Joshua 24:14-24
We will never be free from making choices. Joshua pleaded with the Israelites to make a choice in this new land which was now to be Canaan the Promised Land. What I find interesting is that these were people (and their children) who had seen God’s miraculous leading when they came out of Egypt and through the parted Red Sea and now later through the parted Jordan River whose banks were overflowing due to flooding. Now we read about the victories that the Lord gave them as they conquered the land of Canaan. What would happen to us if we saw what they saw? How would we respond and live? How many Christians (as in genuinely saved people) are following what they really know about God? It is very easy to be distracted by spirit of the world. Joshua asks them to make a choice as to whom they are going to serve. They all responded with that they would serve God. But did they? That is all well and good but what happened was that they left quite a number of Canaanites in the land and didn’t follow God’s orders to wipe them out.
Good intentions that are not followed through can have dire consequences. The whole book of Judges tells us of an up and down movement of serving idols and then serving God. Then as we read through the books of Samuel and Kings we find that they have gotten so corrupt that God in disgust brings foreigners in to take them over and disperse them to their lands. This is the history of the Old Testament. It shows us the true nature of sinful man. Take a look at Ezekiel the Prophet. Now let’s scroll down through time to today’s world. What about our so called Christian land? Christianity is a minority. We have all kinds of idolatry and ‘isms’ in our land today. Where are the preachers of Christ today?
