Golden Text.— “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Antorites in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”—Josh. 24:15. Read Josh. 24:14-25.
Joshua’s Memorable Decision
14-15. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua, having lived a hundred and ten years, and being conscious that the time had come for him to go the way of all the earth, gathered the tribes of Israel and reminded them that not one thing had failed of all the good things which the Lord had spoken concerning them (chapters 24:29: 23:14). He called for the elders, the heads of tribes, the judges and officers to present themselves before God at Shechem, and there he rehearsed unto them the story of God’s dealings with them and entreated them to fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth, telling them that whatever they might decide he was determined that he and his house would serve the Lord, and all the people said—
16-18. “God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.” They certainly had every reason to serve Him only and truly, for, as they said, He had brought their fathers out of the bondage of Egypt and preserved them and brought them to that land: and Joshua had just reminded them that the Lord had given them a land for which they did not labor, cities which they had not built, and vineyards and oliveyards which they had not planted (verse 13).
19-21. “And the people said unto Joshua, Nay: but we will serve the Lord.” Joshua, in reply to their assurance that they would serve the Lord, reminds them that they must be sincere, for the Lord is both holy and jealous. Holy is the only word that is used of God three times in one verse, and that only in two places (Isa. 6:3: Rev. 4:8). He, being holy, requires a holy people (Lev 19:2: 1 Pet. 1:15-16).
22-24. “The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey.” Hearing their firm protestation of a great determination to serve the Lord, Joshua further tells them that in taking this stand they must understand that they are taking a stand against themselves, and they must turn with their whole heart to God by putting away all strange gods from among them.
25. “So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day.” This verse and also verse I says that it was done at Shechem, and as Shechem was a city of refuge (20:7) and signifies “shoulder,” it is all suggestive of this—that we must find in the Lord our constant refuge from self and sin, and in our conscious weakness dwell between His shoulders and let the government of all our affairs and of ourselves also be upon His shoulder (Ps. 46:7-11: Deut. 33:12: Isa. 9:6-7).