THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012
Joshua’s Farewell Addresses
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in
Joshua’s words to the Western Tribes (but clearly valid for the entire people of
Indeed, Joshua rightly judges that, while the military conquest of the land has reached a near-term conclusion, each generation will need to have a new spiritual conquest or recommitment. Or, put more personally, each of us must decide daily (and sometimes momentarily) whom we will serve. As Bob Dylan sang, “you gotta serve somebody,” and there are many competing forces at work. As Scott asked at a recent funeral, “do you believe that there is more to this world than what we may see with our eyes?” Our emphatic “yes” to that question highlights the supernatural nature of the struggles that the Israelites and we will face.
In Joshua’s words, we see a dichotomy of intentionality -- that, by choosing not to follow the Lord, the people will inevitably fall into serving the pagan gods of the conquered regions. In truth, we face the same dichotomy: we will choose to serve the Lord, or we will end up serving the “prince of this age,” the world, or the flesh. Whom will you choose to serve?
The paramount importance of this decision speaks of why our love for the Lord must awaken our hearts, minds, and souls. If our hearts, minds, and souls are not fully engaged in loving God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, then we will lose our drive. We must become more intimate with Him by cultivating our relationship; otherwise, we will move away from Him. Our society, perhaps best represented through Oprah theology, believes that we may dabble in various faith traditions to satisfying personal effect, but this smokescreen obscures the truth of the passage above. The dichotomy does not disappear, even with modern-day “progress.” In The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer wrote: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.”
The passage also points to the problem of how a nation at “rest” – spread out over many square miles, instead of living communally – can continue to follow the Lord in unison. Joshua urges in 22:5: “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” The nation’s commitments are ultimately to God, not man.
The nation, in time, will come to rest on its laurels and fall away from the Father. How could they have avoided this? In one sense, through remembrance, both positive (“God sightings” or evidence of His providence) and negative (recalling the severe consequences of personal and national sin).
In Joshua’s address, we find numerous references to God’s faithful provision for His people over their history. Throughout the remainder of the Old Testament, we find that the Israelites typically remain strong in the Lord or become recommitted to Him through reflection on these “God sightings” from their history. We would do well to commit the “God sightings” in our life to paper and to share them with family and friends. One “God sighting” this week: A friend of mine who attended church – and heard God’s Word – for the first time (ever) a couple of weeks ago decided to attend a Bible study, led in his native language. Wow!
Furthermore, reflecting on our capacity and tendency to sin and the consequences thereof does encourage us to cling to the Living God. The Israelites might have listed the Golden Calf; the brazen attitudes of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu; and Achan’s sin. Our personal sin ultimately has repercussions within our families and throughout the entire society. (As a small example, while lust primarily wars against my own body, its effects cause me, in my pride, to diminish the value of others. Multiply this effect over thousands of times, and you have a society that speaks of gender equality but believes in a highly sexualized femininity.) In fact, the Israelites’ corporate morality will fall away from this point forward through the time of the Judges because there is little to no personal accountability and insincere commitment from the people to the Lord.
As a closing excursus, we would do well to gain a deeper reverence and (positively) fearful awe of God the Father. As I meditated on today’s passage, I pondered the Name “Jesus Christ the Lord.” The very Title suggests majesty and dominion, power and sovereignty, beauty and holiness. While democracy may provide the best means of avoiding societal chaos, it does allow us to look rather casually towards power or authority, in contrast to monarchy. We may disagree with individual leaders’ policies and viewpoints, but 24-hour news cycle’s caustic and disrespectful attitudes towards their offices represent a significant step in the wrong direction. By considering the Kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ, we may develop a positive fear and reverence, spurring us to remember His provision and to avoid sin.
QUESTIONS
- How can you motivate yourself to follow Joshua’s words? Whom may you enlist in fighting the battle with you?
- What lies have you believed about your own sin over the past week? How can you learn and relearn of God’s goodness?
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