Every day we make multiple choices, multiple decisions. Many of them are not all that important, such as what we eat for breakfast, or whether to wear the blue shirt or the yellow one. Others are much more important, such as whether or not to go to college, or what job we take, where we decide to live, and who to vote for. And then there are some life or death decisions, like seeking medical treatment for health issues, and which kind of treatment to take, whether or not to ignore some danger signs and proceed down an uncertain path, etc. In today’s Scripture we read about a very important choice to be made, one that has eternal consequences depending on what one decides. This was a choice that the people of Israel faced, and one that each of us has to make, as well. Let’s see what that choice to be made is.
As our Scripture opens, Joshua is nearing the end of his life. He had been the one chosen by the Lord to lead the people across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land after Moses had died. He was a skilled army general, and led the people in conquering the land. Now, as his life is drawing to a close, Joshua wanted the people of Israel to recommit themselves to the Lord. He knew the people’s past, and how they had a tendency to quickly turn away from Yahweh. He knew that was the reason for their having had to wander in the wilderness for forty years, and even now, within the Promised Land, many of them had faltering faith. They were encountering pagan nations, and the false gods of these people were a snare.
Now that they were in the Promised Land, and much of their territory had been conquered and was beginning to be settled, Joshua gathered the leaders of the tribes together to proclaim exactly who they would follow (vs. 1). He first reminded them of their great Patriarchal Father, Abraham. He had made a vitally important decision in his life, one like the people right then were needing to make. Abraham came from a family of pagan idol worshipers (vs. 2). His father, Terah, worshiped the Sumerian gods and goddesses of the time, yet Abraham made the most important decision of his life, one that had eternal consequences for him, when he chose to forsake those false gods and instead worship Yahweh, the one true God. Now Joshua confronted the people, and asked who they were going to worship. They could choose those ancient gods of the ancestors of Abraham. They could choose the pagan gods of Egypt where they had lived as slaves for so long, they could choose the idols of the Canaanites and Amorites where they now lived, or they could choose to follow Yahweh (vs. 14-15).
Joshua and his family had made their choice. They were not going to forsake the Lord and turn to pagan gods and goddesses. They were going to serve Yahweh, the one true God (vs. 15). He reminded the people that this was a vitally important decision, one that cannot be made lightly (vs. 19-20). God wants a total commitment from those who choose to follow Him. He does not want a half-hearted commitment, nor will He tolerate a mix of worshiping Him along with worship of other gods or goddesses (vs. 23).
Joshua gave a godly example for the nation in his life and that of his family, which helped to encourage them in choosing to follow Yahweh, and to forsake the pagan gods from their past and those around them. The examples of godly people we know, and the power of the Holy Spirit will give us courage to stand firm and make us strong in our faith.
Every day, all throughout our life, we make choices, and those choices turn us into the type of person we become. Now is the time to choose the right side. God is giving us the chance now. It won’t last forever, as none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We never know when our last moment will come. Nor do we know when Jesus will return, as it could possibly be in the very next minute. We must make the choice to follow Jesus now, not tomorrow. We can choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or choose death and hell.
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