What is the meaning of Joshua 24:24?

So the people said to Joshua

Joshua gathers Israel at Shechem and recounts God’s faithfulness (Joshua 24:1–13). Confronted with all the LORD has done—from Abraham’s call to the recent conquest—the people respond aloud.

• Their words echo earlier covenant moments: “All that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Exodus 19:8).

• A public declaration matters; it cements accountability (Deuteronomy 30:19).

• Joshua wants sincerity, not lip service (Joshua 24:19–20). The people’s reply shows they grasp the gravity of the choice set before them (Joshua 24:15).

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We will serve the LORD our God

Service here means exclusive allegiance.

• “Serve” (Joshua 24) repeats fifteen times, underscoring the call to abandon idols completely (Joshua 24:14).

• Single-minded devotion aligns with the first commandment (Exodus 20:3) and with Elijah’s later challenge, “If the LORD is God, follow Him” (1 Kings 18:21).

• By saying “our God,” the nation owns the relationship. God is not a distant deity but their covenant Lord, the one who “brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt” (Joshua 24:17).

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and obey His voice

Service without obedience is hollow. The people pledge practical submission.

• Obedience is how love for God is proven (Deuteronomy 6:5 + 6:17).

• Hearing and doing go together: “Be careful to listen to His voice and follow His commands” (Exodus 23:22).

• God’s voice comes through His revealed Word, later reiterated in Scripture (Psalm 95:7-8; John 10:27). Genuine obedience yields blessing, while disregard invites discipline (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 15).

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summary

Joshua 24:24 shows Israel willingly binding itself to the LORD: publicly confessing, choosing exclusive service, and committing to active obedience. The verse invites every generation to echo that same wholehearted response—remembering God’s past faithfulness, renouncing rival allegiances, and walking in daily submission to His trustworthy voice.