CHOOSE WHOM YOU WILL SERVE

Joshua 24:14-28 / Keywords 24:14

Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

 

24:14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.

23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”

28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.

1. How would the people of Israel respond to the grace of God? How would their lives be changed? By accepting God’s gift of salvation, we commit ourselves to living as his holy and redeemed people. Joshua says, “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.” We put aside the false gods of this world and worship the true and living God. We serve him in sincerity with all our hearts by making his honor and glory our one passion and desire. We serve him in faithfulness by obeying his word as the absolute authority in our lives. He is our God and we are his people. Serving him is the choice that we make each and every day.

 

2. The people of Israel confessed everything the LORD had done for them and promised to serve him as their God. However, in verse 19, Joshua says, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God.” They should have realized that they were not able to serve God with their own strength. Salvation is by the power of God and so is sanctification. We need God’s help to obey his commands and live lives that honor him. We must be fully surrendered and dependent on Him. Joshua set up a large stone by the sanctuary of the LORD as a witness to the commitment they made. Then, every man went to his inheritance.

 

Prayer Father, give us strength to serve you.

One Word Choose the LORD your God!