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20

    "THE 
   

    TRUTH 
   

    SHALL 
   

    MAKE 
   

YOU

    FREE" 
   

At

the

end

of

six

    years 
   

of

    constant 
   

    warfare 
   

the

    Gentile 
   

    nations 
   

in

the

    Promised 
   

    Land 
   

    were 
   

not

yet

all

    cleared 
   

    out, 
   

    nevertheless 
   

the

    divi- 
   

    sion 
   

of

the

    land 
   

    among 
   

the

    tribes 
   

of

    Israel 
   

be-

gan

.

The

    tribes 
   

    continued 
   

    faithful 
   

to

the

God

of

    Israel 
   

    during 
   

the

    life 
   

of

    Joshua 
   

and

the

    elders 
   

of

the

    nation 
   

    that 
   

    outlived 
   

    him, 
   

and

    they 
   

    were 
   

    blessed 
   

.

As

it

is

    written 
   

:

    "Blessed 
   

is

the

    nation 
   

    whose 
   

God

is

    Jehovah, 
   

the

    people 
   

    whom 
   

he

    hath 
   

    chosen 
   

for

his

own

    inheritance 
   

."

    (Psalm 
   

33

:

12,

A

.R

.V

.)

    Joshua's 
   

    name 
   

    means 
   

    "Jehovah 
   

    saves" 
   

.

The

    Greek 
   

    version 
   

of

the

    Bible 
   

    renders 
   

    Joshua's 
   

    name 
   

as

    "Jesus" 
   

.

    (Acts 
   

7

:

45

;

    Hebrews 
   

4

:

8)

In

his

    faithful 
   

    leadership 
   

of

    Israel 
   

and

in

the

    vic- 
   

    tories 
   

he

    gained 
   

by

    faith 
   

in

God

    over 
   

the

    Gentile 
   

    nations 
   

of

    Canaan 
   

    Joshua 
   

was

a

    type 
   

or

    figure 
   

    prophetic 
   

of

    Jesus 
   

    Christ, 
   

the

    Seed 
   

who

    shall 
   

    crush 
   

the

    Serpent's 
   

    head 
   

.

At

his

    final 
   

    meeting 
   

    with 
   

the

    people 
   

of

    Israel 
   

    before 
   

his

    death 
   

    Joshua 
   

    exhorted 
   

    them 
   

to

    keep 
   

    covenant 
   

    with 
   

God

and

    worship 
   

Him

who

had

    made 
   

    them 
   

a

    free 
   

    nation 
   

.

    Joshua 
   

    bade 
   

    them 
   

    decide 
   

    between 
   

    religion 
   

and

the

    true 
   

and

    living 
   

    God, 
   

    saying 
   

:

    "And 
   

if

it

    seem 
   

    evil 
   

    unto 
   

you

to

    serve 
   

    Jehovah, 
   

    choose 
   

you

    this 
   

day

    whom 
   

ye

    will 
   

    serve 
   

;

    wheth- 
   

er

the

    gods 
   

    which 
   

    your 
   

    fathers 
   

    served 
   

    that 
   

    were 
   

    beyond 
   

the

    River, 
   

or

the

    gods 
   

of

the

    Amorites, 
   

in

    whose 
   

    land 
   

ye

    dwell 
   

:

but

as

for

me

and

my

    house, 
   

we

    will 
   

    serve 
   

    Jehovah 
   

."

    (Joshua 
   

24

    :15, 
   

A

.R

.V

.)

Who

    will 
   

    deny 
   

    Joshua 
   

was

a

    Jehovah's 
   

    witness? 
   

One

    circumstance 
   

    remained 
   

    after 
   

    Joshua's 
   

    time 
   

    which 
   

    endangered 
   

    Israel's 
   

    remaining 
   

a

290 “THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE” At the end of six years of constant warfare the Gentile nations in the Promised Land were not yet all cleared out, nevertheless the division of the land among the tribes of Israel began. The tribes continued faithful to the God of Israel during the life of Joshua and the elders of the nation that outlived him, and they were blessed. As it is written: “Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah, the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” (Psalm 33: 12, A.R.V.) Joshua’s name means “Jehovah saves”. The Greek version of the Bible renders Joshua’s name as “Jesus”. (Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8) In his faithful leadership of Israel and in the vietories he gained by faith in God over the Gentile nations of Canaan Joshua was a type or figure prophetic of Jesus Christ, the Seed who shall crush the Serpent’s head. At his final meeting with the people of Israel before his death Joshua exhorted them to keep covenant with God and worship Him who had made them a free nation. Joshua bade them decide between religion and the true and living God, saying: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.” (Joshua 24: 15, A.R.V.) Who will deny Joshua was a Jehovah’s witness? One circumstance remained after J jostina! 8 time which endangered Israel’s remaining a ~