Joshua chooses to end his life by reminding Israel of all of God's promises and how they have always been fulfilled. "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. "- Joshua 23:14 NIV
Through Joshua, God reminds them of their heritage, when their ancestors before Abraham lived beyond the River and worshipped other gods. And then he traces their journey and all the promises: the promise to Abraham of a great nation, the promise to bring them out of Egypt, the promise to give them their own land. Each step demonstrated God's faithfulness to these people and his abundant blessings. God reminds them that "I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.' - Joshua 24:13 NIV
The contrast is always there between those who followed other gods and relied on their own abilities and those who followed the one true God and relied solely on him. So Joshua issues one last impassioned plea. "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:14-15 NIV
As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
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