What is the meaning of Joshua 24:18? The LORD drove out before us all the nations Joshua recalls God’s mighty work exactly as it happened. The victories in Canaan were not military luck, but the direct action of the LORD who “drove out” the nations (Exodus 23:27; Deuteronomy 9:3; Joshua 23:9–10). • God fulfilled His promise to Abraham centuries earlier (Genesis 15:18-21). • The phrase stresses that Israel’s inheritance was a gift, not self-achieved (Psalm 44:2-3). • It also underlines God’s faithfulness when His people trust and obey (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). Including the Amorites who lived in the land Mentioning the Amorites highlights the enormity of what God did. They were feared warriors (Numbers 13:29) and a symbol of entrenched opposition (Amos 2:9). Yet God toppled them, just as He had the Transjordan Amorite kings Sihon and Og (Joshua 24:8). • Their defeat demonstrates that no power is too great for God (Joshua 10:5-14). • It underscores God’s righteous judgment on persistent wickedness (Deuteronomy 9:4-5). • It reassures believers that present-day “strongholds” can also fall when God intervenes (2 Corinthians 10:4). We too will serve the LORD The people respond to grace with commitment. Service flows naturally from deliverance (Romans 12:1). • “Serve” implies worship, obedience, and loyalty (Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 20). • Their united “We too” echoes earlier covenant affirmations (Exodus 24:7; Joshua 24:14-15). • True service is ongoing; Joshua will soon caution them to keep their vow (Joshua 24:22-24). Because He is our God! Relationship grounds obedience. God is not an abstract deity; He is “our God” by covenant (Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12). • Possessive language (“our”) highlights belonging and security (Psalm 95:7). • It contrasts with the powerless idols just renounced (Joshua 24:23; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6). • Knowing God personally compels wholehearted devotion (Jeremiah 31:33; John 17:3). summary Joshua 24:18 celebrates God’s decisive victory, spotlights a formidable foe to magnify His power, calls Israel to grateful service, and roots that service in a personal covenant bond. The verse invites every believer to remember God’s past faithfulness, trust Him against present obstacles, and respond with exclusive, lifelong devotion to the One who is truly “our God.” |
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