Chapter 49—The Last Words of Joshua
This chapter is based on
Joshua 23
and 24.
The wars and conquest ended, Joshua had withdrawn to the peace-
ful retirement of his home at Timnathserah. “And it came to pass a
long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their
enemies round about, that Joshua ... called for all Israel, and for their
elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers.”
As Joshua felt the infirmities of age stealing upon him and realized
that his work must soon close, he was filled with anxiety for the future
of his people. “Ye have seen,” he said, “all that the Lord your God
hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your
God is He that hath fought for you.” Although the Canaanites had
been subdued, they still possessed a considerable portion of the land
promised to Israel, and Joshua exhorted his people not to forget the
Lord’s command to dispossess these idolatrous nations.
The tribes had dispersed to their possessions, the army had dis-
banded, and it was looked upon as a difficult and doubtful undertaking
to renew the war. But Joshua declared: “The Lord your God, He shall
expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight;
and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised
unto you. 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.”
God had faithfully fulfilled His promises to them. “Ye know in
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all your hearts and in all your souls,” he said, “that not one thing
hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake
concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath
failed thereof.”
As the Lord had fulfilled His promises, so He would fulfill His
threatenings. “It shall come to pass, that as all good things are come
upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord
bring upon you all evil things... . When ye have transgressed the
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