Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel and recounted God's faithfulness in delivering them from slavery in Egypt and guiding them to the promised land despite opposition from Balak, king of Moab, who tried to curse them by hiring Balaam. God instead put blessings on the Israelites through Balaam. However, the Israelites later brought God's anger on themselves by worshipping Baal and joining in sacrifices to Moabite gods, leading to a plague that killed 24,000 until Phinehas intervened.

1. Joshua 24 1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem , and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God . 2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. March 14, 2010

2. On the other side of the flood means beyond the Euphrates River . "And they served other gods." Abraham, raised as an idol-worshipping pagan , was the first , in a long time, to worship The True and Living God .

3. No matter what family you were born into, Nor how you were raised , You can choose to serve the True and Living God with your whole heart. You can choose to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You can break any pattern and serve God.

4. 3 (God speaking) And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. 4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.

5. 6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea. 7 And when they cried unto the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

6. 8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you. 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you: 10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand. Balaam was a prophet for hire.

7. Numbers 22 1 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. 2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites , 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.

8. Balak wanted to hire Balaam to put a curse on the Israelites. Numbers 22 12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed." Balaam was not a prophet of God:

9. Balak kept trying to bargain with Balaam, and Balaam kept trying to convince God, So finally, God said, "Go, do as you please." Numbers 22 22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

10. Balaam couldn't see the angel, but his donkey could, and refused to go forward.

11. Numbers 22 28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? 29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. 30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

12. Numbers 22 31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. The angel rebuked Balaam for beating his donkey and for disobeying God. Balaam said, "I'll go back home if I may." The angel said, No, go on, but be certain you say only the words I put in your mouth."

13. Four times Balak sent Balaam to curse the Israelites, and four times God put a blessing upon them in his mouth. The fourth time Balak sent Balaam home: Numbers 24 11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor.

14. We see in Numbers 25 that all the trouble from which God was saving the Israelites, They brought upon themselves. Numbers 25 1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

15. God killed 24,000 with disease. It would have been much worse, but Phinehas saved them: Numbers 25 6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

16. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it , he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. Only by the Grace of God were the Israelites delivered from the Moabites, To enter the Promised Land.

17. The devil attacked them on two fronts : From without which totally failed, And also from within , through their own lust , Which almost succeeded . 24,000 died just before they entered Canaan. It could have been all of them. Walk in the constant Presence and Power of His Holy Spirit.