Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.
“But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.””
Joshua 22:5 NIV
We’re looking at the sixth book of the Christian Bible today, the Book of Joshua. In case you’ve forgotten your Sunday School history about this book, it’s named after the assistant to Moses in Exodus and Numbers who at this point has succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelites. Joshua’s name in Hebrew is יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshua), meaning “Yahweh is salvation”.
As usual, it’s important to have some context for the verse we’re studying today. At the beginning of the chapter, Joshua is thanking the tribes from east of the Jordan River (“the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh” for their help in conquering Canaan. Before they depart for their homelands, Joshua offers several things to keep in mind, then blesses them as they take their leave.
Once again in Scripture we see what Jesus refers to many years later when asked “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matthew 22:36 NIV) His reply, and essentially the same reply given by Joshua in this verse, is
“Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”
This is solid advice for any of those who believe in God, but why did Joshua use this admonition as the other tribes were leaving him? He needed to ensure that those tribes would remain faithful to the Lord after they went back east of the Jordan River. Military strength alone would not assure Israel’s continued possession of the land; it would require obedience to the covenant with God. When Moses received the Law from God it covered the entire nation, regulating worship, justice, personal conduct, and the life of the community.
The heart of the covenant was centered in love for the Lord. This was declared in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), the words spoken by Moses after the Ten Commandments were introduced to the people of Israel:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Love for the Lord is still the greatest commandment. In the days of Joshua, the love involved being devoted to the God who redeemed Israel from captivity in Egypt and brought them to their own land in Canaan. In our time, loving the Lord “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” is one way that we display our saving faith.
Joshua advises the tribes “to walk in obedience to him” (the Lord). In other words, the conduct of His people was to reflect His holy character in righteousness, mercy, justice, and the total rejection of the idolatry practiced by the nations of Canaan. Obedience in all parts of life was paramount, not just during public worship.
The next advice is “to keep his commands”. Those commands, passed from God to Moses to the nation of Israel, were the standard by which they were to live and make themselves distinct from all other nations. Keeping all of those commands was an indication that they belonged to the Lord and were not bowing down to the gods or customs of other peoples in the region. In the New Testament, we see that Jesus kept the Father’s commands even to death, affirming the righteous nature of His Law, and fulfilling its purposes.
Joshua continues, telling the tribes “to hold fast to him”. What that meant was that Israel was to follow the Lord alone, refusing to divide their loyalty to false gods. In those days, the tribes east of the Jordan River were quite a distance from the tabernacle, and being in contact with the foreign nations nearby could tempt the tribes to compromise themselves spiritually. The Lord alone was their inheritance and their security.
This call to the tribes ends with the words “and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” That didn’t mean that those departing troops should just appear to be obedient to the Lord’s commands, but they were to live a life of devotion to God, worshipping, obeying, and trusting Him in all aspects of life.
Joshua’s words of advice are still valid: Our complete devotion to the Lord is the only appropriate response to the God who still keeps His promises.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, I am forever grateful for Your commandments and the great wealth of guidance provided through Your Word. Help me to love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength, to walk in Your ways, and keep Your commandments. I pray that I will always have the strength to cling to You in all circumstances, and that my life be of service to You. AMEN.