Joshua 24:25

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

So Joshua {H3091} made {H3772} a covenant {H1285} with the people {H5971} that day {H3117}, and set {H7760} them a statute {H2706} and an ordinance {H4941} in Shechem {H7927}.

So Y'hoshua made a covenant with the people that day, laying down for them laws and rulings there in Sh'khem.

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

Commentary

Joshua 24:25 marks a pivotal moment in Israel's history, solidifying their commitment to God under Joshua's leadership before his death. This verse concludes the dramatic covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem, where Joshua challenged the Israelites to choose whom they would serve.

Context

This verse immediately follows Joshua's powerful farewell address to the tribes of Israel, recorded in Joshua chapter 24. Joshua recounted God's faithfulness from Abraham to their conquest of Canaan, culminating in his famous challenge: "choose you this day whom ye will serve." The people emphatically responded, declaring their intent to serve the LORD and obey His voice (Joshua 24:24). Joshua 24:25 describes the formalization of this renewed national commitment.

The choice of Shechem as the location is significant. It was a place of deep historical and religious importance for Israel, where Abraham first built an altar upon entering Canaan (Genesis 12:6-7) and where the blessings and curses of the Law were pronounced from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:11-13).

Key Themes

  • Covenant Renewal and Commitment: The central theme is the reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel, first established through Moses (Exodus 24:7-8). This act at Shechem was a voluntary, public declaration by the people to uphold their side of the agreement, demonstrating their understanding of the serious implications of serving the one true God.
  • Divine Authority and Law: Joshua, acting as God's representative, "set them a statute and an ordinance." This signifies the continued relevance and application of God's laws (the Torah) to their daily lives and national governance. It wasn't just a spiritual choice but a commitment to live by God's prescribed ways.
  • Leadership and Legacy: Joshua's final act here underscores his role as a faithful leader who ensured Israel's continued devotion to God before his passing. He diligently prepared the next generation for faithful living in the Promised Land.

Linguistic Insights

  • Covenant (Hebrew: bĕrît): This term denotes a solemn, binding agreement, often between two parties, involving mutual obligations and sometimes promises of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. In this context, it emphasizes the sacred bond between God and His chosen people.
  • Statute (Hebrew: ḥōq): Refers to a prescribed rule, a fixed decree, or an established custom. It implies something that is carved out or firmly set.
  • Ordinance (Hebrew: mishpāṭ): Means a judgment, a customary law, or a just regulation. It highlights the divine standard of justice and righteousness that God expected His people to follow.

Practical Application

Joshua 24:25 offers enduring lessons for believers today. Just as Israel was called to make a conscious choice and commitment, so too are individuals called to respond to God's grace with a deliberate decision to serve Him. This verse reminds us that:

  • Faith Requires Commitment: Following God is not passive; it involves an active and continuous choice to obey His commands and live according to His will, much like loving the Lord with all your heart.
  • God's Word Guides Us: The "statute and ordinance" represent the unchanging principles of God's Word, which remain relevant for guiding our lives and establishing righteousness, serving as a "lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path."
  • Public Declaration Matters: While personal faith is private, there is also value in public declarations of commitment, whether through baptism, church membership, or simply living a life that openly acknowledges God's lordship.

This verse serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring nature of God's covenant and the human responsibility to respond to His faithfulness with unwavering devotion.

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Cross-References

  • Exodus 15:25 (4 votes)

    And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, [which] when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

  • 2 Chronicles 23:16 (3 votes)

    And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD'S people.

  • 2 Kings 11:17 (3 votes)

    ¶ And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people; between the king also and the people.

  • Nehemiah 9:38 (3 votes)

    And because of all this we make a sure [covenant], and write [it]; and our princes, Levites, [and] priests, seal [unto it].

  • Joshua 24:1 (2 votes)

    ¶ And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

  • 2 Chronicles 15:12 (2 votes)

    And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

  • Nehemiah 10:28 (2 votes)

    And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;