An Oath of Independence

An Oath of Independence

Understanding Joshua's Covenant Renewal

Joshua 24 records a pivotal moment when Joshua summoned all the Israelites to renew their oath to be wholly devoted to God and throw away all their foreign gods and idols. As we celebrate the Independence Days of the United States, it reminds us of what true independence really means.

True independence is not total autonomy or self-reliance. Rather, true independence is dependence in God alone. When we trust God completely, we become completely independent of other principalities and powers of an earthly nature.

The Ancient Near Eastern Covenant Structure

Joshua 24 follows the structure of what scholars call an ancient near eastern suzerain-vassal treaty (SVT). A suzerain state is a larger empire; a vassal state is a smaller state leaning on the suzerain. These treaties typically consist of six parts:

1. Preamble — establishes the authority of the suzerain by affirming his greatness, dominance, and divine favor
2. Historical Prologue — recounts how the suzerain has dealt with the vassal, listing protections and blessings provided
3. Stipulations — what the vassal is obligated to do, such as tribute, military service, and adherence to law and religion
4. Sanctions — blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion
5. Documents and Monuments — how the covenant will be remembered and maintained by future generations
6. Witnesses — In pagan treaties, deities are invoked as witnesses; they deal with either side if the covenant is violated

Several Old Testament passages follow this structure: Genesis 15 (Abrahamic covenant), Exodus 20 (Mosaic covenant), Deuteronomy (expansion of the Mosaic covenant), and 2 Samuel 7:14-16 (Davidic covenant).

Biblical Distinctives in God's Covenant

The biblical adaptation of the suzerain-vassal treaty has key differences:

First, the suzerain is always God and God alone—no other power rivals Him.

Second, the stipulations are not about financial tribute or military service, but rather religious in orientation. They focus on trusting God alone and rejecting all other gods. This has profound political implications: religious devotion to God requires religious independence and religious liberty. If Israel were to fulfill its obligation to God, it must never become a vassal state of another earthly suzerain.

Third, instead of invoking pagan deities as witnesses, the Israelites themselves are their own witnesses. Instead of relying on succession by future kings to maintain the covenant, written law books and physical monuments serve as reminders.

A Paradox: Independence Through Dependence

There is a certain irony: God uses the suzerain-vassal treaty to tell the Israelites to never enter into a suzerain-vassal relationship with any earthly power.

Conventional thinking says: when you are small, cling to a powerful suzerain; when you become strong, become a suzerain yourself. But the Bible says Israel should do neither. They must swear to be totally independent—not becoming a vassal state of another empire, but also not becoming a suzerain that takes on vassals. Why? If Israel employed foreign subjects, they would grow dependent on foreign culture. Eventually, pagan religions would be assimilated into the life of Israel.

This is the meaning of independence we celebrate this coming week as the United States turns 250: not autonomy where we deny God, but true independence rooted in God alone.

Walking Through Joshua 24

The Preamble (Joshua 24:1-2a)

The Lord, the God of Israel, is identified as the suzerain and sovereign. Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem—a location rich with covenant history. Abraham first encountered God there (Genesis 12), and Jacob bought land there and set up an altar naming it "God, the God of Israel" (Genesis 33).

Shechem sits in a natural amphitheater between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. In Deuteronomy 11:29, Moses commanded that when Israel entered the land, blessings would be proclaimed on Mount Gerizim and curses on Mount Ebal. Later, Deuteronomy 27 describes six tribes standing on each mountain—those on Gerizim proclaiming blessings of obedience, those on Ebal pronouncing curses of rebellion.

The Historical Prologue (Joshua 24:2-13)

Joshua recalled Israel's history in three parts:

• Verses 2-4: The story of the patriarchs—God called Abraham's ancestors from beyond the Euphrates, where they worshiped other gods, and led them to Canaan where they would worship Yahweh alone.
• Verses 5-7: The miracles of the exodus—God rescued Israel from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and buried the Egyptians in it.
• Verses 8-13: God's victories in Canaan—He handed the enemies to Israel so they could take the land and cities they did not labor for or build.

