Ch22: Reuben Gad and Manasseh go back across the Jordan to their agreed-upon land and set up a controversial altar, which they explain is not in place of the main altar, but only a copy of it to remind the rest of Israel that they, too, worship the same God.
ch23: In an earlier chapter, the language “do this thing” stood out to me. In this chapter “going the way of all the earth” stands out. Like Moses, Joshua is giving his last words of exhortation.
ch24: Like Moses before his death, Joshua assembles the tribes at Shechem for covenant renewal. He begins with a review of Israel’s history, starting with Abraham’s father Terah. A well-known verse is “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It’s a bumper sticker on my fridge door. Then follows the covenant renewal. Something that stands out is that a stone was used all the witness, “for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us”. There are six other memorials set up in the Promised Land (4:20, 7:26, 8:29,32, 10:27, 22:27) to which is added the ruins of Jericho. Is this what Jesus meant by the rocks crying out? Perhaps testifying of God’s salvation? This book ends with Joshua’s death and with the bones of Joseph, brought up from Egypt, being buried in Shechem [ 1)the land Jacob bought from Hamor (Gen 33:19), 2) to the center of the tribes of Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh, 3) fulfilling an oath sworn to Joseph before he died (Gen 50:25; Ex 13:19) ]. Eleazar, the priest who served Joseph as Aaron has served Moses, also dies.
Ichthus77 