The Votes Are In

Introduction

Everybody is waiting, sitting on pins and needles. The build up of anticipation almost hurts. No one is certain how Shechem is going to play out. We know historically this area leaned on the side of Amorite gods. Amurru, Lord of the Mountains whose wife was Belit -Seri Lord of Lady of the Desert, but would Israel choose them.

Or would they choose choose the gods of their fathers. The son of Fire and the One who is heavier than stone. We are not sure who they will choose. One moment Shechem is Red and the next its blue. There is great tension behind this decision. The gods of the Amorites somewhat seems ideal but perhaps there are loyalties lie with side that represents their ancestry.

What will the current occupants of Shechem choose. Joshua calls the tribes of Israel together. It is time for a decision to be made. The leadership is present and Joshua in their midst leaves no room for interpretation as how he votes. He then speaks to the people.

The whole nation is watching. They are locked in to his every word. There are no commercial breaks. There is no moderator because this is not a debate, its a speech.

Listen to the words of Joshua,

“I’m not speaking on behalf of Amurru or Belit-Seri. I am not speaking on behalf of the ancient Mesopotamian gods of fire or stone. I’m certainly not here speaking on behalf of a bigoted mouth billionaire whose conversation is saturated with racist, misogynistic, egomaniacal, blasphemous jargon. And as much as it excites me to have the diverse leadership at the helm, I am not here to speak on behalf of them.

See I am not here today to speak on my decision on those who are to serve me, but I am here to speak on my decision on the one I am to serve. The beautiful thing about this is, He chose me, before I knew to chose him. When our ancestors served what they considered the god of fire and the god of stone, the one true God called by grace our patriarch Abraham and led him beyond the River to the land that we now occupy. He’s my choice.

The one true God that gave to an old man and a barren wife a handsome son, named Isaac, and Isaac under similar circumstances would have twins, one of whom (Jacob) would have 12 sons who are the progenitors of everyone represented here at Shechem today, He’s my choice.

The one true God who providentially lead Jacob and his children to Egypt as they survived a great time of famine, He’s my choice.

The one True God that raised Moses and Aaron, and myself to plague Egypt as he lead us out of bondage from the hand of Pharoah, He’s my choice.

The one true God that brought us across the Red see and delivered us from the pursuit of Egyptian chariots and horsemen who had a mind to end our existence and or drive us back to a place of oppression, He’s my choice.

The one true God that lead us through the wandering and wondering in the wilderness while feeding us manna from heaven and water from a rock, He’s my choice.

The one true God that brought us to this land defeating the Amorites, the Moabites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, and the Mosquito bites, He’s my choice.

The one true God gave me a land on which I had not labored, towns I had not had to build, and vineyards and oliveyards which I had not had to plant, He’s my choice.”

Joshua say’s he’s my choice, but is he your choice? Joshua calls us to contemplate on the power, protection, and provisions of God and use that as the determining factor as to whether or not he is worthy of our service.

And when I think about it, oh he’s worthy. He may not have called me from the Ur of the Chaldeans, but he found me when I wasn’t looking for him and wrapped me in his grace, guided me with his mercy, saturated me with his love, strengthen me with his joy, save me through his death, and sustains me by his spirit, oh yes he’s worthy of my choice.

He may not have lead me out of Egypt, but he did lead my ancestors out of American Slavery, my grandparents Jim Crow, my parents through camouflaged racism, and all of us through leadership who by design made America hate again, oh yes, he’s worthy of my choice?

He may not have lead me through the wilderness, but there have been times when I was hungry and I didn’t know how I was going to eat and he fed me. There have been times when I didn’t know how my bills were going to get paid and he paid him. He approved me when I should have been denied. He hired me when I should have been unemployed. He appointed me there were far better and more experience candidates. Oh Yes! He’s worthy of my choice. Is he your choice?

Joshua calls them together, and says today is the day. He say’s you don’t have worry about long lines at the polls this is going to be quick and easy. There are three options on the ballot. There is the gods of our fathers, there is the gods of the Amorites, and there is the one true God of Israel.

Joshua says I endorse the Lord God of Israel and I recommend you do the same. However, if for some strange reason you think it is evil (OKJV) to serve the Lord, then choose today who you will serve. I don’t know what y’all going to do but me and my family we will serve the Lord.

The ballots were casted and counted. It did not take as long as say, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina etc… This count didn’t take long at all.

