(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Joshua 23:1–10, “And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you. Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you. Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.”
Joshua was already an full grown man and a leader in Israel when the Lord delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He spent forty years in the wilderness then led Israel through the invasion of the Promised Land then he led them through the partial possession of the Land. He supervised the division of the Land and did everything that the Lord required of him. By that stage, he was an old man and no longer able to lead Israel as he had for many years. He called the responsible people from Israel and told them that he was reaching the end of his life. He didn’t take any credit for the great victories that the Lord had won for Israel or the fact that every family in the entire nation had their own inheritance. This was actually a form of superannuation allowing every person in Israel to have security in their old age, as long as they obeyed the Law. He had worked very hard to ensure that Israel obeyed the Law during his entire time as leader and he encouraged them to continue in the way that they began. He reminded them of the Lord’s faithfulness and told them to trust the Lord and not to follow after any other gods because these gods would not be able to do anything for them, unlike the Lord God.
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