Joshua 24:1-28 | "Serve Him"

I. Reading of Scripture

Joshua 24:14–15 ESV

14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

This is God’s Word, Amen!

Pray

II. Introduction

A. Introduction to Text

Joshua Chapter 24 is similar to Joshua 23, but there are two significant differences.

Joshua once again gathers all the tribes of Israel together, as he did in Chapter 23. But this time, the text tells us where he gathers them together — at Shechem.

Joshua 24:1 ESV

1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God.

Shechem was a city located in a valley of Samaria with Mount Ebal to its north and Mount Gerizim to its south (KM).

Geographically, it stands as a place of choosing — a visual illustration to the blessings and cursings associated with God’s covenant.

If the people look south to Mount Gerizim, they would recall the blessings of God if they obey the Lord’s commandments.

If the people look north to Mount Ebal, they would recall the cursings of God, if they do not obey the commandments of the Lord, but turn aside from God’s way, to go after other gods that they have not known (Dt 11:26-29).

Historically, Shechem was the place where Jacob had once instructed his household to purge all foreign gods from their midst (Gen 35:2).

Genesis 35:4 ESV

4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

Shechem is a place of choosing, that is associated with the forsaking of idols and faithfulness to God.

Therefore Shechem is perfect location for Covenant Renewal.

As I was preparing for Divinity School, one of the long-time and well respected professors gave my incoming class this advice for studying to help us succeed: He suggested that we not study every subject in the same place.

Instead, he suggested we set aside different places to study each various subject: Church History in the Library, Greek in the Study Carrels, Spiritual Formation in the Commons, Biblical Interpretation at the Kitchen Table, for example.

And he suggested we return to those same places whenever we study that specific subject, and by doing so we will better remember everything we learn in that subject through the power of association. We will better recall everything we have learned in that one subject, because we studied everything in that subject in the same place.

For many, this building, this sanctuary serves as such a place in your spiritual journey. A place with many memories of mentorships and friendships, perhaps you walked one of these aisles to confess Jesus as Lord, maybe you were baptized in this baptistry or married on this platform. Maybe you recall the sounds of the choir or the voice of a preacher that helped you to hear God’s Word and walk in His way.

For you, every Sunday, as you enter this space, you associate your life with God once again. You call to mind your spiritual journey and renew your faith for another week.

This is what is happening for Israel. They would know when summoned to Shechem that a covenant renewal is about to take place.

Something else sets Chapter 24 apart from Chapter 23.

In Chapter 23 the summoned leaders are presented before Joshua and Joshua speaks about himself.

In Chapter 24, the summoned leaders are presented before God, and when Joshua speaks, he says “Thus says the LORD” (24:1-2).

Look with me at Joshua 24:1 —

Joshua 24:1-2(a) ESV

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel...”

The speech in Chapter 23 represents for Israel the importance of their God-appointed leader. The human instrument God used to guide them with strength and courage into God’s promises for them. The leader who was responsible for leading them in repentance when they sinned. The leader who had the led them by faith into battle against innumerable armies. The leader who divided for them an inheritance, and gave them a portion in the Lord. The leader who instructed them with God’s Word for how they are to live and love God in the land.

Joshua’s testimony and final instructions mattered. His legacy mattered.

But Chapter 24 represents for Israel that while they answered to their human leader who was appointed by God to lead them — they ultimately must answer to God Himself.

Standing before God, presented before Him, they hear from God “Thus says the LORD.”

Every one of us must remember our spiritual leaders, who spoke to us the word of God. We are to “consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Heb 13:7).

We are to obey our leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over our souls, as those who will have to give an account” (Heb 13:17). We are to pray for our leaders (Heb 13:18).

But never forget that we all must also answer to God Himself.

There is coming a day when we all will stand before Him, of whom it is said nothing “is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Heb 4:13).”

Joshua 24:2–5 ESV

2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. 4 And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out.

I have titled this preaching series through Joshua “Moving In.” Because God did not only bring his people OUT of Egypt, he also brought them IN to the land He promised to give them. And He gave them that land.

Look with me at:

Joshua 24:12b-13 ESV

it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’

Joshua did not do that. God did that!

Foreign gods did not do that. The LORD, the Great I AM did that!

Then in verse 14, there is a shift in the text.

Indicatives — statements about what is, turn into Imperatives — statements of what must be.

The voice of Joshua is heard again, with commands for the people.

III. Exposition

Joshua 24:14(a) ESV

“Now therefore fear the LORD...”

The first command is to fear the LORD.

What does it mean to “fear the LORD”?

It means to respect Him. To revere Him. To stand in awe of Him. But even in this context, the word “fear” never loses its sense of terror.

Fearing God is what it means to live in submission to Him. Knowing that we are accountable ultimately to Him and Him alone for every thought, word and deed that He sees and knows.

Living in light of the COVID-19 virus helps us understand what it means to fear God.

As we leave our homes, it is always on our minds. We know the virus is out there, even though we cannot see it.

It affects how we live, and move and breathe! We put on a mask or take our temperature and wash our hands, to make sure we are living by the guidelines that this virus has imposed.

We cannot see this virus! But yet we know it is there — and we even fear getting it because of the destruction it might cause to us or someone else.

We live with a fear of COVID-19.

What if we lived with a fear of God in that way?

Knowing that God is invisible but always near?

As we put on a mask, can we think about putting on the armor of God and why we need to do that?

When we read ever-evolving guidelines for living in a pandemic, will we think about reading God’s eternal, unchanging Word to obey it?

When we take our temperature, will we think of our love not only for God but also our neighbor, the summary of the two greatest commandments?

