You have heard what the Israelites did to Jericho. There were a great many other cities in Canaan besides Jericho. The Israelites fought against the other cities of Canaan.
All the people in Canaan heard of it, and were much afraid of Joshua; but still they took their swords and spears, and fought against him.
And who do you think conquered? God always helped the Israelites; so they always conquered. They went all through Canaan. First, they went to one city, and killed the people in it; then they went to another city, and killed the people in it; so they went to hundreds of cities, till they had killed almost all the people in Canaan. God did not make the walls of the other cities to fall down, like the walls of Jericho; but the Israelites were obliged to fight very hard before they could get in.
At last, Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Now the people of Canaan are dead, I will give you places to live in." So he gave to each of the Israelites a house, full of nice and beautiful things, and a garden, and a field, and a well of water.
Now the Israelites rested. They sat down under the fig trees and vines in their own gardens, and ate the figs and grapes that grew on them, and they drank water out of the wells in their gardens.
Did the Israelites build their own houses? No; they lived in the houses of the people of Canaan. The wicked people had built the houses, and they had dug the wells, and planted the trees in the gardens; but God had taken them away from these wicked people, and had given them to the Israelites.
Might God give them to whom He pleased? Yes; God made everything, and everything belongs to God; and He may give things to whom He pleases. Sometimes He takes His things away from wicked people.
When the Israelites sat in their gardens, they ought to have thought to themselves, "How kind of. God to give us so much! How much we ought to love Him!" Has not God given you a great many things, my dear child? Ought not you to love God very much?
Why did God give so many things to the Israelites?
Were the Israelites good? No; they were naughty. Then why was God so kind to them?
You remember the promise God had made to
Abraham. God had said that He would give Canaan to his children's children. And did God keep His word? Oh, yes He remembered His promise, and He brought the Israelites into Canaan. So the reason God was so kind to the Israelites was, because. He had promised. Abraham He would be kind to his children.
There was one thing which Joshua did not forget to do; that was, to place the tabernacle in Canaan. He set it up in the middle of Canaan, at a place called Shiloh. Now the Israelites would not be obliged to move it about any more.
Joshua told them all to come up and worship God in the tabernacle; but some lived so far off that they could not come often. So they came only sometimes to the tabernacle.
God desired the Israelites not to worship the idols that the wicked people in Canaan had made. The Israelites would find idols in the fields and gardens; and some of these idols were made of silver and gold but the Israelites were not to keep them, even if they were pretty images; they were not to take the idols into their houses; but they were to burn them in the fire; because God hated these idols.
At last Joshua grew very old; and he knew that he must die. So he called a great many of the Israelites together, that he might speak to them before he died.
Joshua stood near a great oak tree while he spoke. He said to the Israelites, "I am soon going to die. Whom will you worship after I am dead? Will you worship idols, or will you worship God Who has been so, kind to you?”
Now, which do you think the Israelites would choose to worship? They all said, "We will worship God.”
Then Joshua said, "If you choose to worship God, you must not worship idols, too.”
Then they answered, "We will serve God.”
"Now," said Joshua, "you have promised to serve God only. You must keep your promise.”
Then Joshua took a book, 'and wrote down what the people had said. Afterward, Joshua took a great stone, and put it under the oak, and said, "See this stone; I have put it here to make you remember, your promise always.”
Then Joshua told all the people to go home.
Very soon afterward Joshua died. He was more than a hundred years old when he died.
Did the Israelites keep their promise? Did they worship idols, or did they not?
At first they did not worship idols. But at last they grew tired of serving God, and began to worship idols, and to do other wicked things.
My dear children, your parents have not taught you to worship idols, but you have done other naughty things. Have you never been disobedient, nor told lies, nor fallen into passions?
What can you do 'to please God? Speak the truth, obey your parents, and be very kind to each other. These are things that please God.
Do not you wish to please God, Who has been so kind to you, and has given you food, and clothes, and a house, and kind friends, and a body, and a soul, and Who has even given His Son to die for you? Ask God to make you love Him, and, wish to please Him.
Hymn 36
The Israelites no more
Dwell in the wilderness;
Their wanderings are o'er;
Blest Canaan they possess;
And, shaded from the heat,
Beneath the spreading vine,
They eat the finest wheat,
And drink the choicest wine.
The Lord could not forget
How He did condescend
His wondrous love to set
On Abraham, His friend;
And how He promised,
That with a mighty hand
His children should be led
To Canaan's pleasant land.
And God has brought him there
By His own arm alone.
O let them never dare
To worship gods of stone.
If 'midst the thickest trees
To idols they shall bend,
At length the Lord will cease
His people to defend.
Child
The Lord will bless me, too,
If I Serve Him alone,
His mercies, like the dew,
Shall still be poured down:
But Satan stands by me,
And Seems an angel bright,
And promises that he
Will fill me with delight
Oh, if I now attend
To Satan's promise fair,
I Shall to hell descend,
And Satan's torments share.
My God deserves my love,
And He deserves the whole,
Then to His house above
He'll take my happy soul.