The historical prologue makes clear: their success came not from their own effort, but from God's grace and power. They should never become so proud they no longer need God, nor should they fear their human enemies, because those enemies are no match for God.

The Stipulations (Joshua 24:14-15)

The requirements are straightforward:

Therefore fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. But if it displeases you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

These stipulations can be viewed from three angles:

1. Fear the one true God, worshiping Him in sincerity and truth
2. Throw away all other gods
3. Make your own decisions to do this

The first requirement faces different challenges in different generations. In polytheistic cultures, people worship many gods to "cover all the bases," not wanting to miss any protection. As nations grow stronger and become more monotheistic, they may try to redefine God to fit their own image rather than worship Him as He has revealed Himself. Eventually, as people become even stronger, they may feel they don't need God at all—they have their own fortresses and chariots. Practically, even though they still claim to have a god, they become atheistic, with every person doing what seems right in their own eyes.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: Worship in Spirit and Truth

John 4 records a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at Sychar—believed to be the location of ancient Shechem, where Jacob's well is located. After Jesus confronted the woman with uncomfortable truths about herself, she tried to change the subject:

Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is Jerusalem.

Her point? We might call her a postmodernist or relativist today. Who are you, she asks, judging me by your moral standard? Is truth even absolute? If worship location matters, shouldn't it be here at Shechem, where Abraham, Jacob, and Joshua made covenants with God, rather than in Jerusalem where David built a temple to consolidate his capital power?

But Jesus corrected her:

Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem... God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

Jesus changed Joshua's phrase from "worship in sincerity and truth" to "worship in spirit and in truth." By invoking the Holy Spirit, Jesus revealed that ultimately, worship is not even a human initiative. The Holy Spirit must make the first move, invading the human heart before it can worship God in truth. If what moves you to worship is not the Holy Spirit but a sinful, prideful spirit, you may be very sincere—but you will still be worshiping in self-contradicting falsehood.

How do we know if we're worshiping in truth? First, written words matter. Jesus affirmed that the Bible provides the authoritative record of God's revelation. Second, Jesus agreed that the ultimate truth-teller is the Messiah, Christ—but the Samaritan woman was missing that He Himself was the Messiah standing before her.

If there is only one true God, we have every reason to follow the first stipulation: worship God alone. If Jesus Christ is God, we have every reason to put our faith in Jesus Christ alone and fulfill the second stipulation: throw away all idols, no matter where they come from—whether from ancestors beyond the Euphrates, from Egypt, or from the gods of the Amorites among whom we live.

Who Were the Amorites?

Literally, "Amorites" means "westerners." They appear in ancient history as Semitic-speaking people. The famous Code of Hammurabi was created during the reign of Hammurabi, the sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon in the 20th century BC. The Amorites expanded westward through Mesopotamia and even into Egypt. From the 19th to 16th centuries BC, they were active in the Nile Delta. The Hyksos, who established Egypt's 15th Dynasty around 1650 BC, are believed to be Amorites or closely related.

The Amorites had a history parallel to Israel's westward migration in Genesis and Exodus. In Moses' and Joshua's time, they were found both east and west of Jordan. All the gods Joshua mentioned—those worshiped beyond the Euphrates, in Egypt, and in Canaan—could all be Amorite gods, the gods of the westerners.

To throw away the gods of the nations means Israel must never form a suzerain-vassal relationship with an Amorite nation. Even if Israel were a suzerain (the stronger power), pagan Amorite culture would seep into their society through slaves and servants. God wanted the Amorites completely driven from Canaan to prevent such cultural and religious contamination.

Independence in Modern Context

In celebrating America's 250th anniversary, these lessons are worth remembering. Independence has different implications in different times.

A colony was like a vassal state—dependent by definition. But even an independent nation can grow dependent on a former colonizer's natural resources, human resources, or market opportunities. Even the colonizer can surrender cultural independence. We see this in European history, and as a reaction, Western countries have sometimes swung toward isolationism or anti-immigrant postures.

