Deuteronomy 24
Joshua 24 depicts the scene in which, after the people of Israel settle in the promised land of Canaan, Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel at Shechem and renews their covenant with God. By looking back on Israel’s history, Joshua emphasizes God’s guidance and grace, and repeatedly urges them to serve only God. In this way, Joshua 24 declares that the relationship between the people of Israel and God has been firmly established, and concludes.
1verseWhen a man takes a wife and marries her, then it shall be, if she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a certificate of divorce, put it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
2verseWhen she has departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.
3verseIf the latter husband hates her, and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband dies, who took her to be his wife;
4verseher former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she is defiled; for that would be an abomination to the LORD. You shall not cause the land to sin, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.
5verseWhen a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out in the army, neither shall he be assigned any business. He shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken.
6verseNo man shall take the mill or the upper millstone as a pledge, for he takes a life in pledge.
7verseIf a man is found stealing any of his brothers of the children of Israel, and he deals with him as a slave, or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
8verseBe careful in the plague of leprosy, that you observe diligently and do according to all that the Levitical priests teach you. As I commanded them, so you shall observe to do.
9verseRemember what the LORD your God did to Miriam, by the way as you came out of Egypt.
10verseWhen you lend your neighbor any kind of loan, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge.
11verseYou shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge outside to you.
12verseIf he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge.
13verseYou shall surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his garment and bless you. It shall be righteousness to you before the LORD your God.
14verseYou shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the foreigners who are in your land within your gates.
15verseIn his day you shall give him his wages, neither shall the sun go down on it, for he is poor and sets his heart on it, lest he cry against you to the LORD, and it be sin to you.
16verseThe fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
17verseYou shall not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, nor take a widow’s clothing in pledge;
18versebut you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you there. Therefore I command you to do this thing.
19verseWhen you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to get it. It shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
20verseWhen you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again. It shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
21verseWhen you harvest your vineyard, you shall not glean it after yourselves. It shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
22verseYou shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I command you to do this thing.
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1-13: It summarizes how God led Israel from the time of Abraham, reminding them of God’s faithfulness.
- Verses 14-24: Joshua requires the people to decide to serve only the LORD, and the people respond by pledging to follow only God.
- Verses 25-28: Joshua makes a covenant with the people and sets up memorial evidence to commemorate the covenant.
- Verses 29-33: The chapter closes with a brief record of Joshua’s death and burial, the death of Eleazar the priest, and the spiritual posture of the people of Israel.
Overall Meaning
Joshua 24 is a scene that reaffirms God’s faithfulness to the covenant and the covenant observance of the people of Israel. God chose and protected Israel directly and continued to be involved in their lives. Joshua emphasizes that God is the source of every blessing, and that Israel was not the protagonist of all past history, but a people who lived by following God’s guidance. In this flow, the people voluntarily pledge to serve God and set up symbols of the covenant to remember.
Points for Reflection
- When we look back on what God has done in our lives, we can remember that every moment of life has been God’s guidance and grace.
- Just as the people of Israel decided to follow only the LORD God, we also need to examine today’s priorities in our lives and set them rightly.
- Within the faith community, we can think again about how important it is to confirm the covenant of faith, encourage one another, and keep it.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- Let’s take time to remember one by one the grace and protection God has given us in our lives, and to give thanks.
- Reaffirm to yourself today your decision to serve only God wholeheartedly.
- Let’s think about how sharing our faith in the community, confirming and keeping the covenant of faith together, can be applied to my daily life.
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