This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Joshua 23, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Once upon a time, Joshua, who was very old, gathered all the important people of Israel, like the leaders, the judges, and the officers, to give them an important message. Joshua said, “God has helped us win many battles against our enemies, and now we have peace. God has given us the land that He promised us, but there are still some nations we need to conquer. Don’t worry, God will help us win those battles too, just like He has helped us before.”
Joshua reminded them to be very strong and follow the Book of the Law of Moses. He told them to not mix with the other nations, or worship their gods, but to love and follow only the one true God. Joshua said, “Remember, God has fought for you and has helped you win every battle. If you love and follow Him, He will keep helping you. But if you turn away from God and worship other gods, God will no longer help you and bad things will happen to you.”
After reminding the Israelite leaders to love and follow God, Joshua gave them more details on what they needed to do to stay faithful.
Joshua also warned them about the dangers of intermarrying with the people of other nations. He said, “If you marry someone from another nation and start to worship their gods, God will no longer help you. He will be angry with you and bad things will happen to you.”
By the end of his charge, Joshua had made it clear that the Israelites needed to keep their focus on God and trust in His promises. They needed to follow His laws and not be led astray by the people and gods of other nations.
Then, Joshua told them that he was getting very old and would soon pass away. He reminded them that God had always kept His promises and that He would also keep His promises of good and bad things happening if they followed or disobeyed Him.
Biblical Lessons
- It is important to stay faithful to God and follow His laws.
- Interacting too closely with people who don’t follow God’s ways can lead us away from Him.
- God’s promises are true and He will help us if we remain faithful to Him.