“Bible promises: We will serve the Lord”
Joshua 24:15
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus.
Two hundred and fifty-years ago next year, in March of 1775, the Second Virginia Convention met at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. The reason for the meeting was to elect delegates to the Continental Congress, and to vote whether or not the state should send men to fight against Great Britain.
And after a number of other delegates spoke before the assembly, a man named Patrick Henry, a former lawyer and future governor of Virginia, suddenly stood up from his seat in the third pew and took the floor.
He said: “If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate that matter. Gentlemen may cry, ‘Peace, Peace,’ but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
Later, Thomas Marshall, father of John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States, said that his speech was “one of the boldest, most vehement, and most animated pieces of eloquence that had ever been delivered.” And American soldier and statesman Edward Carrington was so affected by the speech, he said he wanted to someday be buried there.
Another wrote, “For Patrick Henry, there was no middle ground. His yea was yea and his nay was nay. And while contemporaries were going around their elbows to get to their thumbs, Patrick Henry decided that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points.”
Even Thomas Jefferson called it the war cry of the Revolution.
So it was for a man named Joshua. I’ll read his words from the book of Joshua chapter 24: “Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods”’” (Joshua 24:1-2). Then he said, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond 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” (Joshua 24:14-15).
The book of Joshua chapter 24 takes us to the very end of Joshua’s life on earth. He had already led the people of Israel from the wilderness into the Promised Land. The sun stood still and the great walls of Jericho tumbled down.
And God had made them into a nation and even fought their battles. He said: “I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant” (Joshua 24:12-13).
But now, at the ripe old age of 110 years old, Joshua was too old to lead the army of Israel into battle anymore. Now it was up to the twelve tribes to conquer the land that the Lord had given them.
But the people didn’t want to fight anymore. All they wanted to do was to settle down in peace and comfort and enjoy what they had already earned. And seeing that their attitude of compromise and complacency would certainly end them, Joshua gathered the nation together to speak to them once more.
And with a heart full of deep conviction and obedience and love for God, he said, “God has been so faithful to you all these years, and now you must remain faithful to Him. So choose this day whom you will serve.”
In effect, Joshua said, “So, who’s it going to be? Take your pick, if you want to, of the gods of Ur of the Chaldees, or the moon god, or the sun god, or the gods of Egypt, or the gods of the Amorites, the gods of fertility and pleasure. Make your choice,” he said. “If you don’t want to choose the living and true God, then go back to the false gods you used to worship. Go all the way back to Ur if you like. I won’t stop you.
“I don’t know what you will do. I don’t know what your families will do. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”
As one commentator wrote, “This is one of the most famous statements in all of the Old Testament, and rightly so, because it expresses the heart of a great spiritual leader at the very end of his life.”
It’s easy to say that life is filled with choices. We choose what channels we want to watch, we choose what we want to eat, and where we want to shop. We choose our toothpaste, our deodorant, our cars, our houses, and our jobs. We choose our attitude, our friends, and how we’ll spend our lives. The list goes on and on. Everyday we’re confronted with choices.
And the choices we make are important. If you don’t choose to spend your time wisely, you’ll be overwhelmed and do nothing. If you don’t choose your passion in life, you’ll stand for nothing and fall for anything. If you don’t choose to care for your health, your body will suffer.
Even worse, we live in a “fence-sitting” world, a world that’s grown all too comfortable with partial commitments, one that wants to feel as if it's part of the game, but prefers the safety of the stands.
And think of how much our world has changed! Back in the ‘30s, children grew up during the Great Depression, when times were hard and a dollar was a lot of money. In the ‘40s, there was World War II, Frank Sinatra, Bogie, and Bacall. In the ‘50s, there was “I like Ike,” hula hoops, and a kid named Elvis Presley. In the ‘60s, there were the Beatles, LSD, assassinations, Vietnam, and violence in the streets. In the ‘70s, there was Happy Days, MASH, and Saturday Night Fever. In the ‘80s, there was cocaine, AIDS, MTV, PeeWee Herman, Teenage Mutant NinjaTurtles, and Nintendo. In the ‘90s, there were the Simpsons, Seinfeld, rap music, and Nirvana. As the century turned, there was 9/11, Harry Potter, South Park, and Hannah Montana. Then came iPhones, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram.
Our children see more, they know more, they experience more, and they grow up faster than ever before. And against that reality, the words of James Dobson strike home: “We must make the salvation of our children our number one priority. Nothing else is more important.”
And what did Joshua say? He said, “Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond 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” (Joshua 24:15).
A little over forty years ago, back in 1980, as a woman named Mary Sill was finishing her undergraduate degree in early childhood and elementary education, she paused to reflect on the myriad of mentors who had helped to guide her steps along the way. And out of all those to whom she owed such a huge debt of gratitude, more than anyone else, her mother stood out as her hero. She was there for every twist and turn, arms always open, loving with a constant, steadfast love. And so she wrote a poem called When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking.
It goes like this: “When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one.
“When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
“When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I knew that little things are special things.
“When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God that I could always talk to.
“When you thought I wasn’t looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.
“When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.
“When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
“When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked…and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw…when you thought I wasn’t looking.”
As another author wrote, “Whatever else may be said about the home, it’s the bottom line of life, the anvil on which attitudes and convictions are hammered out. It’s the place where life’s bills come due, the single most influential force in our earthly existence.”
And what did Joshua say? He said, “Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond 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” (Joshua 24:15).
And that’s what all of us must say sooner or later, whether we’re students or teachers, employers or employees, or simply dealing with our family or friends. If you follow Christ, there will come a time when you must say, “You can do what you want, but I’m going to serve the Lord.”
And what does it mean to serve the Lord?
It means giving up your will to follow His will.
It means believing His Word and obeying His Word no matter what anyone else believes or says or does.
It means doing your best to face life’s joys and sorrows, knowing that God is always there, with a love we never have to work for, a gift of His grace, holding your hand.
You know, the story isn’t over, for we haven’t heard the people respond.
So what did they say? They said, “We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God” (Joshua 24:18).
We thank You, heavenly Father, for calling us to be Your own. Help us in these difficult and trying times to be faithful, always ready and willing to follow You. This we ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen