WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday December 9, 2018
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LOVE AND SERVE GOD
(The LORD’s Covenant renewed)
(Joshua 24:1-28)
Through the permissive
Will of GOD man is allowed to do many things, and in addition, through JESUS’
death on the cross, we also receive GOD’s wonderful and abounding grace. Through
GOD’s grace, we are given “wills that are free”, and through that free will, come
our ability to make choices and decisions that can deeply affect our lives, and
the lives of others.
If
we choose “the Christian Walk”, we automatically choose to make ourselves
strangers to worldly behavior. We give up permanent residency on this earth in
order to become citizens of Heaven, and therefore, the laws of GOD must become
paramount to us in our own existence.
In
order for “wrong things” to cease to fascinate and have power over us, we must
ultimately “fall in love with goodness”. And when we fall in love with
goodness, we will be, thereby, compelled to reject the things that are not of
GOD, and embrace those things that are of GOD. Through our obtained knowledge
of GOD’s Word, we are more able to better recognize “the holy” from “the unholy”,
and make our choices and decisions accordingly.
In
Joshua 24, some forty years after Moses received the Ten Commandments from GOD
on Mount Sinai, Joshua summoned all the people of Israel together, including
all of the leaders, elders, judges, and other officials, to meet with him at
Shechem, just a few miles west of Shiloh. As this book of Joshua comes to a
close, and, with Joshua himself closing in on 110 years of age, he now prepares
for his home-going by delivering two farewell addresses to the chosen people of
GOD.
The
events of this passage also occur in the place where Abraham first received the
promise that GOD would give the land of Canaan to his offspring for an
inheritance. Abraham built an altar there so that he might demonstrate his
faith in GOD (Genesis 12:6-7). Jacob had also stopped there on his way to Padan
Aram, where he buried the idols of his family, that, they had brought with them,
under a tree (Genesis 35:4).
Joshua’s
first address, which was to the men who would inherit his leadership role in
Israel, also turned out to be his final testimony to GOD’s unwavering
faithfulness to HIS followers. However, his speech also contained some stern
warnings from GOD, of the dangers of abandoning HIS Covenant Laws, once HE had
called Joshua home (Joshua 23).
During
this convocation at Shechem, Joshua speaks explicitly in the name of GOD, and
through him, GOD gives the people and extended review of Israel’s past. Here GOD
takes them back down memory lane, all the way from the time of Abraham’s
calling from his father’s house, beyond the Euphrates River, up to some of
their most recent battles with their enemies in Canaan, after crossing the
Jordan River.
Joshua
goes on to urge them to honor and serve GOD wholeheartedly, and, to put away
forever, the idols that their ancestors had worshipped back beyond the
Euphrates, and even while still in Egypt.
When
Joshua had finished his divine presentation, he “opens up the doors of the
church” and gives all members a chance to choose sides, as to whom they would
serve. Will they choose to serve the Almighty GOD in Heaven, WHO had, over the
years, carried them on wings like eagles (Exodus 19:4), or, would they continue
to try and hold on to useless idols? This was the choice that Joshua challenged
each and every person to make, and they had to make it on that day.
Joshua
then goes on to utter the most famous statement he would ever make, and in
fact, it is one of the most famous “declarations of faith”, that can be found
in all the annals of biblical history. Here in verse 15 (KJV) Joshua declares, “And if it seems 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”.
The
bible states, and implies, that GOD does not like those who are “lukewarm”
towards HIM. To be lukewarm towards GOD is to be on the wrong side of the line.
HE much prefers those who are “hot”, and even suggests that it is better even to
be “cold” than to be lukewarm towards HIM (Revelation 3:15-16).
As
far as GOD is concerned, we are either “for HIM”, or, “against HIM”. There is “no
gray area”, or “middle ground” that we can stand on and be safe, until we make
a decision, nor can we “straddle of the fence”, because the fence is completely
on satan’s side of the line. There is only one “line in the sand”, and we need
to “choose this day”, Joshua insists, to be on one side or the other. And by
the way, those who ultimately fail to choose GOD have automatically chosen to
serve satan, and so too, it goes for those who think they’ve chosen neither
(Those people who say there is no GOD, and there is no satan).
In
biblical times, and today, people worship hand carved likenesses, or even
posters of other people, animals, or even “places” and “things”. They also
indulge themselves in astrology, witchcraft, and sorcery. Most people today
worship “the gods of modern culture” such as entertainers, athletes,
politicians, money, sex, jobs, cars, houses, clothes, etc.
Our
perspective of life has become contaminated and scrambled. We have either
forgotten, or never really known what GOD’s order of importance for mankind
should be, and this is what that order is; that we should “worship GOD only”, “love
people”, and “use things”. And whenever we get that order scrambled or twisted,
we automatically sin against GOD.
And
so it is here in this final chapter of Joshua’s life, that, after completing
the first phase of their conquest of Canaan, the Israelites, under his
leadership, chose to worship GOD only. And they built an altar to GOD
consisting of a large stone upon which Joshua inscribed the Law of GOD, and
rolled it underneath an oak tree that stood beside the Tabernacle of the LORD.
Here
in this passage Joshua made it very clear what his choice would be. He and his
family would, of course, “serve the LORD”. Salvation will always be available for
all mankind (until it isn’t anymore), but each individual must “choose freely”
to accept it. The right time to come to JESUS is always “right now”, and the
right way to come to JESUS is always “just as you are”.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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