Joshua 24:1-13 – Reviewing God’s Grace

This is a historic, sacred moment. In the third of these three great assemblies that conclude the book of Joshua (ch.22-24), he speaks to all the people (v2). First he proclaims a review of covenant history, focusing on crisis points and threats to Israel’s welfare – each of which is met by the LORD’s intervention.

We start with their forefather Abraham (v2, 3) who, like his family circle, “served other gods” (v2). We can sometimes think of heroes of the faith like Abraham as having been perfect material for God’s choosing. But grace really is amazing! Abraham “served other gods … then I took … Abraham …” (v2, 3). Abraham rose out of the awful pit of paganism because the LORD touched him. The fact that, by Joshua’s time, there even is ‘a people of God’ at all is because of God’s simple good pleasure.

God in His grace had brought His people to their inheritance, despite initially it having seemed that the ungodly – the descendants of Esau – received theirs but the godly – the descendants of Jacob – did not (v4). God in His grace had displayed awesome power in delivering them from slavery, plagues, pursuers, seas, enemy kings, and armies (v5-8). God in His grace had shielded them from a crooked prophet who an enemy king tried to pay to curse them (v9, 10). God in His grace provided constantly for His people – whether in the wilderness (v7) or in the Promised Land.

Yet again, at a crucial turning point in the history of God’s people they are being reminded of His abundant, amazing “grace upon grace” (John 1:16). He says: ‘Remember how I took you as my own; how I baffled you with my love; rescued you in your helplessness; how I shielded you from dangers seen and unseen; how I have sustained you with food to eat until this very day?’ And how gracious He was to remind Israel, at such a vital moment, of His relentless grace! And today He is reminding us too.