Untitled Sermon (3)

Me & My House Jos 24:15

Joshua (2) Covenant Affirmations (24:14–24)

The proper response to God’s gracious dealings was for Israel to forsake other gods and follow him, the one true God. Joshua himself would lead the way by example (vv. 14–15). The people’s response was one of commitment (vv. 16–18), after which Joshua warned them about the consequences of this commitment, which the people were willing to accept (vv. 19–21). A formal covenant renewal or covenant ratification ceremony seems to be in view in vv. 22–24, with the people testifying as witnesses to their own actions, although these verses only report on such a ceremony (i.e., they may not contain the entirety of what was said and done).

24:14–15 Now God left off speaking directly, and Joshua addressed the people, charging them to be faithful in serving the God who had been so faithful in helping them. He again mentioned the gods of their ancestors (cf. v. 2) and urged the people to remove them (“throw away”) from their midst. In v. 14 the NIV’s “serve him with all faithfulness” is literally “serve him with integrity (tāmîm) and truth (ʾĕmet).” The NASB renders the phrase here as “sincerity and truth,” the NRSV as “sincerity and … faithfulness,” the REB as “loyalty and truth,” the NLT as “wholeheartedly.” The word tāmîm connotes the idea of wholeness, blamelessness, integrity, even “perfection,” and thus Joshua’s exhortation is a passionate one that the people should be totally devoted—blameless—in their worship of their God. The first part of v. 14 contains a concentration of theologically freighted words: the Israelites should fear (yrʾ) the Lord, and they should serve (ʿbd) him with integrity (tāmîm) and truth (ʾĕmet). Joshua was urgently impressing on the people what they should do.

The phrase “in Egypt” in v. 14 adds something new here. In v. 2 we have learned that Israel’s ancestors had worshiped other gods early on, when they were still in Mesopotamia (see comments on v. 2). However, Joshua now stated that this also had been true in Egypt. There is no direct reference to such false worship from the narrative texts in Exodus about Israel’s time in Egypt. However, twice reference is made in the Pentateuch to the gods the Israelites had worshiped there: (1) Lev 17:7 mentions goat idols that the Israelites had sacrificed to, and (2) in Deut 32:16–17 they are charged with worshiping “demons,” which were foreign gods, idols, which had not been worshiped in Israel until recent times (i.e., in Egypt, or the wilderness). In v. 15 Joshua added a third set of gods, “the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” Thus, false worship had been a hallmark not only of Israel’s distant ancestors or of their more immediate ancestors in Egypt, but even of themselves, here in the land of Canaan. Joshua’s implication was that the nation had never truly rid itself of false worship, and he was urging the people in the strongest terms possible to do so now.

In v. 15 Joshua laid out two choices for the people, made the more urgent by his insistence that the choice be made “today” (“this day”). If they found serving the Lord to be “evil in your eyes” (NIV: “undesirable to you”), then they should choose between the gods of Mesopotamia whom their distant ancestors had served or the more immediate gods of the Amorites (i.e., Canaanites), among whom they were living. In his famous words at the end of the verse, Joshua took his stand clearly and unambiguously on the Lord’s side. Joshua stands as a good example of a leader willing to move ahead of his people and commit himself, regardless of the people’s inclinations. His bold example undoubtedly encouraged many to follow what he pledged to do, in their affirmations of vv. 16–18.

The choice laid out here for Israel was a breathtaking one. The language about choice is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. Normally, God was the one who did the choosing, having chosen Israel from among the nations to be his people (see, e.g., Deut 4:37; 7:6–7; 10:15; 14:2). But now, Israel was being asked to choose its loyalties, something the pagan nations did not have to do because they could embrace all the gods. The Israelites were being asked to do what Rahab had done, namely, to embrace this one God and, by doing so, to reject all others (see on 2:9–11). Joshua laid out for Israel the choice, but he did not threaten them or try to coerce them. The choice was simple, and he set an example by his own choice.

Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary iii. The Covenant Agreement (24:14–24)

14–15. The ‘service’ (Heb. ʿbd) of the LORD is repeated seven times. Four times it refers to the present generation of Israel. Twice Joshua commands them to serve the God of Israel; twice he challenges Israel to choose whom they will serve; twice he refers to the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River as in verse 2. Joshua concludes with a commitment of himself and his household. The gods of the Amorites represent those of the nations surrounding Israel. After Joshua’s death, the people chose to worship these deities (Judg. 2:11–13; 6:10) despite Joshua’s warnings and Israel’s confession in Joshua 24. Joshua and his household represent the minority who would remain faithful. For the Christian, Joshua’s testimony is a model of bearing witness to one’s faith even when it means standing out from the majority. In the New Testament, Stephen (Acts 7) and Paul (Acts 9:20–25) represent Christians who confessed their faith despite its unpopularity.

A Handbook on the Book of Joshua Joshua 24:15

Joshua 24:15

The lengthy “if” clause at the beginning of this verse may cause considerable difficulty for the reader, and it may be advisable to break it into several shorter units. For example:

If you are not willing to obey the LORD, then decide today what god you will obey. You will have to choose between the gods which your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia and the gods which the Amorites worship in the land where you are now living.

As for my family and me is literally “as for me and my house” (RSV). The word “house” would include not only Joshua’s immediate family and all relatives who lived with him, but his slaves and servants as well. One may translate “But my family and I have decided to obey the LORD.” Or, since this is a patriarchal society, “I have decided to obey the LORD, and everyone in my family and all my slaves will also obey the LORD,” or “I will obey the LORD, and I will require my family and all my slaves to obey the LORD.”

Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament Joshua Issues Final Speeches to the People of Israel and Dies (23:1–24:33)

JOSHUA ISSUES FINAL SPEECHES TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND DIES (23:1–24:33)

When the Lord has given Israel rest on every side and an inheritance for every tribe, an elderly Joshua assembles the nation (chap. 23). He charges Israel to follow the Torah of Moses just as he was charged in 1:1–9. Joshua acknowledges God’s fulfillment of all his promises but warns Israel of the temptation to become like the Canaanites (due to their ongoing presence in the land), which would lead to the same destructive fate. Joshua (again) assembles the nation at Shechem (chap. 24) and recounts the history of the patriarchs, the exodus, and the current generation. The theme is that God has graciously gifted the land to Israel, just as he promised. Joshua questions whether Israel can be faithful and holy to the Lord alone. Once again, Israel affirms their allegiance to the Lord. Joshua oversees a covenant renewal for the people, writes it down in the Law of God, and raises a stone near the sanctuary as a witness. The book concludes with historical notices of the burial locations of Joshua, Joseph’s bones, and Eleazar. The book of Judges (1:1) will pick up after the death of Joshua, just as Joshua (1:1) began after Moses’ death.

cross reference

Jdg 6:10 | Also I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed My voice.’ ”

Ge 18:19 | For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

Ex 23:24 | You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.

1 Ki 18:21 | And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

Ex 23:32 | You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

Ge 18:19; 35:2; Ex 23:24, 32–33; 34:15; Dt 6:14; 13:7; 29:18; Jos 24:2, 14, 22; Jdg 6:10; Ru 1:15–16; 2:12; 1 Ki 18:21; Ps 101:2; Eze 20:39; Da 3:18; 1 Ti 3:4–5

1 Timothy 3:4–5 NKJV

one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

Serve- till,toil,work,serve; accomplish,do, let work,urge to work, Jos 24:15 “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of 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.””

Joshua 24 NKJV

Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them. Afterward I brought you out. ‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. So they cried out to the Lord; and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them. And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time. And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand. Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the men of Jericho fought against you—also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’ “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of 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.” So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.” But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord!” So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses!” “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.” And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.” So Joshua let the people depart, each to his own inheritance. Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old. And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph. And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his son, which was given to him in the mountains of Ephraim.