Finding Rest in God

Almost twenty-five years had passed since the people of Israel had conquered the land, and they were now settled in the promise that God had given them. The battles had been fought, the territories secured, and the tribes east of the Jordan had returned to their homes. With their enemies subdued and their borders secure, they were experiencing rest from war and peace on every side. But what does it truly mean when the LORD gives His people rest? It is more than Him granting victory over enemies—it is a moment of surrender to His will. It is coming into His presence, delighting in it, and living in daily communion with our Maker. That is the true rest, which the Israelites had yet to experience.

Joshua’s Warnings

So, Joshua, who was now an old man, called together all the leaders, elders, judges, and officials of Israel to instil in them the desire for seeking rest in the LORD. He reminded them how they had witnessed the LORD’s mighty acts in defeating the surrounding nations on their behalf. Joshua recalled how he had distributed the conquered lands among the tribes as their inheritance. He encouraged them to remember that the LORD would continue to drive out the remaining nations and fulfil His promise,

But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now. – Joshua 23:8 (NIV)

The people were to be strong and resolute, carefully obeying all that was written in the Book of the Law of Moses without turning aside to the right or to the left. They were to avoid close association with the remaining nations in ways that might lead them astray, and they were to reject entirely the false gods of those nations, never invoking their names, swearing by them, serving them, or bowing down to them. Above all, they were to hold fast to the LORD with loyalty, trust, and daily devotion.

God sets these conditions, even knowing the people would struggle to follow them, because His covenant is built on love, obedience, and relationship, not on mere possession of the land. From the time He called Abram out of Babylon, His purpose was to form a people set apart for Himself. The ~1500-year journey to the promised land was not just about finding the right peace of real estate but about shaping their hearts to trust, obey, and cling to Him.

True rest would not come from military strength or political alliances, but from holding fast to the LORD. When their hearts were with Him, He would remain with them; when they turned away, as in later generations, they would be taken into Babylon—the very place from which their forefather had been called—showing that disobedience leads us back into bondage, but faithfulness keeps them in His presence and rest.

Is Our Rest in God Conditional?

“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.” – Joshua 23:12-13 (NIV)

The inhabitants of the land would become a snare for the Israelites because they did not know or follow the LORD themselves, and their ways would easily draw God’s people away from Him. Without a personal, rooted relationship with God—relying only on the faith or experience of others, as Solomon did, relying on the faith of his father, David—it becomes easy to drift. When Solomon married foreign wives, he was influenced by their gods and customs, leading him to turn from the God of his father. In the same way, if the Israelites allowed close ties with the remaining nations, they would be tempted to adopt their practices, gradually abandoning God who had given them the land.

But just as all the good things the LORD your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the LORD your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. – Joshua 23:15 (NIV)

There is a similarity between the commands God gave to the dwellers of the promised land and those He gave to Adam and Eve in the Garden. Adam and Eve were entrusted with the key to paradise but were given one command to keep, and when they disobeyed, they lost their place in the Garden. Likewise, Israel’s place in the promised land was conditional on faithfulness to the LORD and separation from the idolaters around them. Just as the first humans were banished for disobedience, so too Israel would face expulsion from the land if they failed to keep God’s commands. In both cases, the blessing of dwelling in God’s provision was inseparable from obedience to His word.

As For Me…

“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:14-15 (NIV)

People often partially quote the above verse, especially the line “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD”, as a declaration of commitment to God for themselves and their families. However, the verse is sometimes misunderstood as if we can control the faithfulness of our family members. In reality, we cannot force anyone into a genuine relationship with God. Joshua himself could not guarantee that all in his household would remain faithful; history shows that Israel, including his descendants, later turned away from the LORD. Even the great King David could not ensure faithfulness in his own sons, wives, or even in himself. So why do people keep quoting this verse?

Faith in God is not like membership in a cult, where everyone is made to think and act the same way. God is not building a religion but calling each person into a personal, living relationship with Him. His plan for rest is personal, and everyone must choose it for themselves. We can guide, teach, and point our loved ones toward Him, but they must walk the path themselves. Forcing others into our way of following God will only push them into confusion. We can only introduce our loved ones to the way; they must choose to walk on it themselves and find eternal rest in God.

After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel. – Joshua 24:29-31 (NIV)

Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean when the LORD gives His people rest?
2. Why does God set conditions to keep their Rest when He knows the people will fail to keep them?
3. How would the inhabitants of the land become a snare to the Israelites?
4. Are there similarities between the commands God gave to the promised land dwellers and those He gave to the Garden dwellers?
5. Can we control or even truly know the faith of our family members, as Joshua appears to claim?