“Then Joshua assembled all the
tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and
officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Joshua said to
all 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 worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from
the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many
descendants. I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned
the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt. ‘Then
I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and
I brought you out. When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the
sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the
Red Sea. But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you
and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with
your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for
a long time. ‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the
Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed
them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of
Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam
son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he
blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand. ‘Then you
crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against
you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites,
Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead
of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not
do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not
toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards
and olive groves that you did not plant.’” (Joshua 24:1-13)
This is the history of about one
thousand years that Joshua is addressing to the leaders of the nation. There is
nothing he says that his forefathers did something meaningful and historical. What
he says is that everything was planned and done by the Lord God over the course
of one thousand years to his people and the world. God brought Abraham into the
unknown land for him and his sons, Isaac and Jacob. God sent Moses and rescued
the people out of the iron bondage of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. God demonstrated
his mighty power and wonder for the world to see that there were no other gods
like him. When the Egyptians pursued after the people of Israel, God separated
the Egyptians from the people of his own by the cloud of glory, thrusting the
army of the world into darkness. Then they lived in the wilderness for forty
years. God gave the land of promise to their hands, driving out the Amorites
and the Canaanites. God twisted the tongue of the false prophet, Balaam, so he
blessed them again and again, and he delivered them out the hand of false and
greedy prophet. The people of Israel crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The
people of Jericho and all the tribes of Canaan fought against them, but God
gave them into their hands. God sent the hornet ahead of them, which drove them
out before Israel. Israel did not drive them out with their own sword and bow. So,
God gave them a land on which they did not toil and cities they did not build
and they live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that they did not
plant. God faithfully kept the promise given to the forefathers, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob.
Who would dare to believe that the
four-century long slavery ever be lifted up? Who would believe that King of
Egypt let the slaves go, forfeiting the considerable labor force? Who would
believe that the Red Sea stopped flowing against nature and opened its way for
the numerous people of Israel and just resumed flowing and closed the way for
the army of Egypt? Who would believe that the people who spent in the
wilderness for forty years ever crossed the Jordan River and destroyed the
cities and towns of Canaan? It is impossible to please God without faith, because
anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and rewards those who earnestly
seek him, says the Scripture (Hebrews 11:6). God is just and faithful in
keeping his promises and pouring out his love over generations and generations
even though the people never deserve to be cared and cherished at all. Why does
God continue to show his relentless mercy and grace upon the people of no
accountability? Why has God been patient over his people so long, even a
thousand years and more? Our God is shining the light of the world in order
that his people may trust in him and be saved from all the delusions and
illusions of the world. So, Joshua commands the people of God to continue to
trust in the Lord and serve him only, having the fear of the Lord in mind and
heart in the land where they have been brought into in his unconditional mercy
and grace and his faithfulness.
“Now fear the Lord and serve him
with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the
Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems
undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will
serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15)
The Scripture solemnly declares,
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom
and instruction.” (Proverb 1:7) Why must the people of Israel serve the Lord
only with all faithfulness? Why must they throw away the gods their ancestors
worshiped and the gods of the Amorites? It’s because the idols of the world are
all going to pass away with no trace. Apostle John commands the saints to obey
the will of God, which lasts forever. “Do not love the world or anything in the
world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For
everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its
desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John
2:15-17) This is what our God is doing over and over again, demonstrating that
there is nothing to depend on in the world. So, man shall fear the Lord and
obey him. The Teacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes has one last word which
concludes after all the experiments and adventures and searches of life. “The
conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments,
because this applies to every person.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NASB) Apostle Paul exhorts
and beseeches the people of God born and made righteous in Christ Jesus to bring
their bodies as living sacrifices in daily lives. “Therefore I urge you,
brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy
sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Romans
12:1) That’s the thing all men in Christ ought to do. That’s the reasonable and
logical service man in Christ ought to offer. That’s what Joshua desires to do
by faith. What’s the people’s response?
“Then the people answered, ‘Far
be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God
himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of
slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on
our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the
Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in
the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.’” (Joshua
24:16-18)
What’s their problem? What they
are saying is all correct based on the facts. But they do not understand that
they are overly confident on their flesh. Despite of the experience of the
mighty hand of God over and over again, the human flesh never be subdued and
controlled by the will of man. This is exactly what almost all young Christians
experience. Once they have been born again in Christ, they think and feel like
that they will never sin or fail again as they used to do in the past. But soon
or later, they miserably and unbelievably fail and commit the same sins of
mistake and trespass. Why do they fail and sin? It’s two fold. It’s God’s way
of teaching for them to know and understand what they are in Christ. It also
indicates that they are in the process of growth in Christ. Apostle Paul nails
down the impotence of humanity even after the redemption that no one can do
good though they mean to do good and cannot but doing evil though they do not
mean to do evil (Romans 7:15-25). Until the time for the bodily redemption
comes, we’re carrying the sinful nature, the flesh within. This is the most
difficult lesson for Christians to learn. Our confidence is not coming from us,
but solely from God. “Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not
that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our
competence comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5) No, we cannot keep the
commandments of God with our own flesh no matter how determined and committed
we are. What’s the commandment of God? It’s to love one another as Christ loved
us. Test yourself whether you can practice the love of Christ! Ah, to love the
lovable is easy and even pagans can do that. Try to love someone who is
irritating and criticizing you without cause! Thanks be to God who delights to
drive us to the point of total bankruptcy in spirit where we truly admit that
we cannot love anyone with our own flesh. So, Joshua answers them honestly and
truthfully.
