Yesterday I posted a question on the Facebook wall that was simply: What does "remaining faithful" mean to you? For me, remaining faithful means more than just being true to my marriage vows. For me, remaining faithful means that I am honoring all covenants, all promises, my word and I am standing firm, confident, and do not move from the path my feet are set on. It means I am being loyal. It means I am purposely making decisions that will honor God, show the fruit I have grown in my life, and I do not accept anything outside of the covenant I have with the Lord without testing it against the word of God.
We saw in Chapter 23 Joshua caution the Children of Israel of taking up other gods and marrying into the people that remained on their land. Chapter 24 begins with Joshua reminding the elders, their heads, their judges, and their officers and told them the Lord God of Israel says: and He proceeds to tell Israel all that God has done to get them where they are, includig taking Abraham and leading him through Canaan, and then gave Abraham Isaac. The Lord gives a very detailed count of all He had done for the nation of Israel up to that point. The Lord also said:
Joshua 24:13 I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.'
The Children of Israel did not have to work for the land they received. They lived in cities they didn't build. They eat of the produce of the land; from vineyards they did not plant. God is reminding them that He has given them all they possess. Then, Joshua makes a statement to the elders, tribe leaders, and the people.
Joshua 24:14-15 "Now therefore, fear the LORD, Serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! (15) And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
There is probably one of the most quoted scriptures in all of the Bible: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I have a hanging plaque that hands on my front door that says this. Mother has a decorative garden stone outside her front door that says the same thing. What does this really mean and what does it really entail? Look at v.14.
- Fear the Lord
- Serve in sincerity and truth
- Put away the gods of their fathers
If serving the Lord felt evil to them, then Joshua gave them a choice. Serve either:
- The gods of their fathers OR
- The gods of the Amorites
But either way, no matter what the Children of Israel decided, Joshua and his house were going to serve the Lord. Israel responded with an "of course we are going to serve the Lord." Joshua goes on to tell them they would not be able to do so. And Joshua makes a new covenant with Israel at Shechem. It seems like a pretty easy decision to follow the Lord and serve Him doesn't it? He isn't evil, we know that. He doesn't wish for our demise. We know that. He only has our good in mind. Yet, are we faithful in our walk? Do we stray from the path we know He is leading us down? When it becomes hard do we become fearful, as the disciples did in the boat when the storm came?
2 Timothy 2:1-4 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2) And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (3) You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (4) No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
We must endure. We do not get tangled up in the things that are a part of this life. We can do that by keeping our focus on God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Paul said we must run our race.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. (25) And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. (26) Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. (27) But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
So, how do we remain faithful and serve the Lord, as Joshua told the Children of Israel? We lay aside every weight (Hebrews 12:1) that might be set as a tap for us. Run with endurance the race set before us. Look to Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, who Himself endured the cross while despising the shame, and is now sitting at the right hand of the throne of the Father. We run the race with discipline, so that it is brought under subjection, not choosing to return to sinful nature. Paul said he does so so not to become disqualified himself when preaching to others.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: (2) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; (4) and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (5) But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Be watchful in all things...not in some things, but ALL things. We endure afflictions while we do the work of an evangelist which fulfills our ministry. All of these things...and much much more. Be strong in the faith and remain faithful to a God who is faithful to you.
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