If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights a sobering truth about God's justice: His goodness is not a shield against His wrath when His love is rejected. When His people turn away from Him to serve other gods, God will "turn" – not because He changes, but because their betrayal alters His providential dealings towards them, transforming past goodness into a basis for judgment.
If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joshua has just challenged the Israelites to choose this day whom they will serve, referencing their ancestors and the gods of the land. After they pledge their loyalty to the LORD, Joshua issues a stark warning: if they abandon Him for other gods, the LORD, who has shown them immense goodness, will turn and destroy them. This isn't a contradiction of God's character, but a description of how He will respond to their betrayal after all He's done for them.
Have you ever felt like God's blessings were just a prelude to something bad? Joshua confronts the Israelites with a stark reality: God's goodness isn't a blank check for disobedience.
Joshua lays out a clear conditional reality: God's actions towards Israel are directly tied to their faithfulness. He reminds them of all the 'good' He has done – leading them out of Egypt, providing for them, and giving them land. But this goodness isn't meant to be a permanent shield against consequences if they turn away. The phrase 'he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after that he has done you good' isn't about God changing His mind or His character. It's about His relationship with His people changing because they change. When they forsake Him, His favor is withdrawn, and His justice will act against their sin, even after a history of His kindness. It's like a parent who has showered a child with love and support, but must discipline them when they repeatedly disobey and put themselves in danger.
It's easy to drift away from God without realizing it. But Joshua makes it clear: turning from God isn't an accident; it's a deliberate choice to serve something else.
Joshua’s challenge in this chapter is forceful: 'choose you this day whom you will serve.' He doesn't present serving God as a passive state, but an active, ongoing decision. When he says, 'If you forsake the LORD,' he's highlighting that this is an act of will, a deliberate rejection. It’s not just a mistake; it's a betrayal. And the alternative isn't emptiness, but 'serving foreign gods.' This means actively choosing to worship, trust, and rely on other powers or principles that are not the true God. This act of choosing other gods fundamentally alters their relationship with the LORD, leading to the judgment described in the verse.
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How can a good God 'turn' and bring harm? Joshua's words seem paradoxical, but they reveal a profound truth about God's unchanging justice and our changing hearts.
The apparent 'turn' in God's dealings doesn't reflect an inconstant nature. As commentators note, it's not God who changes, but our relationship with Him that changes due to our actions. God is consistently holy and just. His goodness is an enduring attribute, but His justice is also real. When Israel chooses to abandon the God who has shown them immense goodness, they move from under the umbrella of His favor and protection into the realm where His justice must address their sin. The 'harm' and 'consumption' are the natural outworking of a covenant relationship broken by disobedience. It’s like a magnetic field: as long as you are aligned with it, you experience its pull; when you move away, its force no longer acts upon you in the same way. God's character is the constant; our alignment with it determines the outcome of His dealings with us.
Understand the original words
nekar elohim · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Referring to deities of other nations. In the Bible, these are considered non-entities or idols that distract and alienate the people from the exclusive worship of the one true God.
Joshua's warning in this verse isn't just a prediction; it's a stark reminder rooted in the immediate past. The very land they now inhabit was conquered because of the faithfulness of their ancestors. Their current prosperity and security are direct results of God's goodness, making any turn to 'foreign gods' a profound act of ingratitude and a betrayal of the covenant they just renewed.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from over 400 years of slavery in Egypt, performing mighty signs and wonders. This marks the beginning of their covenant relationship with God.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites conquer the land of Canaan, defeating various nations and taking possession of the promised land.
c. 1380 BC— this verse
Joshua's Address and Covenant Renewal
As the conquest concludes and the land is divided, Joshua gathers the people for a final address, reminding them of God's faithfulness and urging them to commit to serving Him alone.
c. 1380 BC
Death of Joshua
Joshua, the revered leader, dies after faithfully serving God and Israel. His final words and the covenant renewal serve as a powerful legacy.
c. 1370-1070 BC
Period of the Judges
Following Joshua's death, the Israelites repeatedly fall into cycles of disobedience, oppression by surrounding nations, crying out to God, and deliverance by judges.
This passage echoes Joshua's choice, presenting life and death, blessing and curse, and urging the people to choose life by obeying God's commands.
Judges 2:11-15This shows the immediate consequences of Israel's turning away from God after Joshua's death, illustrating the very threat Joshua warned them about in Joshua 24:20.
1 Samuel 12:25Samuel delivers a similar warning to Israel, highlighting that both God's faithfulness and their destruction are linked to their obedience or disobedience.
Jeremiah 3:8This verse shows God's grief and judgment over Israel's unfaithfulness, demonstrating how forsaking Him leads to ruin, even after He had shown them favor.
Romans 11:22Paul speaks of God's severity and kindness, showing that the kindness shown is dependent on remaining in His goodness, and severity follows if one cuts themselves off.
calvinJoshua 24:15-24: "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
- And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amori…
bensonJoshua 24:20: "If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good."
Joshua 24:20 . He will turn and do you hurt — That is, he will alter his course, and the manner of his dealing with you, and will be as severe as ever he was kind and gracious. He will repent of his former kindnesses, and his goodness abused will be turned into fury.
This verse highlights a sobering truth about God's justice: His goodness is not a shield against His wrath when His love is rejected. When His people turn away from Him to serve other gods, God will "turn" – not because He changes, but because their betrayal alters His providential dealings towards them, transforming past goodness into a basis for judgment.
Joshua has just challenged the Israelites to choose this day whom they will serve, referencing their ancestors and the gods of the land. After they pledge their loyalty to the LORD, Joshua issues a stark warning: if they abandon Him for other gods, the LORD, who has shown them immense goodness, will turn and destroy them. This isn't a contradiction of God's character, but a description of how He will respond to their betrayal after all He's done for them.
Joshua has just challenged the Israelites to choose this day whom they will serve, referencing their ancestors and the gods of the land. After they pledge their loyalty to the LORD, Joshua issues a stark warning: if they abandon Him for other gods, the LORD, who has shown them immense goodness, will turn and destroy them. This isn't a contradiction of God's character, but a description of how He will respond to their betrayal after all He's done for them.
"If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.”" — This verse highlights a sobering truth about God's justice: His goodness is not a shield against His wrath when His love is rejected. When His people turn away from Him to serve other gods, God will…
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Last reviewed October 2026