Joshua 24:7
And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Joshua is reminding them that their own eyes have seen God's power, not just their fathers'. This means many in the audience would have been young adults or even children when God delivered them from Egypt and led them through the wilderness, making God's faithfulness a personal, witnessed reality for them.
Joshua is reminding the assembled tribes of Israel of God's powerful deliverance from Egypt, recounting the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. He emphasizes that the elders present, some of whom were children during the exodus, personally witnessed God's mighty acts and the subsequent forty years of provision and guidance in the wilderness. This historical review sets the stage for Joshua's urgent call for them to commit to serving the Lord alone.
Ever felt completely trapped, with nowhere to go? The Israelites at the Red Sea were in just that spot. But when they cried out, God didn't just hear them – He acted.
The verse highlights God's powerful intervention when His people were in dire straits. They were trapped between the vast sea and the pursuing Egyptian army. Their cry to the Lord wasn't a plea for a miracle; it was a desperate cry born of their immediate peril.
God's Response:
This shows that God is not distant from our troubles. When we cry out to Him, even in the most desperate of circumstances, He is able to act decisively, turning the situation around for our deliverance.
Joshua is speaking to people who lived through the Exodus, reminding them of what they saw. But what does it mean for those who didn't see it firsthand?
Joshua makes a crucial point: the generation he is addressing has firsthand memories of God's mighty acts.
Eyewitnesses to Power:
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
A covenant name for God, revealing Him as the self-existent, eternal, and faithful Redeemer of His people. It signifies His presence, authority, and intervention in history.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
An uninhabited or desolate region. In Scripture, it is a place of testing, refinement, dependence on God, and preparation for inheriting the Promised Land.
Joshua's reminder that 'your eyes have seen what I did in Egypt' highlights that many elders present had witnessed the miraculous parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army, underscoring their direct experience of God's powerful deliverance and their long time in the wilderness as crucial context for their covenant renewal.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God hears Israel's cry and leads them out of slavery in Egypt, famously parting the Red Sea to allow them safe passage while drowning the pursuing Egyptian army.
c. 1446 BC - 1406 BC— this verse
Wandering in the Wilderness
Following the Exodus, the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years due to their disobedience, a period of testing, provision, and divine instruction.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites cross the Jordan River and begin the military campaigns to conquer the land of Canaan.
c. 1400 BC
Canaan Divided Among Tribes
After the conquest, Joshua oversees the division of the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes of Israel according to God's command.
This passage describes the pillar of cloud moving between the Israelites and the Egyptians, bringing darkness to the Egyptians, directly paralleling the event Joshua recounts.
Exodus 14:26-29This passage details the destruction of the Egyptian army by the sea, fulfilling the events described in Joshua 24:7 where the sea covered them.
Numbers 14:29-33This passage explains the forty years of wilderness wandering for the generation that left Egypt, providing context for Joshua's mention of dwelling in the wilderness 'a long season'.
Psalm 78:12-13This psalm recounts God's mighty works in Egypt and at the Red Sea, echoing Joshua's reminder to the people of what they had seen.
Nehemiah 9:9-11This prayer recalls God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt and their crossing of the Red Sea, reinforcing the historical significance of the events Joshua is referencing.
wesleyJoshua 24:7: "And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season."
24:7 Your eyes - He speaketh this to the elders, ver.1, who were so, not only by power and dignity, but many of them by age; and there being now not sixty years past since those Egyptian plagues, it is very probable that a considerable number of those pres…
calvinJoshua 24:1-14: "And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God."
And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
Congregavit itaque [194] Josue omnes tribus Israel in Sichem, vocavi…
Joshua is reminding them that their own eyes have seen God's power, not just their fathers'. This means many in the audience would have been young adults or even children when God delivered them from Egypt and led them through the wilderness, making God's faithfulness a personal, witnessed reality for them.
Joshua is reminding the assembled tribes of Israel of God's powerful deliverance from Egypt, recounting the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. He emphasizes that the elders present, some of whom were children during the exodus, personally witnessed God's mighty acts and the subsequent forty years of provision and guidance in the wilderness. This historical review sets the stage for Joshua's urgent call for them to commit to serving the Lord alone.
Joshua is reminding the assembled tribes of Israel of God's powerful deliverance from Egypt, recounting the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. He emphasizes that the elders present, some of whom were children during the exodus, personally witnessed God's mighty acts and the subsequent forty years of provision and guidance in the wilderness. This historical review sets the stage for Joshua's urgent call for them to commit to serving the Lord alone.
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This emphasizes the importance of remembering and passing down the stories of God's faithfulness. Even if we weren't present, we inherit the legacy of His deeds through Scripture and the testimony of believers.
c. 1390 BC
Joshua's Farewell Address
Joshua convenes a great assembly at Shechem, recounting God's faithfulness and urging the people to commit themselves to serving Him alone.
"And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time." — Joshua is reminding them that their own eyes have seen God's power, not just their fathers'. This means many in the audience would have been young adults or even children when God delivered them fr…
