Jos 24:29-33 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Josh 24:29-33: 24:29-33 The tombs of a venerated ancestor and two revered leaders provided the final notice that Canaan was indeed Israel’s land. However, significant work, vigilance, and even fighting still lay ahead. 24:29 Joshua’s ancestor Joseph had also attained the age of 110, which was considered the ideal lifespan by ancient Egyptians.

Summary for Josh 24:29-33: 24:29-33 ^a The tombs of a venerated ancestor and two revered leaders provided the final notice that Canaan was indeed Israel’s land. However, significant work, vigilance, and even fighting still lay ahead. 24:29 ^b Joshua’s ancestor Joseph had also attained the age of 110, which was considered the ideal lifespan by ancient Egyptians.
24:30 ^c Timnath-serah: See 19:49-51 ^d.
24:31 ^e Joshua’s legacy was so strong that Israel remained faithful to God even throughout the lifetime ... of the elders who outlived him.
24:32 ^f Israel had carried the bones of Joseph out of Egypt, through the years of their journeys, and into Canaan to honor Joseph’s last request to be buried in the land God had promised Israel (Gen 50:25 ^g; Exod 13:19 ^h).

• Shechem was part of the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants, at the border between Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob had purchased the land centuries before for 100 pieces of silver.
24:33 ⁱ Eleazar the high priest had stood beside Joshua during the process of allotting portions of the land to the tribes of Israel.

• Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar were all buried in Ephraim, in the central part of the newly conquered land. Their burial served as a final sign that God had fulfilled his promise to give Israel the land.

Thematic note: God’s Absolute Holiness
Holiness is the fundamental descriptor of who God is. It is not merely one of his many attributes; it is the key to his very being. Calling God “the Holy One” speaks to the transcendence of his nature, in sharp contrast to the finite creation, whose creatures are bound by time and space. God speaks of himself as “I Am Who I Am” (Exod 3:14 ^j), defining himself by himself. God is the Wholly Other, the One who is completely self-sufficient and distinct from the created order.
God’s holiness also speaks of his character. It is common to describe God’s holiness in terms of his separation from sin and his wrath against it, but the notion of holiness embraces all of God’s character, including his mercy. God revealed himself to Moses as the “God of compassion and mercy.” He said, “I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” In his holiness, God shows this “unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty” (Exod 34:6-7 ^k).
God’s holiness can be deadly to uninvited intruders (Isa 6:3 ^l, 5 ^m; see Exod 28:35 ⁿ) or to those who treat it with contempt. His infinite holiness is too much for finite, fallen mortals and would utterly destroy them apart from God’s mercy. Understanding God’s holiness should thus trigger a response of awe and reverence. Anything less would be profane. Perhaps this was the error that cost Nadab and Abihu their lives (Lev 10:1-3 ^o). Only in recognizing the awesomeness of God can we appreciate his great love for us and worship him appropriately and authentically.

Passages for Further Study
Exod 3:14 ^p; 34:6-7 ^q; Lev 10:3 ^r; Lev 11:44-45 ^s; 1 Sam 2:1-2 ^t; Isa 6:3-5 ^u; 52:10 ^v; Hos 11:9 ^w