We observe similar dynamics in the church. Religious liberty attracted immigrants to America—Baptists in England supported separation of church and state since the 17th century. In 1788, Baptist pastors in Virginia, led by Pastor John Leland, met with James Madison to oppose a constitution that might allow an official state church. In 1802, the Danbury Baptists supported Thomas Jefferson's declaration that government would make no law respecting an establishment of religion, building "a wall of separation between church and state."

But even as independent bodies, we must watch for syncretistic dependency seeping in because of commercial or social benefits. Without vigilance, we could lose our religious independence.

The Heart of Independence

How do we protect our whole-hearted devotion to God in the long run? Independence is not just a description of our relationship with others; it is ultimately a mindset in your heart.

Joshua told the Israelites:

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. I have decided for myself, but I cannot decide for you. Each of you must think and act independently.

In ancient suzerain-vassal treaties, the voluntary nature of the vassal's agreement is crucial. If not voluntary, the treaty is not binding. Joshua did not make himself a representative of all Israel. He spoke on behalf of God the suzerain, but in response, Joshua only spoke for himself and his own household. Each Israelite was expected to independently enter into this covenant with God voluntarily.

A free nation with free people is what we celebrate this week. A free citizenry is the foundation of a free nation. Without citizens who cherish freedom of thought, conscience, and the gift of living without fear of oppression, there will never be a free nation.

Baptists believe that a local church should be a freely gathered assembly of believers. Members must first independently choose to serve God before becoming a church member. You have a responsibility to care for your own natural family—those under your guardianship and influence. If members surrender their soul freedom, the church will eventually surrender its independence. Only when every member takes responsibility to be an independent, free-thinking person—while being totally dependent on God alone—will the church remain free.

Sanctions: Blessings and Curses (Joshua 24:20)

The fourth element of the suzerain-vassal treaty concerns sanctions—blessings and curses. Independence is its own blessing: it means depending solely on God and independent of others. This independence can be maintained by worshiping God continually in sincerity and truth. If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, He will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you after having been good to you.

The same theological principle applies to Christians. The greatest good Christians enjoy is the gospel of Jesus Christ. God expects a voluntary decision to worship Him after He has been good to you. There is indeed a deadline: before the day of the Lord arrives. When will that day come? We do not know. But if you have not made the decision to put your trust in God alone, today is the day to make that decision.

If you have not been baptized, plan to get baptized. You need witnesses and reminders that you made this voluntary decision:

You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord. (Joshua 24:22)

Documents and Monuments (Joshua 24:26-27)

Documents and monuments serve as reminders. Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God. He also took a large stone and set it up under the oak at the sanctuary of the Lord:

You see this stone? It will be a witness against us, for it has heard the words the Lord said to us, and it will be a witness against you so that you will not deny your God.

Archaeologists believe they have recovered the stone Joshua erected at Shechem. Monuments are still there. Just as the Bible still speaks to us thousands of years later, God provided us with written documents and archaeological artifacts so we will remember His words and be assured they are true.

We cannot reason with the unreasonable. But for those willing to reason, worshiping the one true God is the only reasonable response given all this evidence and witness.

Living Out Our Independence

As we think about Joshua's life, we should take heart: we persuade not just by words, but by deeds. The main reason people fail to depend on God today is because they depend on people. They fail to fear God because they fear people.

Christians become much more persuasive when we live a life that is independent and fearless of people. This applies to our churches too. When a church stands firm on its convictions and is not swayed by outside opinions, our faithfulness will inspire others to fear God and depend on God.

Be strong and courageous. Be bold.

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us Your word and erecting monuments so we know it's real—not fiction or imagination, but true history. Help us know that You acted in history yesterday and today, and so You will act tomorrow. Give us reasonable hearts to take in the truth and act courageously, especially when tempted by short-term gains that people can offer. Help us stay independent. Help us stand firm on You alone. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.