“Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” (v.23) Joshua addresses the Israelites at Shechem, an ancient city located in the central region of Canaan. Shechem held significant importance as one of the first places in the Promised Land where Abram (later Abraham) built an altar to the LORD centuries prior (Genesis 12:6-7). By calling them to put away foreign gods here, Joshua underscores the sacred history of this location and the importance of renewing their covenant with the LORD on land that has long been central to His promise. Such geography helps reinforce the weight of Joshua’s message: they stand in a place of deep historical significance, and are now challenged to rid themselves of any competing idols.
Joshua, a leader of the Israelites from approximately 1406 to 1390 BC, succeeded Moses and guided the people in taking possession of the Promised Land. When he says, “incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel” (v.23), he calls them to a heartfelt devotion that goes beyond mere outward obedience. His admonition suggests that serving the LORD involves more than setting aside physical idols—it demands the allegiance of the innermost being. This echoes future calls to love God wholeheartedly (Deuteronomy 6:5) and points forward to Jesus’s teaching that worship must be in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
In asking them to turn from their idols and realign their hearts toward God, Joshua reminds Israel that they are a people set apart. The “foreign gods” are both literal deities the Israelites absorbed from neighboring cultures and symbolic of any loyalty that conflicts with devotion to the one true God. “Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst” (v.23) thus serves as a timeless reminder that the LORD demands our undivided worship and affections.
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Joshua 24:23 meaning
“Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” (v.23) Joshua addresses the Israelites at Shechem, an ancient city located in the central region of Canaan. Shechem held significant importance as one of the first places in the Promised Land where Abram (later Abraham) built an altar to the LORD centuries prior (Genesis 12:6-7). By calling them to put away foreign gods here, Joshua underscores the sacred history of this location and the importance of renewing their covenant with the LORD on land that has long been central to His promise. Such geography helps reinforce the weight of Joshua’s message: they stand in a place of deep historical significance, and are now challenged to rid themselves of any competing idols.
Joshua, a leader of the Israelites from approximately 1406 to 1390 BC, succeeded Moses and guided the people in taking possession of the Promised Land. When he says, “incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel” (v.23), he calls them to a heartfelt devotion that goes beyond mere outward obedience. His admonition suggests that serving the LORD involves more than setting aside physical idols—it demands the allegiance of the innermost being. This echoes future calls to love God wholeheartedly (Deuteronomy 6:5) and points forward to Jesus’s teaching that worship must be in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
In asking them to turn from their idols and realign their hearts toward God, Joshua reminds Israel that they are a people set apart. The “foreign gods” are both literal deities the Israelites absorbed from neighboring cultures and symbolic of any loyalty that conflicts with devotion to the one true God. “Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst” (v.23) thus serves as a timeless reminder that the LORD demands our undivided worship and affections.