“The Decision Of A Lifetime”

Tuesday, May 09, 2017

I have a question regarding the passage of Joshua 24:15.  According to this passage, Joshua is giving the people a choice of which god to serve while he says he'll serve only Yahweh.  But in earlier chapters and passages, God's anger burned against any believer who served other gods.  So did Joshua really mean what he said, or was he just testing the loyalty of the believers?

Sincerely,
Idol Curiosity

Dear Idol Curiosity,

Joshua is making an emphatic point that serving God is a choice… and we must all make that choice for ourselves.  We must remember that this was the last speech Joshua ever gave to the people of Israel – not long after this, he died (Josh 24:28-29).  This was Joshua’s last chance to penetrate the hearts and minds of the generation that was to follow, and he didn’t waste it.  Joshua desperately wanted the Israelites to serve God with all sincerity and truth (Josh 24:14).  This speech is the last serious discourse of a faithful man to the children that were to follow.  The choice would soon be theirs – he wished to impress the gravity of that decision to them.

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