In his old age, before he died, Joshua called the leaders of Israel to meet with him at Shechem. The story is recorded for us in Joshua chapter 24. In that concluding chapter of that powerful book, we hear Joshua rehearse the purposeful activity of the living LORD God among his chosen people The brush strokes are broad and bold. He paints a picture for us of Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor when they lived in Ur where they worshipped other gods. The story would have been well known. It no doubt would have been the theme of many campfire tales inherited by each generation in turn through a centuries-old oral tradition. It would have summoned the greatest leaps in the imaginations of young boys and would have consoled the elderly of the LORD’s favour as they approached the end of their life’s journey.

Joshua leaves nothing for granted. He has summoned the leaders of Israel together to hear the word of the LORD God, to listen to the rehearsal, once again, and not for the last time, the activity of the living God.

The purpose of such a rehearsal becomes clear in verse 14 and following: "Hold the LORD in awe then,, and worship him in loyalty and truth. Banish the gods whom your fathers worshipped beside ‘the Euphrates and in Egypt, and worship the LORD. But if it does not please you to worship the LORD, choose here and now whom you will worship." (Joshua 24: 14-15, NEB)

Let us be very clear. Joshua’s challenge is a thoroughly personal examination of Israel’s relationship to the LORD God. Not simply a personal relationship from the point of view of the Israelites, although it is certainly that — make no mistake! But it is also a personal relationship from the point of view of the LORD himself! It may appear subtle, but the implication is very clear: we see here the living God who personally established a covenantal relationship with Abraham and who confirmed this covenant to Isaac and Jacob; the living God who personally called Moses into his service of deliverance and identified himself as I AM; this same living God whose most holy and unpronounceable Name was recorded in the four consonants and semi-vowels rendering a Name that could pass no ones lips — this Name in Hebrew was rendered as LORD when the Scriptures were translated into the Greek Septuagent. LORD represents the personal, unpronounceable Name of the Most High God.

Joshua’ s challenge then, with this understanding, places each one of the leaders of Israel before the personal LORD God who had brought them to the place where they now stood. This was not perceived as coincidence or fate. This was seen as the personal interaction between Israel and the God who chose Israel for himself.

There is some thing else worthy of our attention here: as Joshua uses the word worship in the New English Bible translation, it’s worthwhile to recognize that the King James Version uses the word serve without distinction. Nowhere in the Scriptures are we to find the worship used in the limited, restricted sense by which we mean today a liturgical activity. Joshua is not asking whether or not the Israelites intend to offer prayer and praise to the living LORD God. He is not simply determining what their intention is with regards church attendance. No, he is asking the leaders of Israel, and through them the whole nation itself, whether or not they choose to give a direct acknowledgment to God, of his nature and attributes, of his ways and deeds not only by their heart — but by their service as well. Faith is of the heart and it is necessary that it be complimented by obedience: that is to say, faithful observable conduct, if it is to be a wholesome witness to the LORD God.

Joshua, asking the question, is quick to indicate to everyone present where he stands lest any ambiguity surround him and his motives lose their clarity. But I and my family, he says, we will worship the LORD. (v. 15).

You’d think that the resounding response of the congregation to stand with him would have pleased him. It seems perfectly reasonable to expect anyone inviting others to stand with him for the LORD would be overjoyed at such an endorsement. 1m sure I would; and you probably would, too. But not Joshua. No, he takes nothing for granted here and presses them: warning that vows taken lightly will come to no good for the LORD is a jealous Cod who will not share their affections with another. At no tune is it even entertained that not to choose the LORD would imply denial of his existence. The sin of idolatry is not built on a foundation of philosophical atheism. It simply has its basis in man’s double vision. When our eyesight is less than it should be and we find our focus of attention directed to someone else other than the LORD, then we know we cannot shout with the crowd, no matter how good it sounds, No, we will worship the LORD. (v. 22)

The question of Joshua is the eternal, question asked of all who wish to worship the LORD. It is the question directed to the Priest and the layman. It is the question asked of the Bishop as well as the confirmand. And all the more powerful it is when first we realize that this Joshua of the Old Testament, the one who led the Israelites across the Jordan out of physical bondage into a land of promise, this Joshua prefigures one who would come much later. One whose name was more familiar on the lips of his Mother as Joshua than the Greek name we know him by: Jesus. One who leads us across our Jordans out of spiritual bondage into his marvelous light. The question isn’t any less pressing today and certainly it is not any less personal.

This is a question directed to our will. We have no option but to choose for even if we hesitate then we have made our choice. It is a question Joshua heard on the lips of Moses before his death; and the question is repeated for every generation, down through the ages. The choices made in Moses’ generation, while they may be influential, cannot be assured to be the choices that have been made for Joshua’s generation. And so it is with us. With you. And with me. It is not simply a matter of the mind; it is a matter of the heart as well. It is imperative that we look at this event not as a quaint remnant tale of piety gone by; rather, it is a timely question of the day deserving of an answer — not out of convenience but out of conviction. Then, with the people of Israel we can stand and say, The LORD our God we will worship and his voice we will obey. (v. 24)