John Calvin Commentary Joshua 23

Here we have an account of the solemn charge Joshua delivered near the time of his death, so that the pure worship of God might continue after him. Although the peace and quiet that the Israelites obtained among the nations of Canaan is described as an excellent blessing from God, it is necessary to keep in mind what I previously taught: it was due to their cowardice that they lived among their enemies, whom it would not have been difficult to defeat and destroy. But thanks are rightly given to God for His goodness in pardoning their ingratitude.

Joshua's pious concern is also presented here as an example for all who are in authority to follow. For just as the father of a family will not be considered sufficiently provident if he thinks of his children only until the end of his own life and does not extend his care further, striving as much as he can to do them good even after he is dead, so good magistrates and rulers should carefully ensure that the well-ordered state of affairs they leave behind is confirmed and extended long into the future. For this reason, Peter writes (2 Peter 1:15) that he will strive, after he has departed from this world, to ensure the Church remembers his admonitions and is able to benefit from them.

From the statement that he invited all Israel, followed immediately by the addition that he invited their elders, heads, judges, and prefects, I understand this to mean that while all were indeed permitted to come, the summons was specifically addressed to the leaders and officials. Thus, the last clause seems to me to explain the former.

Indeed, it is not credible that the entire population was invited, as such a large meeting could not possibly have occurred. Therefore, the sense in which "the people" were invited was simply this: the elders, judges, and others were commanded to come and could bring with them as many individuals as wished to attend.

Joshua's speech, as recorded, is presented in two parts. It seems to me that the historian first, as is often the case, gives a brief summary of the entire speech, and then elaborates on it in more detail, introducing particulars previously omitted. In the first part presented, Joshua briefly encourages the people and exhorts them to have firm confidence in God's continuous and unwearying grace.

For, since they had experienced that God is true in all things, they could have no doubt for the future that they might safely hope for the same success in defeating and destroying the enemy. Also, the division by which he had distributed the remainder of the land was set before them as an earnest or pledge of their undoubted enjoyment, because it was not randomly but by God's command that he had marked out the territory and fixed the boundaries for each tribe.

Be you therefore very courageous, etc. He now shows them the way to conquer—not by indulging in false security, as too often happens, as a substitute for genuine confidence. He affirms that God will be favorable to them and promises that whatever they attempt will turn out successfully, provided they are steadfast in obeying the Law.

However confidently hypocrites may despise and mock God, they would nonetheless wish to have Him bound to them; indeed, they often, with considerable pomposity, boast of His promises. But true faith, while it rests upon God, keeps those who possess it in His fear. In short, those who would find God must seek Him sincerely; and if we desire to be regarded by Him, we must be careful not to turn our backs on Him.

The expression, Be you very courageous, as has been said elsewhere, denotes earnest effort, because, in the great weakness of our nature, no one will undertake the thorough observance of the Law if he does not exert himself beyond his natural strength. Attention should also be paid to the definition of true obedience, which is repeated here from Moses (Deuteronomy 5:32) and is said to consist in not turning either to the right hand or to the left.

That you come not among these nations, etc. He distinctly admonishes them that it will be impossible rightly to discharge their duty if they are not carefully on their guard against all sources of corruption. This was very necessary to enforce upon them, for they were surrounded on all sides by the snares of Satan, and we know how great their proneness to superstition was, or rather how headlong their eagerness for it.

First, then, he warns them that intimate association with the nations may involve them in fellowship in sin; for the term mingling used in this passage is equivalent to what is termed by St. Paul, being yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14). In short, he first removes the incitements or allurements to idolatry, and then declares his detestation of idolatry itself.

It is to be observed, however, that he does not expressly mention either bending of the knee, or sacrifices, or other rites, but designates all perverse modes of worship by the terms naming them and swearing by them. From this we infer that God is defrauded of his honor whenever any particle, however small, of all the things which he claims for himself is transferred to idols. He accordingly concludes that they are to adhere to God alone; in other words, they are to be bound to him completely.

For the Lord has driven out from before you, etc. He intimates that as long as they themselves do not change, there will certainly be no change on God's part. Therefore, he asserts that, provided they secure God's favor, they will have an uninterrupted course of victory. Finally, he again exhorts them, if they value their life and safety, to be careful to maintain love for God. From this source all true obedience springs; for if we do not cling to him with free and ardent affection, we will strive in vain to shape our lives according to the external form of the Law.

Else if you do in any wise go back, etc. According to the usual method observed in the Law, he adds threats, so that if they are not sufficiently allured by divine goodness, they may be aroused by fear to perform their duty. It is, indeed, disgraceful for people, when God graciously condescends to invite them, not to run forward at once and meet the invitation by prompt and alert obedience; but such is the lethargy of the flesh, that it always requires to be stimulated by threats.

Joshua, therefore, adopts the usual method of the Law when he reminds the Israelites of the terrors of the Lord, if they do not willingly embrace His offered favor. Moreover, it is not only once that He sets before them the denunciation that the nations of Canaan will be scourges to their sides and thorns in their eyes if they become familiar with them.

1. First, since God had consecrated the land to Himself, He wished it to be purged of all impurities.
2. Secondly, since He saw how prone the people were to be corrupted by bad example, He also wished to provide a remedy for this evil.

Then, while on the one hand the people considered it insignificant that the land should be contaminated by impious superstitions and that idols should be worshipped in it instead of the true God, and on the other hand, eagerly became infected by their vices, it was only a just punishment for this gross contempt that they should experience harassment and hostility from those whom they had improperly spared.

That the threats which both Moses and Joshua thus denounced were openly fulfilled is all too plain from the Book of Judges. And yet this promulgation of divine vengeance was not altogether useless, for after Joshua was dead, they became courageous enough to engage in war. Their ardor, however, proved evanescent, and they shortly after were initiated in nefarious Gentile rites. Hence, we perceive in the human mind an intemperate longing for perverse worship, a longing which no curbs are able to restrain.

It is now proper to consider how far this doctrine is applicable to us. It is true a special command was given to the ancient people to destroy the nations of Canaan and keep aloof from all profane defilements.

For us today, no certain region marks out our precise boundaries, nor are we armed with the sword to slay all the ungodly. We only have to beware of allowing ourselves to become involved in fellowship with wickedness by not keeping at a sufficient distance from it.

For it is almost impossible, if we mingle with it, to avoid spontaneously receiving some spot or blemish. But this point has been expounded elsewhere, and I now merely refer to it in passing.

And, behold, this day I am going, etc. Since it has been appointed to all men once to die (Hebrews 9:27), Joshua says that in regard to himself the common end of all is at hand, because he, too, was born mortal. These expressions are evidently adapted to console the people and prevent them from feeling immoderate grief at the bereavement when he would be taken from them.

For there cannot be a doubt that his loss filled the people with the deepest regret, when they saw themselves reduced, as it were, to a mutilated trunk by being deprived of their head. He therefore admonishes them that since the race of life is ended by having reached the goal, they should not ask that his condition be different from that of the whole human race. Meanwhile, he does not imply that the form of dying is the same for all. This is because believers of heavenly doctrine are distinguished from unbelievers by an incorruptible seed, which does not allow them to perish in the same way. He only refers to what is common to all, namely, departure from the world after the course of life is ended. The substance of his whole address amounts to this: that as God had proved himself true by his favors and the fulfillment of his promises, so his threats would not be empty or vain, and he would certainly avenge the profanation of his worship by their final destruction.