The theme for my Emmaus walk was "I've Come To Serve". As I read Joshua the word "serve" was repeated many times. Joshua was a great leader and like Jesus he came to serve. In Chapter 24 he hammers the point home over and over. Serve God and Him only. Get rid of all idols. I love the Pep speech in Chapter 24. It reminded me of the end of the movie "Courageous". "Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the men of Jericho fought against you—also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”" Yes!!!
Today was powerful... I hate that Joshua is ending ( aside from all the names of the cities, thank goodness for audio).
ReplyDeleteJoshua reminded the people what God had done and that EVERY promise was made. In chapter 22 the chief men went to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh... They thought that these tribes were defiling the land by going against the Lord. They remembered what Achan had done and how his sin brought wrath on the whole community of Israel. "He was not the only one who died for his sin." They were not passing false judgement on them they were making sure that sin was not crouching at their door.
In chapter 23:6-7 "Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you... " God is faithful but WE must decide who we will follow. It has to be intentional.
Chapter 24: don't you love coming up on the scripture in verses 14 and 15... as I came up on the latter I announced that verse out loud! It is good stuff!!!