Deuteronomy 23
Joshua 23 depicts a scene in which, after the people of Israel have settled in the Promised Land, Canaan, the elderly Joshua calls the leaders of the people to deliver his final exhortation. The chapter, as a whole, is structured as counsel for Israel, which stands at the end of one era and the starting point of a new time. In the first part, Joshua’s frailty is mentioned, and the people are reminded that they have come to take possession of the land that God promised to them to a certain extent. In the middle portion, it emphasizes faithfulness to God and keeping the law, while also warning against following other nations and their gods. In the final part, it once again clearly reminds the people of the outcomes of obedience and disobedience, stressing that the future of Israel’s people depends on their choices.
1verseHe who is emasculated by crushing or cutting shall not enter into the LORD’s assembly.
2verseA person born of a forbidden union shall not enter into the LORD’s assembly; even to the tenth generation shall no one of his enter into the LORD’s assembly.
3verseAn Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the LORD’s assembly; even to the tenth generation shall no one belonging to them enter into the LORD’s assembly forever,
4versebecause they didn’t meet you with bread and with water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
5verseNevertheless the LORD your God wouldn’t listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because the LORD your God loved you.
6verseYou shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.
7verseYou shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.
8verseThe children of the third generation who are born to them may enter into the LORD’s assembly.
9verseWhen you go out and camp against your enemies, then you shall keep yourselves from every evil thing.
10verseIf there is among you any man who is not clean by reason of that which happens to him by night, then shall he go outside of the camp. He shall not come within the camp;
11versebut it shall be, when evening comes, he shall bathe himself in water. When the sun is down, he shall come within the camp.
12verseYou shall have a place also outside of the camp where you go relieve yourself.
13verseYou shall have a trowel among your weapons. It shall be, when you relieve yourself, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back and cover your excrement;
14versefor the LORD your God walks in the middle of your camp, to deliver you, and to give up your enemies before you. Therefore your camp shall be holy, that he may not see an unclean thing in you, and turn away from you.
15verseYou shall not deliver to his master a servant who has escaped from his master to you.
16verseHe shall dwell with you, among you, in the place which he shall choose within one of your gates, where it pleases him best. You shall not oppress him.
17verseThere shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
18verseYou shall not bring the hire of a prostitute, or the wages of a male prostitute, into the house of the LORD your God for any vow; for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God.
19verseYou shall not lend on interest to your brother: interest of money, interest of food, interest of anything that is lent on interest.
20verseYou may charge a foreigner interest; but you shall not charge your brother interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you put your hand to, in the land where you go in to possess it.
21verseWhen you vow a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not be slack to pay it, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you.
22verseBut if you refrain from making a vow, it shall be no sin in you.
23verseYou shall observe and do that which has gone out of your lips. Whatever you have vowed to the LORD your God as a free will offering, which you have promised with your mouth, you must do.
24verseWhen you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat your fill of grapes at your own pleasure; but you shall not put any in your container.
25verseWhen you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the ears with your hand; but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain.
Key Message and Meaning
Joshua reflects on all that God has done for Israel in the past and on His faithfulness, emphasizing that they must rely on God in the same way going forward. He also clearly states that keeping and obeying the law is the only path to Israel’s prosperity and safety. Joshua urges particular caution regarding relationships with neighboring pagan nations, and warns that if they mix with them or follow idols, they will be cut off from God’s protection and face a crisis. This is a grave reminder of the covenant relationship with God, and it underscores that the entire community is responsible for following God’s will.
Points to Ponder
- At the crossroads of life, you can reflect again on what should be your top priority, by thinking through Joshua’s warning and exhortation.
- Within the community of faith, you can examine what practices are necessary to encourage one another and to follow God’s will.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- You can also check whether you are living faithfully by keeping the promises with God in your own life.
- In the environment or culture that influences you, you can ask yourself whether you are making the right choices without losing the essence of faith.
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