Original Entry:
December 22,2008
McMinnville, OR
Now fear the Lord and serve him with all
faithfulness. Throw away the gods your
forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to
you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serves, whether the gods
your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land you are living. But as for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:14-15
A few years ago I
joined REI. REI members know about the regular Garage Sales where the company
sells its returned products at dirt cheap prices. Members will literally camp
outside the stores in order to have premium selection. I learned this first
hand one year when a friend decided to show me the ropes. I was able to
purchase a great tent upgrade from my experience.
It was the ultimate
upgrade! Well, almost.
Today we pitch our
tent on Joshua’s final discourse only one verse away from his famous last
words, “As for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord” (24:15). In his
final war cry Joshua tells the people to “fear
the Lord” using a positive and a negative in his final words.
Negatively, those who
want to fear the Lord must “throw away
the gods of your forefathers.” Think
about this for a second. Except for Caleb and Joshua the exodus generation has died
off, but apparently their idols endured?
Maybe they passed them down. Maybe their children found them among their
belongings. All we know is the idols endured even after conquering the Promised
Land. The walls of Jericho crashed but the gods of their fathers remained.
Isn’t it amazing what
men will hold onto even after upgrading? Why hold on to something that is
obsolete? Why value something that is useless? Men do this all the time don’t
we?
“Back when I was your
age…”
Positively, those who
“fear the Lord” are told twice to serve
God. To fear Him is to serve Him.
The man who fears
serves God. The man who serves God destroys the obsolete idols of his past.
What idols are you holding onto?
