King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026
Chapters: Joshua 22-24
Message: Joshua: Choose Your God
Hello My Friend,
Yesterday we learned of the division of the land of Canaan for of the remaining tribes and of the Levites receiving land of their own among the tribes, along with six cities designated as cities of refuge. As we come to the end of the reading of Joshua, we learn that God had given them some rest and therefore, Joshua, as was promise, sends the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh off to their homes.
[Joshua 22:1-4 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: 3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.]
While we do have our share of life’s battles to contend with, God does give us periods of rest because He knows that we need a balance. Affliction is what builds our trust in God, but it is rest that sustains that trust. However, we need to be careful, too much rest can lessen our trust in Him and in our own abilities. This is why Joshua makes it a point to tell them to be diligent in their walk with the LORD.
[Joshua 22:5-7 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. 6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents. 7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them,]
This reminds me of a woman who said that she does not pray, but talks to God all day long. A diligent walk with the LORD is more than just talking to God, we need to make sure that we are getting in His Word, studying it, asking Him to help us discern it, and applying it to everything we do, spouses, family, loves one, school, work, finances, church. Serving God is not just about being a pastor, teacher, deacon, missionary, or choir member, it is about ministering to others in a way that pleases God with the talents He has given you, [I Corinthians 12:27-28 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.]
Of course, the first and far most important thing needed before we do anything for the LORD is receive Christ as our Saviour. First of all God would not recognize anything that we do, and second, we would not know if what we are doing is something that actually pleases God. Now, as soon as the two and a half tribes crossed over the Jordan they decided to build an altar but when the people on the other side heard about it it caused quite a stir.
[Joshua 22:10-12 And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. 11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel. 12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.]
The only thing the others could see was that whatever they across the river will affect them as well. They saw this as a rebellion against God that would bring His wrath and judgment on them as well. In fact, the entire congregation was ready to fight them in order to keep the peace with God.
[Joshua 22:16-18 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD? 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD, 18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.]
I cannot blame them for their reaction because they had witnessed the wrath of God quite a few times. I cannot tell you how many times when being afflicted that I do not question if it was because of someone else who is not obeying God. We cannot worry about what everyone else is doing, if we focus on ourselves instead of what others are doing then we may just realize that, as Jesus puts it, we need to take our own beams out of our eye first, [Matthew 7:3,5 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.]
Not every bad thing that happens to us has to do with sin but we also do not want to get lax on this either as it is much better to suffer for righteousness than sin. Well, the two and a half tribes had a very good explanation as to why they built the altar in the first place and go on to tell them the meaning behind it.
[Joshua 22:21-24 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel, 22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) 23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it; 24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?]
They had two very valid points, the first one being that if they were in the wrong in building this altar, it would be on them and God would surely let them know. The second one being that since they were on the other side of the Jordan there was nothing pointing to the fact that they were of the children of Israel. They built the altar as a dedication to God as well as a testament to their being one of the children of Israel.
[Joshua 22:29,31 God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.]
Well that assurance did ease their minds and they back home. However, Joshua was getting old and now that they are at rest his body was taking a toll on him, he knew that his time on earth would be short. That was when he decided to call for the elders and give them some advice.
[Joshua 23:2-5 And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: 3 And ye have seen 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. 4 Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. 5 And 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.]
Joshua first reminds them that the only reason they are there is because God led them there and has fought for them. Is that not the best reason to stay faithful? How many people do you know who will fight for you? My own husband cannot understand why I expect anyone to fight for me. Since it is Palm Sunday we have this reminder that Jesus fought for all of us and as we go through this week we ought to reflect on that a little bit more.
[Matthew 21:1-2,4-5,9 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.]
God actually instituted Holy Weeks as a way for us to reflect on everything He has done for us, especially when we are at rest and kind of get lax in our walk with Him. Joshua goes on to remind them that they still have work to do, but it is very important that keep God’s word with them at all times.
[Joshua 23:6-10 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. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.]
When you stop to think about it the most courageous thing that we will ever do in our lifetime is follow God’s word and stick to it. Does God expect us to know all of it at once? No. What He expects is diligence. As long as we are consistent He will respect us and correct us as we study His word, [II Timothy 2:15-16 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.]
Do you see why we are to actually study His word no matter how many times we read it through? Do you see why they were to not drive, but expel they out of the land given to them? If they just drove them out they would just move on to another territory, bringing their false gods and idols with them. That would in turn expose Israel to them, and likely bring them to turn on God. Joshua actually warns them of this.
