September 29, 1999
LIFE & WORK SERIES:
Forget paper or plastic,
focus on life's big decision
___Joshua 24
___By Brett Younger
___Lake Shore Baptist Church, Waco
___The world was a different place 33 centuries ago. It was a world in which rivers parted so people could walk across on dry land (Joshua 3:1-17); the favorite heroine was a prostitute (2:1-21); the major holidays were celebrated by making big piles of rocks (4:1-20); and capital punishment involved stoning not only the perpetrator but also his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep and, oddly enough, tent (7:22-26).
___Nowhere is the difference between ancient Hebrews and end of the 20th century Americans any clearer than in Joshua 24; where Joshua says to the people of Israel: "This is it. You have to choose today. Are you going to worship God or not?" We're not used tochoices that matter.
___Having lots of choices is the name of the game in our society. Cable television companies promise more than 100 channels. Seldom does anyone ask why we need more than 100 channels. Almost any aisle in H.E.B. has a bizarre number of choices. Twenty different laundry detergents, 30 different deodorants and 40 different cereals all claim to do the same thing. We're busy all the time making choices about things that don't matter.
___Even the church starts thinking her job is to offer choices. People think of religion as a matter of personal preference. We tell people to pick the church in which they feel comfortable.
___Joshua sees from a different perspective. Near the end of his life, Joshua gathers the Hebrew people at Shechem and invites them to renew their commitment to God. Joshua begins by reminding them of what God has done for them (vv. 1-13). It's time for them to make up their minds about how they will respond to God. What loyalties will claim them? If they choose Yahweh, there will be a price to pay: "Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped" (v. 14). Joshua also mentions the present competitor for the Israelites' loyalties: "the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living" (v. 15). Commitment requires putting one life away in order to accept another. Something must be abandoned in order to be true. Everything is on the line. This is the kind of choice we seldom think about today: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (v. 15).
___One of the interesting things about Joshua's farewell speech is that after the people say, "We too will serve the Lord" (v. 18), Joshua replies: "You can't do it. You don't have what it takes." It's an interesting strategy for a preacher giving an invitation. Joshua makes it clear enthusiasm is often short-lived, so we should not be entering into commitments lightly. This choice is such a big deal we can't be faithful without help.
___ Though this call to choose seems harsh, it is good news. It's the good news that, unlike most of the thousand other decisions we make, something of significance is at stake. Our commitment to God matters.
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