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DAY 66 or MARCH 7. Now a new generation of leaders is needed.

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Our thoughts today are taken from Joshua chapter 24 verse 29. After these things, Joshua, son

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of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.

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Notice the big picture surrounding this verse. The covenant renewal is confirmed before Joshua

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dies, and with him the whole generation who left Egypt with Moses have passed away. Amongst

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his last duties is a challenge to the tribes to be God's faithful people. He also gives

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them a brief walkthrough of the story so far, back to Abraham.

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The people also witnessed the keeping of the promise made by their ancestors to bury Joseph,

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whose body they had brought with them when they left Egypt. It has been over four hundred

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years since Joseph died, but at last he is given a resting place in the land where he

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lived with his father Jacob and his brothers, who were now represented by the tribes, made

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up of their descendants. In addition to Joshua, Eliezer the priest died too, so the slate

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was totally clear, and the land was all ready to become the homeland of the Israelites.

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And now today's action step. Even today to live to the age of 110 is unusual. So in the

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days of Joshua for him to reach that age was truly remarkable. He had served the Lord faithfully,

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and many would forever recall his final challenge to them.

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Choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond

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the Euphrates, or will it be the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live? As for

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me and my family, we will serve the Lord. The final chapter of Joshua is laced throughout

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with the word serve, underlining the whole ministry of Joshua. Centuries later Jesus

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would tell his disciples that he came to serve, not to be served. In Joshua we have a great

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example, but in Jesus we have the perfect example. Serving does not come natural to

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most people, but with the help of the servant king, you and I can do it as we follow him

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today.