The first reality which Joshua wants these leaders to remember and impress upon the hearts of God’s people concerns their sinful nature and the ongoing temptation offered by the pagan nations. The second reality concerns the ultimate destiny of these nations: judgment.

Pagan idols cannot deal with sin and they lead only to death. If Israel mixes with these nations serving their gods (Joshua 23:16), then the anger of the Lord will burn against them and they will be destroyed. Judgment is coming upon all those who reject God and serve Baal, Molech, Asthereh, or Ra. And if you are mixing with these people and joining them in their worship, then you will be caught up in the judgment that God is bringing.

On this point, it is important to emphasize that the reason for separation from the nations is not primarily because their religions were immoral and brutal, although that certainly was a contributing factor. Offering children in the fire will always be a heinous crime against God—a crime worthy of judgment. The main reason, however, for staying away from these religions is that they lead away from the Lord. The Lord alone is God. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). If Israel plays with these other gods and bow down to them, they are walking on a path that leads to death and destruction (see Psalm 1:1–6).

In today’s context, we must remember that Hinduism, Islam, Atheism, Traditional African Religion, even Judaism, and similar faith systems do not lead to God who made this world. We are not all just travelling a different road up the same mountain. And though there might be decent, sincere, and seemingly moral people in all of these religions, they are on a path that leads to death and not a path to glory.

Practically that means we must never affirm or engage in the worship of another god. We do not participate in interfaith prayer meetings; we do not join in with ancestral sacrifices; we do not put a Hindu dot on our foreheads when we visit India, nor do we pray facing east. In short, we are never to engage in any activity that gives the impression that we recognize or acknowledge the existence of another god. Of course that does not mean that we are to be disrespectful or rude to those in other religions. But it does mean knowing that other religions do not lead to God, and that it is vital for our friends and family to be reconciled to Christ if they are to escape God’s wrath. There is no other hope for salvation (Acts 4:12). Therefore we must be witness to Christ in the land of Canaan. We must pray for our colleagues, build relationships, and look for opportunities to speak of God who became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us.