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A Review of God's Mercies
v. 1. And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, a gigantic assembly of people in the place which was hallowed by so many memories, ever since the time of Abraham, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, Jos_23:2; and they presented themselves before God, for this last appeal was made in the name of Jehovah.
v. 2. And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, as whose representative Joshua was here addressing the people, Your fathers, progenitors, dwelt on the other side of the flood, of the great stream Euphrates, in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, who lived first in Ur of the Chaldees and then in Haran, Gen_11:28-31; and they, Terah with his family, served other gods, namely, teraphim. Gen_31:19.
v. 3. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, the great river Euphrates, out of these dangerous surroundings, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac, in making true the promise concerning his great progeny.
v. 4. And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau, Gen_25:24; and I gave unto Esau Mount Seir to possess it, Gen_36:8; Deu_2:5; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt, Gen_46:1; Gen_46:6. Thus everything was prepared for the second great proof of God's mercy, the miraculous deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt.
v. 5. I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them, in the matter of the great plagues, Exodus 7-10; and afterward I brought you out, Exodus 12.
v. 6. And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, Exo_12:51; and ye came unto the sea, the Red Sea, Exo_14:2; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red Sea, Exo_14:9.
v. 7. And when they cried unto the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, Exo_14:10-20, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them, Exo_14:27; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt, in punishing both the land and the people; and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season, forty years, Jos_5:6. The entire description is a noble, impressive account. The Lord now recalls the third proof of His favor and merciful kindness.
v. 8. And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, this one name standing for all the heathen nations, but here designating the two branches of this nation dwelling east of Jordan, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you, the armies of Sihon and of Og, Num_21:21-33; and I gave them into your hand that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
v. 9. Then Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, he made ready for a campaign against Israel, in case he could get Balaam to curse the invaders, and sent and called Balaam, the son of Beor, to curse you, Num_22:5, since he lacked the courage to attack Israel outright;
v. 10. but I would not hearken unto Balaam, Jehovah frustrated the evil intentions of the soothsayer; therefore he blessed you still, in spite of himself; so I delivered you out of his hand. Thus were the plans of Balak overthrown and everything made ready for the fourth proof of God's favor, the conquest of Canaan proper.
v. 11. And ye went over Jordan, by a miraculous passage, Jos_3:14, and came unto Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you, Jos_6:1, and not only they, but also the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, Jos_3:10; and I delivered them into your hand.
v. 12. And I sent the hornet before you, in terrifying the nations of the land, Exo_23:28; Deu_7:20, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, as representatives of the entire heathen host; but not with thy sword nor with thy bow, for it was not Israel's prowess which had subdued the land.
v. 13. And I have given you a land for which ye did not labor, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive-yards which ye planted not do ye eat. Thus Israel, without any merit on its part, through God's goodness and merciful kindness alone, had received a glorious land, a rich and fertile country, in whose cultivation they were not obliged to labor in the sweat of their brow, but which was given to them in the finest condition, ready to enjoy. We Christians are also obliged to confess, with regard to both the temporal and the spiritual blessings of the Lord, that we are not worthy of the least of all His benefits.