The Votes are in Ladies and Gentlemen. Listen to the heart of the people, (and I like how NRSV translates it)

Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods… we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

Is that your choice today? The Vote of Shechem is in and is in favor of the Lord of Lords. How do you vote? I know its impolite and politically incorrect to invade the personal anonymity of one’s electoral selection, but how do you vote? No, I’m not asking if you voted for Trump or Biden, Thom or Cal, Roy or Dan, but how do you vote? Do you elect to serve a fake God, or the real God?

I hear you. I hear you. I hear the results of your ballot through the virtual airways and it mirrors that of the Israelites in Shechem. You chose God didn’t you? Well, while your selection mirrors that of the people of Israel, my responses mirrors that of Joshua son of Nun. He told them, you cannot serve God. You still have allegiances and alliances with the gods of your ancestors.

You can’t serve God, your are still connected to the pantheon of false gods of your ancestors. You can’t serve God and serve yourself. You can’t serve God and allow people to distract and detract your from your assignment. You can’t serve God if it is more important for you to be right about a particular situation that it is to work together and unity and harmony. You can’t serve God because you still have idols in your possession.

Do you have idols? Idols are not limited to voodoo dolls with needles stuck in them. Idols are anything and everything that is more important to you then God. If your political party is more important then Joshua says you can’t serve God.

If your possessions and material things are more important then you can’t serve him. Answer this question in your heart, What’s most important to you? If your answer wasn’t God then you have not made the choice.

Joshua says you haven’t forsaken the idols or the foreign Gods and having done so you are in jeopardy of feeling God’s wrath. However the people say, No, we will serve him. We will put away the foreign Gods, we will incline our heart to the Lord, we will serve the Lord and obey his voice.

I wonder if there is anybody here that can testify, I will serve him. I’m making up in my mind right now that I will serve him. God means more to me than anything. I will work in peace even if I know the people I work with don’t like me because God is more important.

I’ll talk to people kindly, even if they talk to me ugly, because God is more important. I’ll return my tithe and give my offering, because God is more important. I’ll work with hard and complain less, because God is more important. I apologize when I’m wrong and I will forgive even when I’m not given an apology, because God is more important. I will love my enemies because God is more important. I’m going to work on my attitude, because God is more important. I will not let you get the best of me because God is more important. I’m making God my top priority because he is more important to me than anything in this world.

The votes are in! This whole story is about people that made a decision after being reminded of a story. I said this whole passage is about people that made a decision after being reminded of a story. The people of Israel made a decision after being reminded of a story.

This past week and the past few weeks, people made some decisions because of what they heard. Their candidate made declarations that they believed in and they subsequently made a decision.

Donald Trump spoke and people made a decision based of what they heard. Mike Pence spoke and people made a decision, base off of what they heard. My new president, Joe Biden spoke, he even closed like a Methodist a few times, and people made a decision based off of what they heard. That smooth flower plucked from that A.K.A. garden Kamala Harris spoke and people made a decision based off of what they heard.

Well, I made my political choice, but thats not essential right now. I want to tell you about another choice. It had to be around 1997 at the Hickory Grove A.M.E. Zion Church, I heard a story that prompted me to make a decision.

I heard, that a baby was born of a virgin.

I heard, that baby became a teenager and engaged in theological sparing with the spiritual elites in the synagogue.

I heard, that that same teenager became a man and walked on water.

I heard, that that same man walked on troubled water.

I heard, that that same man feed 5,000 people with two fish and five barley loaves.

I heard, that this same man wash the feet of his disciples.

I heard, that that same man was take into roman custody to be killed.

I heard, that that same man was march up the Via Dolorosa.

I heard, that that same man was hung on Golgatha’s brow.

I heard, that that same man was nailed to Calvary’s cross.

I heard, that that same man was peirced in his side.

But I heard, that that same man bled and died.

I heard, Matthew say he died, I heard Mark say he died, I heard Luke say he died, I heard John say he died, but bright early… Sunday morning, he got up with all power in his hands.

And since I was reminded of that story, I made up in my mind, that he’s my choice!

Methodist Close

Some folk would rather have houses and land. Some folk choose silver and gold. These things they treasure and forget about their souls; I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice.

The road is rough; the going gets tough, and the hills are hard to climb. I’ve started out a long time ago, there’s no doubt in my mind; I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Jos 24:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Jos 24:16). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.