26
Little Statues
Jeff WeinkaufJoshua 24:14-28
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.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods,17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
19 But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.”21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” 22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. 26 And 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 terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.” 28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
It's an active choice to follow and serve the Lord. It's not a casual decision like ordering a coffee "oh let's see, today I think I'll have a pour over instead of brewed".
No it's a commitment.
That's the point Joshua is trying to make to the people. At one point it even looks like he's trying to talk them out of it. Really though he's working to make sure they fully understand these are more than words they are saying. If your really mean it, if you really intend to submit yourself then change your ways. He tells them to "put away the foreign god's that are among you", which must mean they were there to begin with. He also tells them to "incline your heart to the Lord..". Put away the things that draw you away from the one true God and actively turn your attention toward Him.
If we're being real about where we are at, we'd all have to admit to some "foreign gods" among us. Like Israel we drift away from being wholly committed to Him. To be clear these are not so much little statues we bow to, but things that pull focus away from God. The pursuit of passions outside of His call, an unhealthy drive towards reward, control, or any other self focused pursuit which places us at the center. Like Joshua, let us place some marker stones in our lives to remind us of what we've committed to. Then when we find ourselves off target, let these remind us of the decision we made, and whom we belong to.
God may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you.
Amen.
