Who Will You Serve?

Today I want to talk to you about an item of great importance, it is not as great as God or our jobs but if anything, I believe it would be somewhere on our top 10 list of importance. It is an item of possession and many people strive for it. They desire to have it as their own and will go through any means to acquire it. What am I talking about? I am talking about (land). Growing up on a spot of land that has been in the family for years has a special meaning, at least to me. I grew up on a piece of land that belonged to my grandfather. It was a piece of land he got after losing his father’s land due to the Ten-Tom waterway. I remember the stories about that land and every once in a while, my family will gather behind the church and reminisce about the old home place. The road is still there and the only way across is by boat. No, I have never been there but I long to one day. The land my grandfather had was loss due to means of greed in both cases. But as I married Jana, we were deeded or promised land on her grandmother's place. Now Jana’s sister has already claimed her portion of it. When we go out to visit we talk about where we would put the house. We even have plans for the house we desire to build. We even have imagined where everything is going to be. We pull into that drive and we again are reminded of the promise that one day this is yours. It is for your family. And we assembled around the old home place there and we remember that promise.

In Joshua chapter 24:1-2;14-25 Joshua assembles the people together at Shechem one last time. Joshua has grown old since the people entered the “Promise Land.” He is 110 years old. So, Joshua called this assembly and said “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: and he reminds them of the forefathers. Not Abraham but his father Terah, and the land beyond the river Euphrates. Why? In this verse He emphasizes that they (Terah, Nahor, & Abraham) followed other gods. So, Abraham came from the land of Ur, modern Iran. God calls to Abraham, and he arises and follows God to the land of Canaan. While here he journeys to the very place, they are currently gathered at Shechem.

Why at Shechem? Why was this a place of importance? If we look at Genesis chapter 12:1-7 the promise of God for Abraham and his descendants.

(ref. Genesis 12:1-7)

We see the people (Abraham’s descendants) are gathered at the very place God made the Promise to Abraham. You know I want to believe that they were assembled around the very altar than Abraham erected to God. So, like Abraham and his family, these descendants were called out of a life of idolatry and they journey throughout the land that God promised him. God said, ‘’ One day Abraham this land is yours. It is for your family and their descendants.” Joshua goes on to remind them of their past; the journey to Egypt, the bondage, the idolatry of the Egyptians that their fathers practiced, the Red Sea crossing, the victory over the Amorites, and everything that God has done for them. So we skip on down to verse 14.

In verse 14, Joshua challenged the people with several challenges which is the same given to Abraham several generations before. God through Joshua is once again calling the people out of serving their false gods. Their fathers’ gods beyond the river Euphrates and the gods of Egypt.

I. Fear the Lord and Serve Him Wholeheartedly, Fear is a natural response to a perceived threat to one’s security or welfare. It can both protect and

hinder us from enjoying life, In the Bible popular culture is not a pure emotion but wise behavior. 1In the Bible fear is referred to several hundred times either explicitly or by implications (by trembling, shaking or cringing). Yet 435 times fear is referred to by the Hebrew word yare which means to Honor, revere, to be frightened, make afraid etc. 2 We have all these things fear means. So how is Joshua using it? I believe it is a reverence aspect Joshua is speaking. He uses Fear and serve God Wholeheartedly together Wholeheartedly means “Sincerity” meaning without deceit in truth3So we fear God and wholeheartedly by placing him first.

II. Put away forever the idols served by daddy both (Beyond the Euphrates, and in Egypt). Joshua reminded the people of Terah and Nahor, their forefathers, and how they served other gods. And in Egypt the fathers of the current assembly followed other gods as well.