Choose You This Day

O. T. #496  "Choose You This Day"
April 8, 2015
Joshua 24
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 Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 
Joshua 24:15

LET IT GLOW

Life is full of choices. We make hundreds daily. However, there is one choice that is the most important one we will make on a daily basis. I'll explain.
I have a plaque hanging on my wall over the kitchen entryway which reads: Home- As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. We made that decision whenever we got married-we would serve the Lord God and His Son Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is not just words hanging on the wall, but a daily decision. A surrender of our hearts to do His will, His way. It can be a difficult one since our old flesh, called self, wants to be on the throne of our heart.
Who will you choose to serve? Self or Savior? Joshua challenged the leaders of Israel before he died.

This is the second speech of Joshua's farewell address to the leaders of Israel. Where did it take place? The Septuagint and Arabic versions read Shiloh (place of the tabernacle) instead of Shechem (place where God's first covenant with Abraham was made). Wherever it took place, the focus is on the history of Israel that Joshua recorded in Exodus 12 to Joshua 22, and recounted :

• Terah was Abraham's father and an idolater. (verse 2)
• God lead Abraham from the other side of the flood throughout all the land of Canaan. (verse 3) He had to remove Abraham from such an environment.
• That is where Abraham's sons, Isaac, Jacob, and Esau, were born.
• Jacob and his family ended up in Egypt. (verse 4)
• God sent Moses and Aaron to deliver the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt through plagues. (verse 5)
• As Israel left, the crossed the Red Sea, but the Egyptians followed after them and drown in the sea. (verse 7)
• Israel lived in the desert a long time (40 years). (verse 7)
• God led them Israel to the land of the Amorites and He gave them victory in the battle. (verse 8)
• Then Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel, but God would not allow it and used a talking donkey for His purposes. (verse 10) 
• Israel crossed over Jordan. God gave Israel victory over those at Jericho and many other people listed in verse 11.
• God sent the hornet before Israel and drove out two Amorite kings. (verse 12) Some say the hornet was in reference to the Egyptian army who defeated the people of Canaan shortly before the conquest, but there is no evidence of such. (Deut. 7:20)
• He gave the children of Israel land they did not toil, cities they did not build, as well as vineyards and olive groves they did not plant. (verse 13)

God knew all the hardships and battles that Israel faced and went through. When they remained faithful to God, He took care and provided for His children.
Are we faithful to God? He is faithful to us.

LET IT GROW

What did Joshua call Israel to do? He called them to fear (give reverence to) and serve the LORD in sincerity and in truth, in addition to putting away the gods of those around them.

Verse 15 is a well known verse: Choose (to try) you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Who did Joshua say He and his house would serve? THE LORD
This call is for a commitment of the people to God, as well as it was made by others down through time.

Elijah exhorted the Israelites on Mount Carmel, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow Him... (1 Kings 18:21).

Paul exhorted If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above...(Col. 3:1).

Hosea prophesied that, speaking of God, Ephraim would one day say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him, and observe Him.(Hosea 14:8).

Will you choose to serve the Lord today? It is a daily choice, you know. Is your house serving Him or material, world things instead?

LET IT GO

Let go of anything that is more valuable, more important, or more time consuming than God.

Daily choose to love and serve the Lord God.

Talk with Jesus throughout the day, seeking His will for me to do.