Joshua's Farewell at Shechem

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, heads, judges, and officers, who presented themselves before God (Joshua 24:1). Speaking on behalf of the Lord, Joshua recounted the history of the Israelites, beginning with Terah the father of Abraham who lived beyond the Euphrates River and served other gods. He detailed the deliverance from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea where the Egyptians were destroyed, and the victories over the Amorites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Jericho. Joshua stated that the Lord gave them a land on which they had not labored and cities they had not built (Joshua 24:13).

Joshua commanded the people to fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth, instructing them to put away the gods their fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt. He presented a choice for the people to serve the Lord or the gods of the Amorites, declaring that he and his house would serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). The people responded by affirming their commitment to the Lord, citing His works in bringing them out of bondage. However, Joshua warned them that the Lord is a holy and jealous God who would not forgive their transgressions if they forsook Him for foreign gods.

After the people reaffirmed their intent to serve the Lord, Joshua made a covenant with them that day at Shechem (Joshua 24:25). He recorded these words in the Book of the Law of God and took a large stone, setting it up under the terebinth tree by the sanctuary of the Lord as a witness against them. The text does not say the specific year in BC this occurred. Following these events, Joshua dismissed the people to their inheritances, and he later died at the age of one hundred and ten years (Joshua 24:29).