[Joshua 23:12-13,15 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: 13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you. 15 Therefore 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, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.]
Snares and traps, that is the warning to all who mix in with the world. I get it, we are all curious, especially when we are going through things. We want instant relief and to be honest, there are many things in the world that look mighty good to provide that instant relief. However, once we cross that line the things we thought would help us actually hurt us more. In fact a couple of months ago I became curious about weight loss drugs and since I am not too keen on shots or could afford three hundred dollars a month for pills, I purchased an herbal supplement. I thought things were going pretty well until major side effects showed up that I am still dealing with today. So, the grass is definitely not greener on the other side, [I Timothy 6:8-9 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.]
Salvation is given to us freely as no one has to do anything to receive eternal life and get into heaven but believe on the LORD Jesus Christ. Why? He finished the work for us. The journey we take from the second we receive Christ as our Saviour is what we will give an account to Him for. And now, an account is given of Israel’s journey to the promise land, all the way back to the promise that God had made to Abraham, and if you notice, this is not Joshua saying these words, it is God speaking through him.
[Joshua 24:2–5 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. 3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. 4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.]
From God’s words Himself, one more final appeal against idolatry is recorded here, delivered by the aged leader whose deep concern sprang from his intimate knowledge of how readily the people adopted the customs of the surrounding nations. Knowing their vulnerability, he seized this last opportunity to warn them. He reminds them of what they had done so far.
[Joshua 24:8,11-13 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you. 11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand. 12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. 13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.]
Israel, without any merit of its own, received a glorious land solely through the goodness and merciful kindness of God. He granted them a rich and fertile country, already cultivated and flourishing, a place they did not have to labor for in the sweat of their brow. It was given to them in its finest condition, ready for them to enjoy. In the same way, we as Christians must confess that, regarding both the temporal and the spiritual blessings of the Lord, we are not worthy of even the least of His benefits. Every good thing we possess is a testimony of His grace alone.
[Joshua 24:14-16 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;]
You cannot serve God and religion, you cannot serve God and mammon, and you cannot serve God and idols. You must serve God as He truly is. Whenever someone chooses a religion that contradicts the Word of God, they are serving a false god. They may pretend to worship Him, they may even endure certain hardships while claiming to praise Him, but Jesus knows the truth. Of course they sounded sincere but Joshua was not buying it completely after all he was there with Moses when God told him that they would turn on Him. If they were sincere about serving God than they needed to step up and do so.
[Joshua 24:19-22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD. 22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.]
What Joshua meant was that if they were sincere about being servants of God, then they needed to prove it by removing everything that could entice them to turn away from Him. True devotion requires separation from anything that competes for the heart. It is essential that we have no other gods before us and that we take our faith seriously. Those “other gods” can take many forms—habits, desires, possessions, or even people—because anything we cling to above God becomes a snare that weakens our faith and draws our loyalty away from Him, [Galatians 5:7-9 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.]
If we are going to choose Christ, then we must be committed to His Word one hundred percent, not only when we feel like it, not only when life is going well, but at all times. Anything less leaves us vulnerable, because the things of the world will quickly become snares and traps to our faith. Joshua made this clear to the Israelites. Their loyalty to God had to be steadfast, or the influences around them would draw their hearts away. The same truth stands for us today: wholehearted devotion is the only safeguard against the subtle pull of the world.
[Joshua 24:24-28 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God. 28 So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.]
God makes the choice simple. He does not force anyone to come to Him, but if we claim that we belong to Him, then we must take that commitment seriously because He certainly does. Everything Moses had taught, along with all that Joshua had done and witnessed, was added as a testimony to the Law. Shortly after Joshua delivered this final charge to the people, he passed away, and for a time Israel walked rightly before the Lord.
[Joshua 24:29,31-32 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel. 32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.]
I find it interesting that Joseph’s bones were finally laid to rest in the very place where his journey began. His story, with all its suffering, faithfulness, and redemption, came full circle in the land God had promised. Scripture reminds us that we are but a tale that is told, and it truly is wise to number our days and use them well.
[Psalms 90:9-12 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.]
Today’s Prayer: God, It is comforting to know that even if I mess up you will not disown me, but I do not want to be a child that just gets to receive Your inheritance because I am one of Yours. While I know it is only by Your grace that I am saved and that nothing I do earns my salvation, I am willing to be the witness that so many can find rest through their trials by showing them Your Son in me. Lord, Lead me and guide me, teach me and walk with me, keep my heart tender, my eyes on You, and help me to be reminded that You are my rest, and peace through all tribulation. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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