Jos 23:11-13 | KingComments | STEP | Here we read for the third time the precept not to deviate from the LORD their God. The first prescription is obedience ( ). What we have seen in God’s Word, we must do, otherwise we will fall. This obedience can only be brought about by observing the second precept, that our soul cling to the Lord ( ), that is to say, knowing to be one with Him. The clinging to the Lord is again the result of loving Him from the heart, as the third precept says ( ). Love leads to the keeping of God’s commandments ( ). Love brings to complete surrender and means life.

‏ Joshua 23:11-13

Appeal to Love the LORD

Here we read for the third time the precept not to deviate from the LORD their God. The first prescription is obedience (Jos 23:6). What we have seen in God’s Word, we must do, otherwise we will fall. This obedience can only be brought about by observing the second precept, that our soul cling to the Lord (Jos 23:8), that is to say, knowing to be one with Him. The clinging to the Lord is again the result of loving Him from the heart, as the third precept says (Jos 23:11). Love leads to the keeping of God’s commandments (1Jn 5:3). Love brings to complete surrender and means life.

Warning

There are always enemies remaining that they have to drive out and for whom they have to beware that they are not going to serve their gods. Those enemies always want to try to be among God’s people. If they commit to it, it will have great and evil consequences. If they do not use God’s power to drive out the enemy, God will allow the enemy to remain among them and they will not be able to drive him out.

David later subdues the enemies that are still in Israel. Thus, when the Lord Jesus returns to earth, He will subdue the enemies of Israel. We are part of professing Christianity and constantly have to deal with these enemies, the wolves from outside, which we no longer get rid of. We also have an enemy within us, that is the flesh. We should not fight against this, but keep ourselves dead to it (Rom 6:11).

If we do not treat the enemy as God indicates, he will be a “snare” that will bring us down. We will be caught in his “trap”, which will prevent us from moving. He will become our “whip”, which means he will oppress us hard and cruelly. Finally, he will become “thorns in your eyes”, which means that he will cruelly and painfully blind us, so that we see nothing anymore of God’s blessings.