A Contextual Exegesis of the Synodal Implication of Joshua 24:1-28, the Assembly in Shechem

Abstract

A synod from the perspective of the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament could be described as an assembly (qahal) convoked by the Lord every time he renews his covenant with Israel ( Exod 19- 24; Num 11-12; Deut 27-28; Joshua 8:30-35; 2 Kings 23 and Nehemiah 8, 10). It is a religious exercise long rooted in the tradition of the Church and remains her essential dimension. It is a path (hodos) along which the people of God as exemplified in the narrative of Joshua 24:1-28 are invited to walk and commune together (sunodos). Adapting a literary-historical, contextual approaches, this work exegetically and theologically examines the central concern of Joshua 24, the assembly in Shechem, within the contexts of not only Tertrateauh, DH but also of the OT as a whole. It further pays close attention to the warnings against the apostasy and idolatry of the ancient Israelites. It further challenges the naivety of some of the assembly (synod) members in Shechem that one can serve both YHWH (the Lord) and other “gods,” simultaneously, with impunity (vv.14- 15). In its theological coda, faithfulness, unity of purpose, appreciation of history, call for repentance, obedience, steadfastness, covenant renewal of services, loyalty and reverence to God (vv.16-28) are among the identifiable implications and lessons drawn from this study for the pilgrim and synodic church in Africa and beyond.