In the first of Joshua’s speeches, he reminds Israel's leaders that the Lord will keep his promises. If they remain obedient to God, he will drive out the remaining nations in the land. However, if they disobey God, they themselves will face exile in the future. With these words, Joshua is seeking to make it clear to God’s people that they cannot serve both the Lord and the gods of the nations around them. Attempts at accommodation are foolhardy and futile and will only end in tragedy.1
1 A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,