Joshua 23
PassageAt the end of Joshua’s life he worked with the Israelites to divide up the Promised Land by tribe. He provides instructions to the people on how they should live their lives honoring God. As we look back we see that God had planned for His people to take over the land west of the Jordan river to the sea, and down to the wilderness of the desert and north as well. Joshua reminded them that they were not to mix with the people of the area or they could get drawn to the gods of these people and drift away from the true God, and provided them with a warning of what would happen.
From history, we see that the people of Israel made some adjustments. They settled some of the people on the east side of the Jordan. They did not clear out the inhabitants of the land, and they allowed the customs of the people to intermingle with their own over the next several hundred years. they thought they had a better plan. Ultimately this ended in being driven away from the land and from God.
This warning and instruction is just as valid today in our culture. What influences us can cause us to drift away from God. Is it our possessions, or celebrities that we follow? God’s boundaries (physical or spiritual) are designed to help us stay focused on God and His blessings. The ultimate inheritance the Bible shows is that God wants to provide us with a relationship. Much more than what the world provides. Joshua reminds us we have a choice. Who do you choose?