“Joshua said to the people, ‘You
are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will
not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve
foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you,
after he has been good to you.’ But the people said to Joshua, ‘No! We will
serve the Lord.’ Then Joshua said, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that
you have chosen to serve the Lord.’ ‘Yes, we are witnesses,’ they replied.” (Joshua
24:19-22)
Joshua is not playing or trying
to embarrass them but telling the truth in love. They are truly NOT able to
serve the Lord no matter how they are determined to serve him. History records
that soon after Joshua died they fell into the idol worship which was detestable
to the Lord. They cannot cheat God who is holy and jealous and punishes anyone
who rebels against the Lord (Romans 1:18). If they forsake the Lord and serve
foreign idols, God will turn and bring disaster upon them and make an end of
them, even after he has been so good to them. Why are they NOT able to serve
the Lord? It’s because the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God, and it
does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so (Romans 8:7). Those who are in
the realm of the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). These people think that
they are confident in serving the Lord. Their reasons are based on the facts
that God rescued them by his power and wonder. That’s true. They have been
delivered by the might hand of God. However, what they do not understand is
that they did not contribute anything when God delivered them out of the
bondage of sin and death. If they could not do anything when they were first
delivered, how much more they are impotent to do anything to save themselves
from all temptations and trials. No matter how honestly good their intention to
serve the Lord is, they are not able to do that. Apostle Paul gives the answer
why they cannot. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that
you may not do the things that you please.” (Galatians 5:17)
But the people say to Joshua, “No!
We will serve the Lord.” They do not understand what they are saying but are
overly confident of themselves. They should have said, “Yes! We are NOT able to
serve the Lord, so have mercy on us!” Then Joshua tells them they are the
witnesses against them that they have chosen to serve the Lord. And they answer
so naively that they are witnesses against themselves. That’s the flesh which
can easily deceive themselves. God did not give them the laws and the decrees
to keep and obey them with their own might and strength. It’s exactly the
opposite. God gave them the laws and the decrees to teach them that they were
not able to keep them. Apostle Paul was raised in a well established family
religiously and acquainted with the laws and decrees since his early childhood.
He thought that he was keeping all the commandments of God just as a young rich
ruler answered Jesus (Mark 10:20). He never knew of himself as one who was
capable of violating any command of God until the law got hold of him in
reality. “What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not!
Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.
For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You
shall not covet.’” (Romans 7:7) Although he might have memorized the tenth
commandment well, he did not understand it until it came to him with a
formidable force. When he realized that God commanded not to covet his neighbor’s
house, either wife, servant, animal, or anything belongs to his neighbor, he
was deadly compelled to covet all the more, being driven by the law and deceived
by sin within. “For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,
deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.” (Romans 7:11) That’s
what we are. Precisely.
“’Now then,’ said Joshua, ‘throw
away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the
God of Israel.’ And the people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the Lord our God
and obey him.’ On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at
Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. And Joshua recorded these
things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up
there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord. ‘See!’ he said to all the
people. ‘This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words
the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to
your God.’ Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.” (Joshua
24:23-28)
It is the most significant point
in serving the Lord. First throw away the foreign gods and yield their hearts
to the Lord, the God of Israel. It is called repentance. This step is
absolutely necessary to serve the Lord God, because no one can serve two
masters. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love
the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) Jesus says to disciples exactly the
same principle to keep if they want to follow him. “Whoever wants to be my
disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For
whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for
me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35) No one can serve God who is
holy and jealous without being clothed with his righteousness. Since we’ve been
made righteous and holy and blameless in the sight of God, we now can oppose and
reject the evils and serve him. This is called putting off our old self that
has died with Christ and putting on the new self in Christ. It is seriously and
relentlessly significant to repent and say “no” to the evils and wrongs. That
is why our Lord Jesus says to reconcile to our brothers before coming to serve
the Lord.
“Therefore, if you are offering
your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has
something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go
and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)
How do we live now in Christ?
Since we’ve been made righteous through the blood of Christ, we can say “no” to
the evils and “yes” to the Spirit. This we will do continually because we’ve
been called as the ministers of the new covenant. That’s what we’ve learned and
ought to do now and forevermore. “That, however, is not the way of life you
learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with
the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of
life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new
self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians
4:20-24) We no longer live our own old lives for we’ve been purchased with a
price. We’re not our own any more but his possessions and captives forever (1
Corinthians 6:19-20). That’s what we’ve been made for in Christ Jesus. We live
in him and he in us because apart from the Lord Christ we can do nothing.
“I am the vine; you are the
branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart
from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
December 1, 2016
© 2015-2016 David Lee Ministries – All
Rights Reserved.
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