Joshua 24:29-33--Buried in the Promised Land

Joshua 24:29-33
English Standard Version
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Joshua's Death and Burial
29 After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old. 30 And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.

31 Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel.

32 As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.

33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

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Joshua lived to be almost as old as Moses--Moses was 120 years old when he died and Joshua was 110 years old when he died.  The LORD showed favor to Joshua by giving him a long life as promised in His Law because Joshua was careful to obey all that was written in the Book of the Law.  Joshua was buried in the plot of land that was given to him as an inheritance in the apportionment for his tribe Ephraim at Timnath-serah north of the mountain of Gaash.

Joshua left such a legacy of obedience to the LORD that it lasted nearly a full generation after his death.  All the elders that remained alive during the time that he died also feared and obeyed the LORD, but these elders neglected to bring up future generations so that they too would fear the LORD.  Instead the book of Judges will tell us that these future generations will do what was right in their own eyes and will only cry out to the LORD for salvation when they got into trouble?  Sound a bit like our generation today (and most every generation ever)?

The people of Israel also made good on their promise to Joseph that they made before he died that they would carry his bones with them back to the Promised Land so that he could be buried among his ancestors in the Promised Land.  They buried him in the Tomb of the Patriarchs along with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah.  The Jews know where this tomb is and there is one set of remains there that was embalmed and mummified that they know to be the remains of Joseph, just like the text tells us.  This land where Joseph was buried became part of the inheritance of the descendants of Joseph (in the area of West Manasseh, but on the border with Ephraim as well).

It was not only their political leader in Joseph and their military leader in Joshua that they lost, but Eleazar, the one serving as High Priest under Moses and and Joshua, and the son of Aaron, also died.  While the priesthood would be passed on to his son Phinehas, this would start a period of moral decay among the people as those who had experienced the miracles the LORD had provided first-hand were now dead.  Joshua was dead, the elders were dead, Eleazar the high priest was dead, and there was no longer anyone in Israel that would make the people keep the covenant.  We'll see that partial obedience or delayed obedience is disobedience as far as the LORD is concerned.  When we hear the voice of the LORD, He expects us to obey immediately and fully to Him command (it's okay to ask for clarification if you don't understand the command, but do not delay simply because you do not like the command that He has given.  There are too many that pretend to be "confused" by the voice of the LORD because they would rather listen to their own voice and do what is right in their own eyes than to obey what He has clearly commanded).  Only when we fear the LORD and obey Him completely can we expect all the blessings that He promises for obedience in the Law--though we know that sometimes even that is not a guarantee in this life, but He will give everyone their proper reward in due time.  We look forward to a better inheritance than that which is promised here--one where there will be no more death and we will dwell in the presence of the LORD and worship Him and serve Him forever and ever!