Jos 23:1 And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.

Joshua is now an old man. He has served God all his life. He has completed what he was commissioned to do. Like Paul, he could declare: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). As God’s faithful servant, Joshua is concerned what would happen to things after he is gone. The last two chapters of the book of Joshua records his concern. What was his chief concern? His chief concern was that the people might depart from God after he was gone. So, he reminds them about God’s love for them: “Ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you” (v.3). Then, he reminds them to be faithful: “But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day” (v.8). But cleave unto the Lord your God –  The word “cleave”  appears in Genesis 2:24 for the first time and it refers to the marriage bond: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” The word literally means to glue together. Our Lord says it is a joining together: “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6). Only a husband and wife relationship is joined together. Parents and children are not joined together. Friends are not joined together. So, a husband and wife have a “sticky” relationship. They are joined together and become one flesh. When we join two steel plates together by welding, they become as one. And, that union is stronger than if each were to exist alone.  Solomon says: “Two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9). A wife and husband relationship is stronger than if each were to exist alone; something is wrong if it isn’t. The cleaving to the LORD denotes an intimate union between God and the soul. When we cleave, glue, or join, to God, it becomes a strong bond that cannot be easily broken. Paul wrote: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). The bond between Christ and the church is like that of a husband and wife; it cannot be broken. Christ will do everything He can to protect her, even if it means to sacrifice Himself; which He did. My question is: “Are we cleaving to the Lord?” Is our relationship with Christ a casual or an intimate one? As human beings, we make many acquaintances and friends; it is called friendship. Among our many friends, we choose one to be our spouse; it is called relationship. Relationship is a term that indicates that two people are more than just friends. One can have many friends, but one can have only one special relationship. A marriage relationship involves things that do not exist in friendship – love, romance, emotion, intimacy, commitment, and cleaving. When we cleave to the Lord, we have a relationship with Him. We will want to read His word, talk to Him, worship Him, and serve Him. We will do those things every day and not just on Sundays. We will love and be concerned about the church as Christ loves the church. Are you concerned if the next generation will cleave to the LORD? Joshua was and he encouraged them to cleave to the LORD. He sets an example of faithfulness and he exhorts them to do likewise. It’s great to live to a ripe old age. It is better if it is found in faithfulness (Proverbs 16:31). We pray that our next generation will cleave to the Lord as they are doing today.