Josh. 24:14-21.
AS for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” These noble words were uttered by Joshua, shortly before he was taken away from Israel. A deciding time had come for that people. Joshua recounts how God had dealt with them. He takes them back to Abraham from whom they traced their beginning as a people. Abraham dwelt “on the other side of the flood,” that is beyond the river Euphrates. What was his condition? Alas, he was an idolater: he “served other gods.” But God’s love and grace are told out in His taking up such a person, and bringing him into fulness of blessing. He brought him into the land of Canaan, and there He gave him a beloved Son—Isaac. And He gave unto Isaac, Jacob and Esau. To Esau He gave Mt. Sier for a possession; but Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. God meant, however, to have the twelve sons of Jacob people the land of Canaan, and make it their possession; and when they had fallen under sore bondage in the land of Egypt, He sent Moses and Aaron to them, and He plagued Egypt, and brought His people out.
As we asked concerning Abraham, when he dwelt beyond the flood, so now we may ask concerning Israel—what was their condition? Alas! they too had become idolaters. Delivered from idolatry for a time, how soon they had fallen back into it, when surrounded by a people who bowed down to stocks and stones. But God, in ‘mercy, brought deliverance, not only from the hand of the tyrant who was grinding that poor people down, but also from Satan’s power, and turned their heart unto Himself. He brought them out of Egypt; He brought them through the wilderness; He brought them into the promised land. He fought their battles for them; He drove out the nations before them; He gave them a land for which they had not labored; He gave them cities that their hands had not built in which to dwell, He gave vineyards and olive yards, which they had not planted, of which to eat the luscious fruits.
And now, after having been carried so lovingly on, out of bondage into plenty, with God’s mighty power exercised in their behalf in all the difficult way by which they were led, let us ask again, what is their condition when now established in the land of promise? Alas! alas! that pen should have to record the shameful story. AGAIN THEY WERE IDOLATERS. How can we account for this! What shall we say? Only this—such is the human heart. How readily. how quickly, man turns from God unless kept through the mighty workings of grace in his soul.
After recounting God’s ways in power and in grace, Joshua calls upon Israel to put away the gods that their fathers had served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah. He then adds, “If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve.” How these words lay bare the state of their hearts. Could anything be sadder! The gross lusts and carnal pleasures connected with idol worship had found such a place in the hearts of some at least, that it seemed to them an evil thing to serve the Lord. But the time had come, and choice must be made between the living God and these dumb idols.
In decided terms Joshua expresses what his course will be; “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Reader, what is your choice? With you is the responsibility. Will you choose the vain pleasures of earth, or will you yield all to follow Jesus?
ML 04/08/1906