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Day 66, or March the 7th. Now a new generation

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of leaders is needed. Our thoughts today are

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taken from Joshua chapter 24, verse 29. After

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these things, Joshua, son of Nun, the servant

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of the Lord, died at the age of 110. First, the

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big picture surrounding this verse. The covenant

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renewal is confirmed before Joshua dies, and

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with him the whole generation who left Egypt

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with Moses have passed away. Amongst his last

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duties is a challenge to the tribes to be God's

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faithful people. He also gives them a brief walkthrough

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of the story so far. Back to Abraham. The people

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also witnessed the keeping of the promise made

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by their ancestors to bury Joseph, whose body

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they had brought with them when they left Egypt.

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It's been over 400 years since Joseph died, but

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at last he is given a resting place in the land

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where he lived with his father Jacob and his

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brothers, who were now represented by the tribes

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made up of their descendants. In addition to

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Joshua, Eliezer the priest died too. So the slate

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was totally clear, and the land was all ready

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to become the homeland of the Israelites. And

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now today's action step. Even today, to live

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to the age of 110 is unusual. So in the days

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of Joshua, for him to reach that age was truly

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remarkable. He had served the Lord faithfully,

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and many would forever recall his final challenge

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to them. Choose today whom you will serve. Would

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you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond

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the Euphrates, or will it be the gods of the

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Amorites in whose land you now live? As for me

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and my family, we will serve the Lord. The final

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chapter of Joshua is laced throughout with the

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word serve, underlining the whole ministry of

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Joshua. Centuries later, Jesus would tell his

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disciples that he came to serve, not to be served.

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In Joshua, we have a great example, but in Jesus,

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we have the perfect example. Serving does not

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come natural to most people, but with the help

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of the servant king, You and I can do it as we

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follow him today.