“But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God.
He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.”
(Joshua 24:19)
The backdrop for this passage in chapter 24 is Joshua’s farewell speech, or what may be considered his last sermon. Joshua began his instruction to God’s people in the previous chapter by explaining obedience to God’s Law, and he continues in chapter 24 by prompting obedience to that Law.
Here in Shechem, a significant location in terms of the vows and altar of Jacob, Joshua leads the Israelites to covenant renewal. “So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem,” (Josh. 24:25). And he preempts his call to covenant renewal by laying out the basic structure of covenant.
In the preamble, Joshua introduces their King. Joshua 24:2 says, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel…” The Lord is King – the One God whom all Israel is to follow and worship.
Next, Joshua discusses the Jews’ rocky historical relationship with their God (cf. verses 2-13). He recounts how God dealt with the patriarchs and explains how and why He did what He did.
He then moves to the basic stipulations governing future relationships with “this king” (cf. verses 14, 16, 18b, 21, 23, 24). The text states in Joshua 24:14, “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!”
Next Joshua lays out the blessings and curses inherent in God’s covenant (cf. verses 19-20). Joshua 24:20 makes this clear, “If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.”
Finally, Joshua invokes the people to this covenant renewal (cf. verses 22, 27), turning to the people of God to be witnesses of this solemn act. “And they said, ‘We are witnesses!’” (24:22).
In summary, in his final address Joshua calls the people to be holy, lays out the covenant of God, and then says, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God.” The history of God’s chastisement on His own people for their disobedience and breach of covenant are recorded for our instruction. God would have all of us to know that He is holy as well as gracious, and that He expects to be glorified by all those that draw near to Him.
Jerusalem was taken down in AD 70 because she had forsaken her God. The time is soon coming when judgement will begin at the house of God, and if we would escape, we must see that our own hearts and lives are agreeable with what the covenant expects of us.
Joshua told the people that they would not be able to serve God, “for He is a Holy God” – Elohim Kedhoshim (more correctly translated – “He is the Holy Gods.” Not only is the word Elohim properly plural, the adjective holy is also plural. It is the same plural substantive and plural adjective that are used in Daniel 4:8, “In whom is the Spirit of the Holy God[s],” one God in three persons.
Jonathan Edwards notes, “That the plural number should be used with the epithet holy agrees well with the doxology of the angels in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts.’” Father, Son, and Spirit are holy, holy, holy. This Triune God is so holy that men and angels cannot serve Him without His help, which is why we break His covenant. We cannot possibly live holy and righteously and thereby keep covenant with God without the intervention of our Mediator, Jesus Christ.
Joshua declares that in our nature we do not have the wherewithal to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. We just don’t have the proper heart. We cannot serve the Lord, for He is holy and jealous, and we are not only weak but wicked. Natural man is not capable of upholding God’s law.
No amount of resolve, service, or promises on our behalf can change this. Not until the Most High invades the heart of man through Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit is this even possible. God must change our heart before we can adore and worship Him in covenant.
- Lord, in all my dealings with You I must look through the glasses of Your pure and holy law. Help me set You before my face as David did (Ps. 16:8). Help me consider what a God You are, the holy God whom I am in a covenantal relationship with.
- I think about how I serve You Lord, and I am saddened by my inadequacies. I am so thankful, however, that Christ redeemed me and covered me by His blood, so that I may worship and adore You through Him. I humble myself in Your sight and under Your mighty hand (James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6). Continually remind me that I cannot hide from You, for Your eye sees me and Your hand reaches me.
- Lord, Your majesty and glory are dreadful to the angels (Isa. 6:2). You are the great God, and therefore greatly to be feared (Ps. 89:6-7).
- You are holy, Lord, and eminently glorious (Exod. 15:11). You are so holy that You cannot be served adequately by man (Joshua 24:19). You are jealous of Your name, and will execute justice on Your enemies. You are a God to whom vengeance belongs, who will not be mocked or provoked (Nahum 1:2).
- At the same time You are perfect mercy and goodness, Lord. This goodness, both seen in the Scripture and evidenced in life, should lead me to repentance (Hosea 3:5; Rom. 2:4). Such considerations humbled the holiest of men: Moses was afraid to look on God, Job abhors himself, Elijah hides his face in a mantle, Isaiah cries out a curse on himself, Ezra cannot stand before You, and Peter bids Christ depart from him because he was a sinful man.
Further References for Joshua 24:19
Lev. 19:2; Ps. 99:9; 1 Sam. 6:20; Ps. 99:5; Deut. 29:20; 1 Cor. 10:22