When we fear a cough or fever, will we remember that God is holy, and God is just, and that our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29)? That he is to be feared?

Fearing God says more about who God is than what we are to do.

God is to be feared because God exists, and God is living, and God is powerful, and God is holy. He is unique. He is not like other gods. To treat the LORD with so little concern has damning consequences.

Based on all God has revealed about Himself and all God has done for His people, Joshua’s first command is to fear the LORD.

His second command is to Serve Him, and then he spends the rest of the chapter explaining what that means.

I. Serve Him…In Sincerity and Faithfulness

Joshua 24:14(a) ESV

“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.”

Fear and Serve. Those are the two commands.

We can serve God without fearing God, but we cannot fear God and not serve God.

A fear of God moves us to serve God.

Jesus said to a group of Pharisees and scribes:

Matthew 15:7–9 ESV

7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

To serve God means to worship God but here the word used is one that describes the duties of priests. This is the kind of worship and service that belongs to God exclusively.

When Jesus was in the wilderness being tested by the devil:

Luke 4:5–8 ESV

5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Church — if we fear God, we will never offer to another what belongs to God alone.

All authority, all glory, all worship belongs to God alone.

We should never put God AND anything else . . . on the same line. There is no such thing as “God AND...”

If there is, we are dangerously close to devaluing and dishonoring God and sharing the worship that belongs to Him with another.

The God of Heaven is not a “God AND...” option to be chosen. He IS God and there is no other — and He alone is to be served!

Joshua 24:14(a) ESV

“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness”

Sincerity is a word that means “free of blemish.” It was the same way of describing the sacrificial lambs that that were white and pure, without spot or blemish.

Our worship of God today must be in the same way — unobjectionable.

Jesus says:

Matthew 5:23–24 ESV

23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Our worship is not sincere when we have sinned against our brothers and sisters, and we come into the sanctuary without having made it right with them.

Faithfulness means with truth and reliability (CHALOT).

We worship God not according to our own VISIONS of worship — but according to God’s REVELATION of worship! God’s Word tells us how to worship God’s Way.

Then Joshua gives a third command:

Joshua 24:14(c) ESV

“Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.”

II. Serve Him…Without Reservation

Joshua tells the people to put away, or remove the gods, the idols that their fathers served beyond the River.

Why would he have to say that? Because the people still had those idols with them.

Maybe they kept them because they were fashioned from valuable metals and material.

Maybe they had no intent on serving the idols, but thought it was an unwise thing to destroy something that had so much material value.

But that is sin crouching at the door (Gen 4:7). That is all the foothold the devil needs in a moment of weakness.

The command is to remove them! Clear them away. Get rid of them! For what is that value, compared to the value of your soul?

If your TV causes you to sin — get rid of it.

If your money causes you to sin — cast it far from you.

Jesus says:

Matthew 5:29–30 ESV

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Get rid of these things because you WILL serve them! Everyone will serve something! No one serves nothing.

Joshua shows the people this:

Joshua 24:15 ESV

15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

III. Serve Him…or Choose Another

When Joshua says “choose this day whom you will serve”. . . the LORD GOD Almighty is not one of the choices!

Joshua 24:15(a) ESV

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.

While the people are hearing this, they are in the valley and they see the two mountains: Mount Ebal of cursings, and Mount Gerizim of blessings and they realize how the entirety of their life depends on their choice.

But Joshua tells them — if you choose, you lose.

But the LORD is not a God to be chosen. He alone is God, and He is to be served.

God is unlike any other. He is one of a kind. God is unique.

He cannot be compared to other gods, because there is nothing to compare!

We cannot choose God as our God, because He IS God, whether we choose him or not!

Isaiah 45:5 ESV

5 I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me,

Worshiping God is not like shopping for green beans. When we shop for green beans, we have to choose whether we want them frozen in a bag, in a can, or fresh.

After that choice, we have to choose what cut of green beans we want from a multitude of cuts.

Once we’ve chosen what cut of green bean we want, we have to choose what brand of that cut we want.

Worshiping God is not like that! God is not even an option on the shelf because He does not allow Himself to be equated with other gods. He is not “God AND...” or even “God OR...”

IV. Conclusion

Joshua’s response is not “as for me and my house, we will choose the LORD.”

Joshua’s response is instructive for us. He says:

Joshua 24:15(b) ESV

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Because by Joshua’s testimony, the gods beyond the River couldn’t bring them through the River. The gods of Canaan weren’t victorious in battle.

But the LORD brought them in, by bringing them through, and fighting for them and giving them everything so that they might wholly and fully and totally serve Him, and Him alone!

A. Gospel Proclamation

The Gospel we believe tells us that no other god came to earth as a man.

No other god lived without sin, an unblemished lamb.

No other god died on the cross as a sacrifice of atonement for the sin of the world.

No other god was buried in a tomb.

No other god was raised to life in power.

No other god ascended into Heaven.

No other god sent His Spirit at to empower all who believe.

No other god dwells in the heart by faith.

No other god will return in power.

No other god will save from judgment.

No other god will secure for you an eternal inheritance.

No other god is the way, the truth and the life.

There is no other god, but God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the same yesterday today and forever, whose person we know and works we see in Jesus Christ.

B. Application

Will you choose him? — You can’t. He’s not for sale. He can’t be chosen.

With God, it is not a matter of choosing, it is a matter of serving.

Will you serve him?

The good news is that you can in Jesus.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

We are saved by Him, to serve Him. And we will serve Him forever.

Revelation 7:13–17 ESV

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”