Joshua, son of Nun, was one of the Israelites who Moses had led out of Egypt. He was one of the twelve men chosen to spy out the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:1-20). God promised Joshua that he would enter the Promised Land because he was one of two spies who brought back a good report (Numbers 14:6-9; 14:30).

After Moses’ death, Joshua was his successor and God reassured him just as He was with Moses, He would also be with him (Josua 1:6-9). All that God required of Joshua was for him to meditate on the statutes of God and obey them so that he would prosper in his journey (Joshua 1:8). From there, it was miracle after miracle. For example, crossing the river Jordan, to the wall of Jericho falling and the sun standing still (just to name a few).

Despite the victories, he also saw firsthand, the wrath of God against rebellion. We might be familiar with this well-known statement of his “…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15b). ‘As for me and my house’ was more than a cute scripture. He was drawing a line in the sand, and maybe we need to as well.

1. Fear the Lord

Along the way, the children of Israel started worshipping idols, which is a grievous sin in the eyes of God. In the final chapter, Joshua called the congregation and began to recite their history from the time God called Abraham, to Moses leading them out of the wilderness, to the miracles that God performed and possession of the Promised Land. Before Joshua renews their covenant with God, he shares one more message,

Joshua 24:14 
“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord.

The first thing that he told them was to fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. To fear the Lord means to have reverence; a deep respect for Him. When men and women walked in the fear of the Lord, there was a consciousness of His presence. The fear of the Lord is what encourages us to walks in integrity, rather than live in duplicity.

There was an understanding that God is gracious and merciful, but He was also holy and righteous. It’s what kept them in awe of Him. The fear of the Lord could only grow from a place of knowledge and intimacy. Without this, complacency and familiarity often crept in (1 Samuel 1:12-17).  

Joshua wanted them to understand that serving God should come from the genuineness of their hearts, rather than out of obligation or for the sake of appearance. If we serve God because it is “expected”, we can become resentful rather than joyful. People may look at the outward appearance, but it is only God that sees our heart.

For the Israelites to serve God, it required commitment. If they were going to give the Lord their “yes”, then it also meant that they would have to say “no” (and continue to say no) to the things that do not please Him. If we’re honest, that’s not always an easy thing to do.

2. Put away the gods

If we’re going to truly serve the Lord, we must put away our idols. And by ‘put away’, it doesn’t mean we should leave them in a corner untouched (just in case we might need them later), nor does it mean ‘out of sight, out of mind’. It means to get rid of completely; to destroy. 

In the Old Testament, the people of Israel were ruthless when it came to destroying their idols. One of the ways that they showed true repentance was by tearing down the altars. They knew that to serve God meant that there could be no room for compromise. For example, Moses burned with righteous anger, burnt the golden calf, and poured the powder into the river (Exodus 32:20a).

It may seem extreme but for them, it was non-negotiable. If they kept their idols, they would be justifying their disobedience. Sometimes we make excuses for the idols in our lives. In our eyes, ‘they’ve been good to us, ‘it’s not that bad’ or ‘it doesn’t mean that I love the Lord any less’. But when covenant is concerned, especially with God, we can’t have any others (Exodus 20:5a).

The lie from the enemy is to make us believe that we can have both, to eat our cake and have it too. The idea of ‘sitting on the fence’ means that we are free from taking a side. The uncomfortable truth is – there is no fence. It’s either we’re for Him or against Him. It’s either we’re hot or we’re cold, being lukewarm or indifferent, cannot be the norm.

If we’re not wholly devoted to Lord, then we’re wholly devoted to something else. There is no in-between. For us to experience true intimacy with God, we must be willing to forsake all others. Having one foot in God and one foot in the world is not worth it.

We can’t experience the benefits of walking with God, if we’re holding onto our idols. Sometimes this can be the hardest part, especially if these idols “promise” comfort or instant gratification (we get what we want and when we want it, without having to wait). It doesn’t matter what name these ‘gods’ (idols) bear or they offer – all of them must be put away for good.

A few verses later, Joshua reminded the Israelites to ‘put away the gods that are among you and incline your heart to the Lord’ (Joshua 24:23), and their response “The Lord our god we will serve, and his voice we will obey” (Joshua 24:24). It wasn’t enough to make an oath; they also needed to be obedient. Their actions had to align with their confession.

3. Choose whom you will serve

There a comes a point where we must make our own decision on whom we want to serve. It’s not about following who our parents, pastor/leaders, or favourite ‘Christian influencers’ encourage us to serve. This is a personal decision, and it’s not by force. The Lord can’t make this decision for us. Neither can the people in our lives make this decision for us.

Joshua 24:15a
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. 

It’s interesting that he says, ‘if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve’. If serving God and living in submission to Him was considered undesirable or slavery in our eyes, then ‘choose this day whom you will serve’. If His laws are considered a “restriction”, rather than protection then ‘choose this day whom you will serve’.

Joshua was concerned about their heart posture. He didn’t want them to make vain promises, break their covenant with God by chasing after idols and then face the consequences of their actions. It was time for them to be honest with themselves and be honest with God. Whose side were they really on?

The Israelites had a choice: to live in submission to God or rebel. They could serve and obey God or serve the gods of their ancestors in the wilderness (a generation that never entered the promised land because of unbelief and continual disobedience). They couldn’t be forced to serve God, otherwise it wouldn’t be a relationship.

God created us to have free will and, while He isn’t always pleased with how we use our free will, it doesn’t change the fact that He gave it to us. The only thing that God can do is to advise us and guide us in the right direction, but the ball is in our court. The same question that Joshua asked, still echoes thousands of years later. Choose this day, while it is still today, whom will you serve.

4. As for me and my house…

“…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b)

‘As for me and my house’ was Joshua taking a stand for faithfulness. He drew a line in the sand and was not afraid of other people’s reaction. Regardless of whether the rest of the people would follow his leading, he made a conscious decision, as for him; his household, and the generations that would come from his lineage, they would serve the Lord and fear Him.

To some, his statement may seem bold or radical in a land of compromise. However, this was his way of communicating with them that he had made up his mind and there was no going back. Joshua wasn’t waiting for their approval or applause. Whether they chose to serve God or not, that was beyond his control.

It’s easy to stand with God when we’re surrounded by like-minded people, who have the same conviction. But it’s harder to remain committed when we’re afraid of standing out or standing alone. If the people around us are no longer serving God, would we continue to? Or are we quick to switch sides when it is no longer popular or convenient? If nobody stands with us, will we still stand with God?

The lands that the Israelites would pass through had idols everywhere. For them not to fall into temptation and grieve God’s spirit, required them to keep the Lord at the center of everything that they do (and it wasn’t easy). The idols that other nations worshipped, appealed to their flesh. Most of the time, idols over-promised and under-delivered.

It’s going to be hard to stay the course. There will be many distractions that will target our eyes, ears and hearts. For us not to sway to the left or right, it means we must set the Lord continually before us (Psalm 16:8) and determine in our hearts that He is worth pursuing every single day.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. As for me and this house, this body (a temple of the Holy Spirit) will serve the Lord. It doesn’t have to be a public declaration; an internal decision is just as powerful.  

God bless,
Susan.