Joshua 24:4-13

I include in one view all these verses, for the sake of shortness, and because, as they refer to the history of the Patriarchs, already gone through in the Commentary, it would be unnecessary to swell the page again with the relation. The Reader can, if he pleases, refer to the subjects, in their respective places. But I would have the Reader remark with me, in addition to what was there said of the conjurer Balaam, that here it seems somewhat more plain, that this wretched man would, for the sake of gain, have cursed Israel, though he knew the Lord had promised to bless them, had not the Lord restrained him, and overruled his mind to do the very reverse of what he intended. And Reader! do you not believe that the Lord is doing the same for his people very frequently now? When a man ' s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7. On the subject of putting away the false gods from among them, which is again repeated, verse 23, it should seem that there were some of the people which had images by them, though they might not worship them. But as the Lord is jealous of his honour and glory, even the figure of an idol is an abomination. But Reader! if to our fathers in the old church the very mention of idols, or the keeping any representation of them, became so offensive, in the divine eye, what think you must be the indignation of our God, if we hold in our heart a kind of rivalship with God, in making our prayers and our services a part-Savior with Jesus? Shall I not put away all idols in any supposed goodness and righteousness of my own, and learn here from that Jesus alone is my Savior, in whose righteousness his people are accepted? Ephesians 1:6.