As For Me and My House
Opening story
15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the LORD, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD.”
I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan—It was an irresistible impulse of divine grace which led the patriarch to leave his country and relatives, to migrate to Canaan, and live a “stranger and pilgrim” in that land.
I gave unto Esau mount Seir—(See on
Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel.
24:5–9 Afterward I brought you out: God’s review of His gracious actions on behalf of His people (vv. 2–5) included Joshua’s generation. God did not just make Himself known in ages past; He also worked mightily and graciously for the people of Joshua’s day. Christians today are part of a long lineage of the people of faith (
24:11, 12 God’s use of the hornet to aid Israel fulfilled the promise of
24:13 A land for which you did not labor fulfills the promises given by Moses in
THE COVENANT RENEWAL
14 “Therefore, fear the LORD and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the LORD. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the LORD, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD.”
16 The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon the LORD to worship other gods! 17 For the LORD our God brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. 18 The LORD drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the LORD, because he is our God.”
19 But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship the LORD, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions and sins. 20 If you abandon the LORD and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you, after he has been good to you.”
21 “No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship the LORD.”
22 Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the LORD.”
“We are witnesses,” they said.
23 “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
24 So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship the LORD our God and obey him.”
24:14–28 The proper response to these gracious dealings of Yahweh was for Israel to forsake other gods and follow Him, and Joshua himself would lead the way by example. The people’s response was one of commitment, after which Joshua warned them about the consequences of this commitment, which the people then willingly accepted. The people ratified the covenant and were dismissed to their inheritances.
24:14 So now, revere Yahweh In light of their miraculous history (
in sincerity and faithfulness Refers to serving with all one’s “heart and soul” (see 22:5).
remove the gods A reference to their remote ancestor Terah (v. 2) and any gods they had adopted while being in Egypt. The golden calf incident at Sinai reflected their temptation to serve Egyptian gods (see
It is essential that the service of God’s people be performed with a willing mind. For LOVE is the only genuine principle whence all acceptable service of God can spring. The Father seeks only such to worship him, as worship him in spirit and in truth.
15. choose] Service of God in sincerity and truth can only result from a free and willing allegiance of the heart. This accordingly is what Joshua invites, as Moses had done before him (
24:15 the gods that your ancestors served Shechem was the place at which Jacob had earlier buried the gods that his wives and concubines had brought from Haran (
the Amorites Here “Amorites” refers generally to the Canaanites. Often refers to the Transjordan region (the territory of Og and Sihon; see vv. 12;
Here, however, we have an appeal to those who are already God’s covenant people to make their official status their lived reality. Joshua here recognizes an issue which would plague Israel through its life, and which has continued to plague the church through the ages. This is the problem of what we might call ‘partial discipleship’, in which people are prepared to claim the benefits of life in covenant with God but not live out its demands. Most pointedly, that here means removing all other gods from among the community. What God has always wanted is a people who are committed to him alone, who recognize no other allegiance. The obstacles to that have varied over time; there are perhaps few today tempted to serve the ‘gods from across the river’—but issues such as wealth, comfort or family, which Jesus identified as problems after meeting the rich ruler, continue to be barriers today. Joshua confronted Israel with the challenge to remove the safety net of these gods—which was in fact no safety net at all—just as Jesus challenges us to full discipleship today
24:14, 15 Joshua’s words in these verses contain a rare appeal to Israel to choose between God and the many false substitutes. If Israel would not choose to serve the Lord, they would have to choose between the gods that their ancestors worshiped and the gods of the Amorites (that is, the Canaanites). Of course, the appeal is rhetorical; from God’s perspective there is only one option. With his famous words, Joshua clearly and unambiguously took his stand on the side of the living God. Joshua modeled a perfect leader’s actions. A leader must be willing to move ahead and commit himself to the truth regardless of the people’s inclinations. Joshua’s bold example undoubtedly encouraged many to follow with the affirmations of vv. 16–18.
Those that are bound for heaven, must be willing to swim against the stream. They must not do as the most do, but as the best do. And no one can behave himself as he ought in any station, who does not deeply consider his religious duties in family relations
This is not to criticize a proper attitude to stewardship, since that is always needed; but merely to observe that something which is good and helpful in one context can move from being a gift that God has given to becoming a goal in its own right. When that happens it has become a form of idolatry, and instead of being a good gift from God has become a snare for us. Instead, only total devotion to God is enough.
