This is what the Lord God of Israel says, "Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods." (Joshua 24:2) That had to be a jolt to all of the assembled that day--they had come so far. They had survived the wilderness, fought battles, and were now enjoying the promised land, Canaan. Joshua was old. This was the beginning of his last speech to his beloved people.
And the Lord continues to relate all that he has done. How he has taken Abraham to Canaan, multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac. How he gave Isaac Jacob and Esau. He gave Seir to Esau and Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. How he sent Moses and Aaron and how he plagued Egypt and afterward how he brought the people out of Egypt.
And the Lord continues: I brought you out of Egypt and when you were pursued, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians and the Red sea came over them. You've seen what I've done in Egypt and how you spent a long time in the wilderness. You've seen how I handed the Amorites into your hand, how the king of Moab planned to curse you but I delivered you out of his hand. And you went over Jordan and I handed you Jericho, the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and the Jebusites. Also, how I drove out the two kings of the Amorites with the hornet. (Exodus 23:27,28)
Now, the Lord tells them: You are living in a land that you didn't work for, living in cities you didn't build and working vineyards and oliveyards that you didn't plant. I have handed all this to you.
These are all the things the Lord told Joshua to tell the Israelites now living in Canaan. It's Joshua's turn to speak. He says for them to put away the gods of their fathers. The gods of their fathers!--some still carried around the gods of their fathers! Some were still practicing the old ways of their ancestors. They had either seen or heard all that had been done for them. This is Joshua's last reckoning with the people. This is the chapter with the most famous verse in the Bible: choose you this day whom ye will serve. (Joshua 24:15)
Pastor Josh went on to say that it wasn't enough to follow what others serve. We, each of us, has to choose who we will serve. And, we must make the choice daily. His question was--How much of the devil are you willing to live with? Just like him, one can't be a pastor for 21 years and then quit. The 21 years would be meaningless. They wouldn't matter--it's what you do today. Today counts.
And the Lord continues to relate all that he has done. How he has taken Abraham to Canaan, multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac. How he gave Isaac Jacob and Esau. He gave Seir to Esau and Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. How he sent Moses and Aaron and how he plagued Egypt and afterward how he brought the people out of Egypt.
And the Lord continues: I brought you out of Egypt and when you were pursued, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians and the Red sea came over them. You've seen what I've done in Egypt and how you spent a long time in the wilderness. You've seen how I handed the Amorites into your hand, how the king of Moab planned to curse you but I delivered you out of his hand. And you went over Jordan and I handed you Jericho, the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and the Jebusites. Also, how I drove out the two kings of the Amorites with the hornet. (Exodus 23:27,28)
Now, the Lord tells them: You are living in a land that you didn't work for, living in cities you didn't build and working vineyards and oliveyards that you didn't plant. I have handed all this to you.
These are all the things the Lord told Joshua to tell the Israelites now living in Canaan. It's Joshua's turn to speak. He says for them to put away the gods of their fathers. The gods of their fathers!--some still carried around the gods of their fathers! Some were still practicing the old ways of their ancestors. They had either seen or heard all that had been done for them. This is Joshua's last reckoning with the people. This is the chapter with the most famous verse in the Bible: choose you this day whom ye will serve. (Joshua 24:15)
Pastor Josh went on to say that it wasn't enough to follow what others serve. We, each of us, has to choose who we will serve. And, we must make the choice daily. His question was--How much of the devil are you willing to live with? Just like him, one can't be a pastor for 21 years and then quit. The 21 years would be meaningless. They wouldn't matter--it's what you do today. Today counts.
