Final Words

Introduction

Ever thought about what you might say to your family if you knew it was the last time you would talk with them? Certainly that will happen. More than once we have heard, “If I had known…” I remember the last phone conversation I had with my mom. It was short and repetitive. I told Barbara, that’s it. I will never talk to her again as my mom. Sometimes the final words are not dying words. They are words spoken with the purpose of making them final. This is what we have with Joshua 23 and 24. Joshua’s final words. Spoken with intent and purpose but not from his death bed. Words spoken because he knows his time on this earth is short.

I have read these two chapters several times in the last two weeks. They can penetrate your heart if you will let them. And in so many ways, their focus is on the important and essential parts of this life and the life with God in eternity. What would your final words be to your family? And what is keeping you from sharing those words now? Maybe you can’t say them, but you can write them. Don’t wait until there is a more convenient time. Write them, say them, express them, make them plain. Don’t assume people will know. Make it obvious. Joshua did. His words inspired. So will yours.

The Meeting

For 30 years Joshua has led the people of God. According to chapter 24, Joshua is 110 when he dies. My assumption is that these last two chapters are near the end of his life. In chapter 23, he meets with Israel’s leaders. In chapter 24, he meets with God’s people. Two meetings with similar thoughts and words. Chapter 23 focuses on leadership and the role of God’s leaders for the people. In the first five verses, he reminds the leaders of what they have seen and experienced. While all those 20 years of age and older died in the wilderness, there were plenty of younger people who could remember the parting of the Red Sea and the entry into the land.

This meeting wasn’t just an old man telling stories. He reminds them of their own experiences. And then with the wisdom of years of walking with God, Joshua gave them a plan for making sure that generations after him would walk with God as well. Look at Judges 2:8-14: Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.

What happened? The generation after Joshua failed to pass on what had been given to them. Judges 2 is not a commentary on the failure of the next generation—it is a commentary on the failure of the generation of Joshua. They didn’t pass it on. They didn’t make it important enough. They didn’t tell the story enough. They didn’t embed the love of God into the hearts of those who would come after them. This is Joshua’s concern. This is why he called the leaders together.

The Charge

Look at what Joshua says in verses 6-11. He gives a five-part charge to the leaders of Israel. First, be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses. Joshua’s first charge is to the word of God. Make the word of God central. Let it drive your decisions. Let it shape your life. Do not depart from it to the right or to the left.

Second, do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. The culture of the day would have been enticing. It always is. The Canaanite gods had temples. There was a social framework around them. Don’t be enticed. Don’t go there.

Third, but you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now. Hold fast. Like a vine holding fast to a trellis. Like a child holding fast to a parent’s hand in a crowd. Don’t let go. The word is strong. Grip it tightly. Don’t release.

Fourth, one of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. The power is in the relationship. When we hold fast, God fights for us. We are not alone. We are not abandoned. We are not left to our own devices. God is fighting for us.

Fifth, love the LORD your God. In verse 11 he says—So be very careful to love the LORD your God. The entire law is summed up in love. Jesus will say the same thing. Love God and love neighbor. That is the whole thing. Joshua’s final charge is to love. Everything starts and ends there.

Application

There is one overarching lesson from this text. The leaders of God’s people set the tone. Joshua knew it. He gathered the leaders. He charged the leaders. He reminded the leaders of their responsibility. Leaders—you set the tone. What are you doing with that responsibility?

What will those who come after you say about how you led? Will there be another generation after you that knows the Lord? That depends on what you do with this charge. Pass it on. Make it central. Hold fast. Love God. The rest will follow.

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