Joshua 24:1-3,13-25

1) we know of shechem from extrabiblical sources such as Egyptian writings almost 2000BCE.

(Ralph's old teacher, Wright, was an expert on Shechem). It is where God speaks to Abram with an altar built. Jacob bought land and built an altar there, but idols were involved there. Later it will be the site of "anitdavidic rule" for the troubles after Solomon (I Kings 12). It was destroyed by Assyrai and partially rebuilt later. Some scholars (Noth) thought it was a sort of first capital city (remember Jeruslalem is conquered only by david)

2) I love the idea of saying what is ours in v. 13. We all inherit from the past, so we do not expend effort on what we inherit in culture, infrastructure, legacies. It is particularly salient ofr us whose ancestors took a continent from the indians and worked it on the back of slaves. Note v. 13 is one of displacment, not taking unoccupied territory.

This gift aspectalso makes it a good intro to upcoming Thanksgiving.

3) From v.14 we have a powerful anti-idolatry statement. If one would wish, this is a good place to speak of the depth of the idea of our minds as "factories of idols" and to look at the "idols of church and culture." How would we "put away gods?"

4) in v. 14 fear=revere= hold in awe. How with sincerity/integrity/completeness and faitfuly=amen=steadfastly=reliably serve could mean ritual worship and/or fealty, devotion.

5) v. 15 Choose today-this makes it possible for us to bridge time and see it apply to us, right now.

6) v. 19 notice God is a jealous Gode, a God who demands exclusive loyalty. God does not like the divine honor trampled, so reward and punishment are linked to loyalty.

7) Sin here is seen as both willful (pesa, and missing the mark (het)

8) Some see this as a political binding or a religious binding, or a mixture of both.

9) One could use Joshua as an example of leadership, especially becuase he follows a great leader.

10) the people pledge and repledge, but we all know that they will often fail through the generations. One could take up the idea of vows, kept and broken.