Gospel in Joshua 24: Gratuity

^{The final chapter in Joshua: Joshua, before his death in verse 29, speaks to the people of Israel, whom He had led into the promised land, at Shechem, remembering all that the Lord had done for them and makes a covenant with God to serve Him and only Him.}

^{Joshua 24:13-14}

¹³ I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’ ¹⁴ “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!

Here we are given yet another picture of the gospel of Christ and the mercy of God toward His people.

Verse 13:

God has blessed his people immensely. He has taken them out of Egypt were they were slaves and brought them into a land of great abundance. There, He delivered to them cities which they did not build and vineyards and olive groves which they did not plant.

The Israelites had done nothing to deserve these blessings, yet God fulfilled His promise that He made with Abraham, the father of Israel. He delivered them out of bondage and made them prosperous, however he did not do this to reward the people of Israel for their actions or even their faith in Him, for if you read Joshua 24 and the recap of Israel’s history since leaving Egypt you will see that Israel had often rejected God who brought them out of slavery and turned to other things even despising God for what He had done for them; He did this because His promises are never ending and He is rich in Mercy.

2 Peter 3:9

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The very nature of God is unchanging. We may change, but He does not. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love”. This is not a love that can be described by word alone; it is not even one that we can comprehend. It is unconditional. This love that He possesses for His children can be seen in verse 13. The Israelites were completely undeserving of His blessing and yet He blessed them anyway. He gave them mercy and grace and raised them up.

In the same way God today offers salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ to those who do not deserve it. Psalm 14 tells us that there are none that are good, no not one, yet despite this, Romans 5:8 states: “For whilst we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We are all cut off from God because of our sin within us. At one time we all abide in the darkness living without purpose. But God does not want this for us." For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). Jesus came and died on our behalf so that He could become our mediator, reconciling us with God. In John 12:46 Jesus states: “I have come as a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” In John 8:12 He promises us that “he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Just as God blessed the Israelites and brought them out of their bondage in Egypt, He has made it possible for us to be saved from the sin that separates us from Him, even though we do not deserve it. Jesus paid the greatest cost possible – His own death, so that we may be saved because God is love and His promises are not slack or empty in anyway.

Verse 14:

In verse 14 Joshua goes on to say, given the undeserved blessings that God has given to the Israelites, it is imperative that they go on to serve Him in sincerity and truth, turning away from going after things that are against God. God has blessed them and showed His love toward them, therefore the people of Israel should be grateful to Him and be faithful and loving toward Him.

God has paid a great cost for us – His only Son. If we accept this truth, we should go on from there and live for Him entirely out of gratuity and love for what Christ has done. 1 John 4:19 states we love God because He first loved us. How true this is. We should live our lives in a way that reflects our gratuity and thanks to Him.

Salvation is free, yet it costs everything. Romans 12:1 shows us the ultimate price, urging us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, doing that which is pleasing and acceptable to the will of God.

Accepting Christ as your Saviour is not merely believing in Him, it is going on from there, like Joshua says in verse 14, and living your life in devotion to Him out of gratuity for the great cost he has paid so that you may be set free.

John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

-BACChristian