DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 May 10
Farewell at Dawn (1859)
Moritz von Schwind (1804-1871)
Romanticism Style
Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: The picture in the previous chapter illustrated the farewell of a military leader. Today's painting illustrates another aspect of that farewell. As Joshua said farewell, a new day was dawning for Israel. But it would be a troubled day, with full relief coming hundreds of years later through David.
In Joshua 24 Joshua concludes his farewell address. Joshua reminded the Israelites gathered at Shechem that God had chosen Abraham from the family of Terah and from serving other gods on the "other side of the flood," (i.e., the Euphrates in Mesopotamia). God also chose Abraham's son Isaac. He gave Mount Seir to Isaac's son Esau; but he did more for Isaac's son Jacob. He sent Jacob and his children to Egypt (where they grew into a great people); and then he sent Moses and Aaron to plague Egypt (for persecuting them) and to bring Israel out (1-5). The LORD brought them out through the Red Sea and destroyed those who pursued them. He enabled them to destroy the Amorites. He delivered them from Balak and Balaam. He enabled them to destroy Jericho. He enabled them to conquer the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. He enabled them to conquer Sihon and Og by sending "hornets" against them (see Exodus 23:28; Deuteronomy 7:20). This may be hornets, wasps, or some other insect which so harassed them that they could not fight effectively; or it may be a figure of speech for paralyzing terror. By these conquests they captured land, cities, vineyards, and oliveyards which they did not build or plant (6-13). On the basis of the foregoing statements, Joshua told them to fear the LORD and serve him sincerely and truly and put away their foreign gods. But, he said, if they prefer other gods then serve them; but he and his house would serve the LORD (14-15). But the people said they would not forsake the LORD who delivered them from Egypt and drove out their enemies in the Promised Land (16-18). Joshua challenged them that God was holy and jealous and would not forgive their transgressions and sins if they forsook him. But the people again affirmed their commitment to the LORD. So Joshua made a covenant with them and wrote it in the book of the law of God. And he set a witness stone under an oak near the Tabernacle in Shechem. So Joshua sent everyone to his inheritance (19-28). Afterward, Joshua died at the age of one-hundred-and-ten; and they buried him in Timnathserah (29-30). Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived Joshua (31).They buried the bones of Joseph in Shechem (32). And finally, Eleazar the high priest died (33).
Joshua 24
1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.
6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.
7 And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
18 And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.
19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.
21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.
22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
24 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.
27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
28 So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.
29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.
31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.
32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.
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