Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 (NRSV)
Read Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 24Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. Verse 2And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors-Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor-lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Verse 14"Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
Verse 15Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Verse 16Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; Verse 17for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; Verse 18and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God."
Devotion
As a wedding gift, my wife and I received a wall hanging that included the verse "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Through our covenant of marriage we made promises to each other, but we also were bound by God.
The Israelites aren't so sure about whom they're serving. Joshua reminds us that before Abraham, the Israelites worshipped other gods. In verse 15 he puts them to the test: choose whom you will serve. The response of the people is an "Aha!" moment—"Oh, yah; God did deliver us, protect us, and drive out those Ammonites! We'll serve the LORD, too!"
Serving the LORD is always done in community—our worship, prayer and care of one another are reminders lest we forget the amazing things God has done for us. But for us as for the Israelites there are many idols that distract us from these relationships. We need a reminder once in a while. So, whom do you serve?
Prayer
Blessed Lord, we serve you by serving others. Raise us up to be confident in our faith, to trust you in times of struggles and to listen to your word in our lives. Amen.