W. Robert Godfrey

That's a very solemn warning.

Very solemn warning.

Now, what does he mean when he says, you are not able to serve the Lord?

Well, he may be functioning just as a Calvinist and saying you're all totally depraved.

That's perfectly possible.

It may be part of what's going on here.

But I think there's something more going on here.

I think he's saying, after my death, you will not be able to serve the Lord because you will not have a leader.

you've had Moses, and you haven't served the Lord perfectly under Moses, but Moses kept after you.

And then you've had me, Joshua is the successor of Moses, and I've kept after you.

And now the Lord's taking me away, and he's not establishing someone to rule the whole nation.

He's not establishing someone to rule the whole nation, but he's

going to raise up judges, one here, one there, one now, one another time.

But you're not going to be able to serve the Lord because you're not going to have a leader.

And so right from these last words of Joshua, the people of God are being prepared for the need of a king.

And that's why this book is so important transitionally.

from the days of Moses and Joshua to the days of Saul and David, when a whole new unity and deliverance is being given to the people of God.

And for all of David's sin, we're constantly told he's the man after God's own heart.

He's the man God put on the throne to lead the people.

He's the sweet singer of Israel who gave to Israel her songs about God and deliverance.