Joshua 24 is Joshua’s farewell speech to the Israelites.  The beginning of this speech is a recounting of Jewish History from Abraham (from Terah really), and part of this speech is in the הגדה של פסח.  This is the first of several times in תנ”ך that the story of the Exodus is retold, each time slightly differently, with different emphasis and different purpose.  I will keep track of them in this post, and hopefully one day comment on some of the differences between the retellings.

It is fascinating that at the end of the speech Joshua gives them the opportunity to choose: they can choose יי or they can choose to go and worship their former gods, and his final words in this speech are ואנכי וביתי נעבד את יי.

After they declare themselves for יי Joshua tries to convince them that serving יי is too difficult for them!  Once they again declare for יי though, it is final.  They can’t say that they are stuck with a covenant that an earlier generation agreed to – they have now agreed themselves.