Joshua 24:1-26
(sermon note: 10-18 sermon note)
1Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God.
2 Joshua said to the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought terrible plagues on Egypt; and afterward I brought you out as a free people. 6 But when your ancestors arrived at the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after you with chariots and charioteers. 7 When your ancestors cried out to the Lord, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians. I brought the sea crashing down on the Egyptians, drowning them. With your very own eyes you saw what I did. Then you lived in the wilderness for many years.
8 “Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you. I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land. 9 Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak.
11 “When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them. 12 And I sent terror[c] ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. 13 I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.
14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
16 The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. 17 For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. 18 It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”
19 Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”
21 But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!”
22 “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the Lord.”
“Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.”
23 “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.”
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the Lord. 26 Joshua recorded these things in the Book of God’s Instructions. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the terebinth tree beside the Tabernacle of the Lord.
This morning’s reading reminds me of the one about Napolean who, after each battle, would walk down and shake the hands of all his soldiers Each time, he would ask them the same three questions: How old are you? How long have you been serving in the army? Which of the two battles have you fought in? One time, a new, foreign soldier didn’t know French and was worried about what to say to Napoleon when it was his turn. A more experienced soldier next to him told him, “Don’t worry, he asks the same questions every time. First, he asks, ‘How old you are…just say 25 years. Next, he’ll ask how long you’ve been serving…just say 1 year. Finally, he will ask which of the two battles you’ve fought in…just say both.” The foreign soldier was relieved, and when it was his turn, he was ready. “How long have you been serving in the army” Napoleon asked. “25 years, sir!” Napoleon was surprised that such a young-looking man could have served for 25 years. He asked, “How old are you?” “1 year, sir!” Now Napoleon was really confused. “Either you’re crazy, or I am!” “Both, sir!”
Well, at least the last question was in the order that the soldier had an appropriate answer for! Both Napoleon and the soldier were crazy for serving in the military and killing other people. It takes a degree of craziness to kill another person let alone thousands of them as a man with such high rank as Napoleon was attributed with. Think what we will about killing another person and justifying it, it isn’t God’s will for us to do so. It doesn’t please God when we kill each other. Heck, He even gave us a commandment not to do it as we heard last week! No, God doesn’t want us to kill each other even if we can justify it. So if we know this, why does He allow us to do it at all? I guess because He gave us free will and wants us to choose not to kill. And the same free will allows us to go a little crazy sometime too or at least appear to go a little crazy. Serving in the military, serving one’s country, involves doing things that aren’t necessarily fun or easy. They are unreasonable things and the only way to do them is to set aside reason…in essence, go a little crazy. Of course, I like to think of it as relying more on faith than on reason. To serve in any capacity demands that we rely more on faith than on reason which brings us to our reading for today.
We’ve made a big jump from Moses receiving the Ten Commandments to Joshua speaking to the Israelites in the Promise Land. Recall that Moses went on to lead the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years before finally coming to the edge of the Promise Land. God told him that he wouldn’t actually lead the Israelites into the Promise Land. Moses died but not before entrusting the people to Joshua who led them into the Promise Land. Joshua overcame the city of Jericho, and the Israelites began settling in the land and this is where our reading picks up. Joshua could see the Israelites going back to old habits they had while enslaved, particularly the habit of worshipping false Gods…of placing their trust in any number of things besides God. It was as if God’s mighty plagues and his help through the 40 years of wandering hadn’t happened at all! The Israelites just couldn’t place their full, undivided trust in our God! So Joshua needed to remind them of all that God had done for them. And when he was done, he had enough common sense to know that he couldn’t force them to put their full trust in God. Nobody can force another person to believe and trust in God. All we can do is tend to our own belief and trust. Joshua boldly proclaimed, “But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” It would be interesting to know how many of us have something in our homes that has this declaration written on it. I’ve got a 2’x3’ tapestry hanging in my front entryway. What a powerful declaration to make even if it kinda negates what I just said about not being able to make anyone else believe and trust in God. But I know that my family believes and trusts in God regardless of me and my influence…they came to that belief and trust on their own. Yes, it is a powerful reminder of who we are called to serve-God and God alone. It was powerful enough to convince the Israelites to recommit to serving God as they were pulling away from him.
But it’s also a reminder that doesn’t really come with an explanation. What does it mean to serve God? Joshua doesn’t really explain what he means by serving the Lord, does he? Thankfully for us, we have the apostle Paul to help explain what it means to serve the Lord. Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” (3:23-24) Working diligently and serving our neighbors in this world IS serving God. That’s how we serve God, by serving each other! A pretty novel idea, yes?! Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (15:58) There is great joy to be found in serving each other because we know God sees it and promises an inheritance of his kingdom as a reward.
Now then, remember that all service can appear crazy at times. Just because we believe it pleases God when we serve others and that we will be rewarded for it doesn’t mean that others necessarily believe this. To them, it may appear like crazy, unreasonable behavior. Without God and God’s love, the world can also appear cold and cruel. Serving God by serving each other can appear crazy but trust me, it is not! It is God’s gracious and loving will for us and our world. It is the only way to survive this world, through love and service.
So Joshua was the first to make the bold statement, but it has been echoed by countless believers throughout the millennia. Let us join the ranks of believers and seek to serve God by serving each other. Recall the words of Samuel, “But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.” (1 Sam. 12:24) God has indeed done wonderful things for us! Thanks be to God!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
