Joshua 24 -- Last Warning

"In verses 2-13, it is the Lord who speaks as Joshua reviews the history of the nation."  Joshua is about to die with no named successor, and it will be up to the people to keep their covenant with God.  He said that God chose Israel when He called the idolater Abraham to go to Canaan.  "Their national identity was an act of God's grace.  Abraham didn't seek after God and discover Him; it was God who came to Abraham! ... Believers were chosen in Christ 'before the foundation of the world,' and are called 'God's elect' ... All of us must admit that God takes the first step in our salvation."

"It does a believer good to remember what it was like to be in bondage to sin and then to rejoice in the redemption that was purchased so dearly for us on the cross ...To serve God means to fear Him, obey him, and worship only Him.  It means to love him and fix your heart upon Him, obeying Him because you want to and not because You have to ... The people had to make a decision to serve the Lord God of Israel.  There could be no neutrality.  But if they served the Lord, then they would have to get rid of the false gods that some of them secretly were worshiping... Some of the Jews still sacrificed to the gods of Egypt!... Joshua knew that everybody must worship something or someone, whether they realized it or not, because humanity is incurably religious."

"Joshua's words were meant to curb their overconfidence and make them look honestly into their own hearts ... their great need was to cleanse their hearts of allegiance to the gods and to incline their hearts only to the Lord.  If they persisted in their hidden disloyalty, God would not forgive them but would punish them for their sins ... Because the people of Joshua's generation (the one that died off during the 40 year trek) failed to keep their promises and teach their children and grandchildren to fear and serve the Lord, the next generation didn't know the Lord."  We have that duty to do ourselves today.

Father, keep seeking out those You have chosen.  Keep reminding us to cleanse our hearts of hidden disloyalties.  Remind us of the dangers we place into our lives by choosing to worship people or things other than You.  Teach us to serve You.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford