Joshua’s Farewell Address
Open Your Bible
Joshua 23:1-16, Matthew 22:37-40, Philippians 1:6
BY Bailey Gillespie
We’ve all seen it before in books or plays. Long lost relatives turn up out of nowhere. A bright blue sky conveniently starts pouring rain onto a parched, dry land. Eagles swoop in unexpectedly and save the day. These are examples of deus ex machina, a phrase referring to a story’s unexpected, sometimes unbelievable, turn of events. It’s a plot device that abruptly offers a way out of catastrophe as events unfold outside the existing logic of a story.
At first glance, the book of Joshua is one long string of seemingly unbelievable twists and turns. The sun stands still, the walls of Jericho fall, and the Israelites cross the Jordan River after it miraculously dries up. Too good to be true, right? Except these divine victories unfold perfectly within the book’s framework because this is the story of our faithful God fighting on behalf of His people—just like He promised (Joshua 23:3, 10). It’s too good not to be true.
Can you imagine the relief Joshua must have felt near the end of his life? Scripture tells us that by the time Israel found rest from their enemies, Joshua was “advanced in age” (Joshua 23:1). He had the satisfaction of seeing each of God’s promises to him fulfilled with his own eyes. While giving a final address to the Israelites, Joshua stood as a witness to God’s character and said: “You know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed” (v.14).
Do we also know this with all our heart and soul? As we watch the Lord fight on behalf of His appointed leader, we see God’s primary promise was that He would never abandon Joshua. He was promising His presence. For those of us who are in Christ, we are promised the gift of God’s presence in the Holy Spirit, who is always with us (John 14:16). This is a promise we can count on for the rest of our lives.
I think one of the most encouraging things we can do in our journey with the Lord is read stories of God’s faithfulness in the lives of others. His divine victory is no fallible plot twist. We can expect it, believe it, and even petition for it with fervor because God is for us (Romans 8:31). He does what He says He will do. Historical narratives like the book of Joshua renew our trust in God and the promise of His presence as we trace His hand at work through the lives of His people.
We can remember and rejoice that our God always keeps His promises. “I am sure of this,” we can say along with our brothers and sisters, “that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
52 thoughts on "Joshua’s Farewell Address"
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The verse in Matthew really spoke to me. Love your neighbor as yourself. So much hate in this world and the greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. No matter the color, race, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation, or political part. We are to love our neighbors. Does this mean we agree with everything? No! We are to love each other.
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Favorite chapter of Joshua. He declares all that the Lord has done for Israel, cautions them about disobedience and how we as followers must be set apart from the world.
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@ Tina When you wrote: The Lord God shows up, you are going to be shaken to the core in a BIG way!
You are going to be changed. Your perspective on life is going to change. The way you see people, motives and who they are, is going to change. EVERYTHING you have known, is going to change, because God showed up!
And He didn’t just show up, He stayed.May tbis Gallo to al and thinking of the lost, unsaved, and those people in leadership, government. famous. or roles of influence. May laws change, thinking change, priorities change. May all hate what God hates and love what God loves. May they care more about pleasing God than man. May the Bible be the Standard for governing and living. Let conviction and repentance come, so all can be His people and may He come and heal the land.
@ Michelle, I hope you were able to read all these messages for you. I understand about eating disorders. Praying for your complete deliverance, every stronghold to be broken, and for you to know Truth and be set free. Don’t believe the lies that God can’t use you. Look at all the people in the Bible that God used to minister. Paul called himself a chief sinner. There is a book called,Grace Food and Everything in Between by Aubrey Golbek. This book is about discovering the transforming power of grace to set people free from food and body shame. She and another Christian author have offered courses too. I also have the Look that kills by Michelle Meyer. This disorder has brought serious, terrible consequences in my life. I have heard that this is the most deadly of all mental illnesses. Please read what the others have written for you and believe in His strength and power. The one woman wrote about how she was going to purge and she saw Jesus in front of the toilet with His arms open! What a beautiful Savior! I Bihar said He stands in the gap. He is interceding for us day and night! Amazing and humbling! Hallelujah! May we praise Him and love Him more and more each day! Here is something I read called How to Fall in Lovr with Jesus. It’s so worth reading: i https://www.proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2017/12/26/how-to-fall-in-love-with-jesus
May Healing come! In Jesus Name Amen. ( I just saw part of this Scripture and a quick devotional about it! I’ll share the link and the Scripture too. So good!Jude 24-25 (ESV) “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
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Praying for you Michelle P, I have also struggled with this since I was a teenager. I’m now a first time mom with a 4 month old and still struggling with body image. You are not alone ❤️
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Hi Michelle. I struggled with an eating disorder for years. It wasn’t until I walked into the bathroom one day (to purge) and literally saw the open arms of Jesus standing in front of the toilet. He literally stands in the gap for us. May He meet you in this place and cover your shame with His open arms of grace.
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This remind of the song “history” by maverick city.
You and I we got history…
we go way way back, we go way way back. -
I couldn’t get day 26 to download
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I struggle with feeling unloved sometimes which led me to eat my feelings. It doesn’t matter what the struggle is, if we don’t realize God is there fighting for us, then we will never have true peace. Philippians 1:6 has become my life verse because I know that even when I give up on myself that God hasn’t given up on me and is still working to complete that good work in me.
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