And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he [is] an holy God; he [is] a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
Ver. 19. Ye cannot serve the Lord.] You that are yet unregenerate, and that would fain make a mixture of religions, cannot serve the Lord; for he must be served like himself, that is, truly, that there be no halting; and totally, that there be no halving; he will not take up with a seeming or slubbering service. "Offer it now to thy prince; will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts." Mal 1:8
For he is a holy God.] And requireth to be sanctified in all those that draw near unto him; it will be worse with them else. Lev 10:3 Neither profaneness nor formal profession will he endure; but least of all idolatry.
For he is a jealous God.] And will not be yoked with idols, neither will he give his glory, which is as his wife, to another. If any cast but a leering look toward it, he shall smart and smoke for so doing.
He will not forgive your transgressions,] sc., Unless you forego them: or if he do forgive them, yet he may take vengeance, temporal vengeance, of their inventions; Psa 99:8 and for that matter their repentance may come too late. Deu 1:37 2Sa 12:16 All this Joshua speaketh, not to weaken but to waken their diligence in God's service.