Day 72: Joshua 23-24, Judges 1

The mantle of leadership is being passed again...but I'm not exactly sure to whom. Joshua dies in chapter 24. I've noticed that these guys always seem to know when they're going to die and are able to give a speech before they do. Joshua gives his final speech to the people and once again he recounts the history of the Israelite nation and how God has provided for them in the past and he exhorts them to faithfulness in order for God to continue to lead, protect and provide.

Here's part of his exhortation:

Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 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. But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now. (Josh. 23:6-8)

I've heard people refer to the U.S. as a "Christian" nation. This has never sounded quite right to me. I feel like Christians are instead God's people in a land that isn't really ours. We live among people of all kinds of faith and non-faith, I think Joshua's exhortation to the Israelites is an appropriate one for us Christ-followers who live in a pagan land.

He goes on to say:

But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you. (Josh 23:12-13)

On the one hand, I believe God expects us to maintain a similar purity. On the other hand, I believe He expects us to be involved in the lives of our neighbors with the goal of bringing them to faith. (Mat. 5:13)

We live on a tight rope.