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, came into this world to die in our place. He shed His blood and offered His blood to the Father as the perfect sacrificial offering to pay for our sins. Be courageous and know... the gods (idols) of other religions are false. There is only one True and Living God.. Cleave unto Him. Hold Him tight for He has you in the grips of His hands and nothing can separate you from His love.
Joshua is now of an old age and realizes his time on earth is short. He gathered the elders of each tribe together to give them instructions and encouragement in the Lord. No doubt, he was looking back on his life and remembering times when the Lord had intervened on his behalf, as well as all of Israel's behalf. He takes this opportunity to relay to the people that which the Lord had given him.
"Be ye therefore very courageous." If that phrase is taken by itself, we could imagine Joshua was telling them to reach down deep inside themselves to pull the courage out and display it. But that is not what Joshua was saying. He was reminding them of the strength and the courage that comes from "the Lord your God." He reminded them of the victories God has given them in the past and that God will still be with them to guide them and protect them.
The courage was to be used in keeping the Word of God in their lives. They were in a new land. Remnants of some of the nations remained in the land. We know the Gibeonites deceived them into making a covenant. They were drawers of water and hewers of wood, but you can be assured they brought their own worship of gods with them. Joshua was telling the people of Israel, "Do not allow their influence to come upon you." Always remember, the Lord, He is the God. The Lord, He is the God!
We hear a lot today by some individuals who try to convince us that the gods of other religions are the same as our God. If that had been so, God would have told Israel its okay to let them worship their gods and you can worship them too. The gods of other religions require the individual to sacrifice unto them. But OUR GOD gave the ultimate sacrifice to and for us. His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, came into this world to die in our place. He shed His blood and offered His blood to the Father as the perfect sacrificial offering to pay for our sins. Be courageous and know... the gods (idols) of other religions are false. There is only one True and Living God.. Cleave unto Him. Hold Him tight for He has you in the grips of His hands and nothing can separate you from His love.