Choose You This Day Whom You Will Serve - Joshua 24:15

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Jehovah God said to the people of Israel, “I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which you planted not do you eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the LORD”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse fifteen of Joshua, Joshua said, “choose you this day whom you will serve”, where we read, 

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

The verse reads, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve;” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and if it seem evil unto you” which means “and whether and in case it, the following, appears bad, disagreeable, malignant, displeasing and wicked” “to serve the LORD” or “to labor and work for Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”, “choose you this day” which means “elect, decide and select you, people of Israel, this particular sunrise to sunset” “whom you will serve” or “what person or god you, the people of Israel, shall labor and work for”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua” told the people of Israel in case they thought it was displeasurable and wicked to labor for Jehovah God, they should on that day decide who they were going to “serve”. 

The verse goes on to say, “whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell:” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “whether the gods” which means “if and in case the deities” “which your fathers served” or “that your, the people of Israel’s, male progenitors and ancestors” “that were on the other side of the flood” which means “who existed upon the opposite side of the flowing stream”, “or the gods of the Amorites” or “or the deities belonging to the Amorites whose name means ‘a sayer’ and was one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt”: “in whose land you dwell” which means “within whose, the Amorites’, territory, region, district and country you, the people of Israel, live, abide and inhabit”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of Israel were to make a choice whether to labor and work on behalf of the deities their “forefathers” worshiped on the opposite side of the flowing stream or the deities whom the “Amorites” worshiped and in whole territory in which they were living.

Finally the verse read, “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua or the writer concluded this verse with the words, “but as for me and my house” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover we, Joshua and his household”, “we will serve the LORD” which means “we shall labor and work for Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”. Joshua or the writer shared how Joshua declared that he and the people within his household would labor, work and give homage to Jehovah God. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we see how “Joshua” brought the people of Israel to the point of making a decision. They could choose to labor and work for Jehovah God or they could labor and work for the deities of their forefathers or the “Amorites”. Only Jehovah God delivered the territories within the promise land to the people of Israel, but they were free to select another “god” to worship. God does not force a person to “serve” and follow Him, however, He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days so when we put our faith and trust in Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and equip us to “serve” Him all the days of our lives - if we so choose. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; John 6:68)

Next time Joshua or the writer shares how the people of Israel say, “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".