Why does the Lord want us to be afraid of Him? 2. He told them, “… choose this day whom you will serve…” (24:15). Joshua wanted the Israelites to understand that they must choose to serve God or the foreign gods; they could not worship both. Why does the Bible use the lion symbol for good and bad examples? (1 Samuel 1-4) Men, make sure that if your family spiritually disintegrates, it is not a result of your abandoning your role as a spiritual leader. The Lord doesn’t want His people to be afraid of Him, but He does expect His people to reverence Him. As Joshua prepared the children of Israel for the land of Canaan he made it clear that first priority went to those with whom he had immediate and direct control: he and his "house." I encourage you to read this chapter and see all the wonderful benefits of the Lord towards His people. So, the instruction to the Lord’s people was to fear the Lord. Does this not remind you about the qualification of elders? Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. Joshua 24:15. While the children solve the puzzle, write onto the white/blackboard the verse and reference, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye 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 ye dwell. He rightfully took upon Himself to lead his wife and children in obedience to God’s Word. i. Joshua applied the principle. Let’s read those very important verses. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Practicing the leadership role invites disdain from some. Commentary on Joshua 24:15-28 (Read Joshua 24:15-28) It is essential that the service of God's people be performed with a willing mind. This does not mean, if under a man's leadership his family spiritually disintegrates, that he cannot be saved or be of use in the Lord. "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Biblical Commentary Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 THE CONTEXT: The last chapters (31-34) of Deuteronomy report the beginnings of the transfer of leadership from Moses to Joshua. (1 Timothy 3) People desperately need solid examples of spiritual leadership. Joshua 24:15 What Does Joshua 24:15 Mean? Download the latest version. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. Joshua made … KJ21. Yet, he moved forward with God's will realizing his first responsibility was for the leading of his family, then the nation. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” They now possess the land. Inwardly he may often have experienced excruciating agony. He is our blessed savior who loved us and have Himself for us. As a child of God, give the Lord your whole heart. That is good, in the sense of reminding you of your need to maintain humility while leading. (Luke 16: 27-31; Hebrews 6: 4-8; 2 Peter 2: 20-22) Taking the spiritual lead late in you and your family's life does not guarantee spiritual success with them, but it does guarantee the greatest ally in the fight to redeem yourself and your family from the forces of Satan. I encourage you to discover that joy for yourself by finding ways in which you can serve God in your own life: be it at church, at your job, in your family. Intro: "Now therefore" the aged Joshua has gathered the elders of Israel for the last time. The Hebrew word for fear in this verse is ‘yare’, which means to revere or to reverence. Joshua 24:7b-13 and 24:15 shows that as they crossed the Jordan there were the gods of the Amorites – gods of your culture. Make no mistake, Joshua declared that he and his family would serve the one true God…Jehovah. Joshua 24:15 . Exhorts them to abolish idolatry, and informs them of his and his family's resolution to serve Jehovah, Joshua 24:14, Joshua 24:15. Now let’s consider Joshua 24:15, “ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Moses' answer for the people's continued rebellion was the promise of the coming New Covenant when God would circumcise the heart (Deut 30:6). 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. For the spirit used to lead is as important as the fact that one leads. (Numbers 14: 10) By faith, men must take the leadership role even when the spiritual course is unpopular. Of course, by viewing the leadership with his family, the nation viewed first hand the type of spiritual leadership they were being offered in Joshua. Choose you this day whom ye will serve - Joshua well knew that all service that was not free and voluntary could be only deceit and hypocrisy, and that God loveth a cheerful giver. It does not matter what else you, as a man, accomplish in this life if you fail as a Christian and spiritual leader to your family. By David Horton From Expository Files 5.1; January 1998. They had two choices and Joshua asked them to make one decision. It is vital that we go to God’s Word every day to learn more about Him so that we can genuinely serve Him according to the truth of the scriptures. He then makes that bold statement that he and his house, or family, would serve the Lord. Notice how verse 14 starts off by saying, “Now therefore…”  That should draw our attention to what has been previously said.  I encourage you to read this chapter and see all the wonderful benefits of the Lord towards His people.  In all these things, the Lord’s love, mercy, grace, and power is manifested.  He is worthy of our reverence or deep respect. And yet if we would slow down and read Joshua xxiv., 15 a little slower, we would be able to see exactly as to what this is in reference to. As For Me And My House We Will Serve the Lord. what does joshua 24:15 mean? Joshua 24:15 Context. i. “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Explain to your child the purpose of learning a new Bible verse of each letter of the alphabet and why you are doing this (your reasons for your faith in … There are exceptions, of course. Some will use your service for their selfish gain, then abandon you in the face of trial. I am so impressed that Joshua, as the head of his family, declared that his family would serve the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. For the solemn burial of the bones of Joseph, and the rest of the patriarchs, for which this place was designed. Deuteronomy 33 is Moses' farewell speech, and Deuteronomy 34 tells of Moses' death and burial. What does it say about smoking pot in the bible? Joshua 24:15. jos 24:15. We can ignore God and do our own thing—seeking to be our own gods and going through life with the false belief that God and everyone else lives to serve us. All Israel— Namely, their representatives. Though not flawless, his lead is an example for all men to learn from and follow. As concerned as Joshua was about the children of Israel, he knew that he and his family must live by their faith IN GOD, not Israel(the majority). You must face others, even of your own house, who will criticize and remind you that you cannot be a spiritual leader because they remember you as you WERE. He briefly rehearses their history in relation to YAHWEH their God. To serve the Lord in truth is to labor for Him in the truth of who and what He is. (2 Corinthians 2: 4-6; 1 Corinthians 5: 3-6) However, the man does not have to be mean-spirited about the decision. Admit your errors, repent of them, ask for forgiveness, correct them, and move forward. Joshua 24 is a famous text, mostly for verse 15, which is the climactic verse in the lectionary selection. Joshua 24:15 Explained - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Joshua was chosen by God to finish the task begun under Moses - to lead the people of God into the land which God had promised them. (Numbers 14: 6-10) Remember, he and Caleb were the only two of the spies who said that with God's help they could take the promised land. There was no outward timidity, hesitation, or question about his role in the family. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. That should draw our attention to what has been previously said. (Philippians 2: 5-13) When you lead by serving others, some will take advantage of you. When we are occupied with our blessed savior; when we spend time in study and meditation upon His glorious person and work, we will act according to, Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Joshua 24:15. (2) Joshua 24:15-24 actually demonstrates the failure of our wills to choose rightly from a believing heart if we are left on our own to "choose for ourselves!" c. Serve Him in sincerity and truth: Joshua boldly called for a deep commitment and a true commitment. I. The people solemnly promise to serve the Lord alone, and mention his merciful dealings towards them, Joshua 24:16-18. The Lord God of Israel is greater than all these idols; therefore, serve the LORD! Joshua 24:15 Translation & Meaning. Download the latest version here. AudioPlayer.embed("audioplayer_1", {soundFile:"aHR0cDovL2Fuc3dlcnNmcm9tdGhlYm9vay5uZXQvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMTUvMDMvMTQyLjEubXAzA"}); Let’s read those very important verses.  Let’s start with Joshua 24:14which says, “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.”  We learn from Joshua 24:1that Joshua is speaking to “all the tribes of Israel.”  So, the instruction to the Lord’s people was to fear the Lord.  Why does the Lord want us to be afraid of Him?  The Hebrew word for fear in this verse is ‘yare’, which means to revere or to reverence.  The Lord doesn’t want His people to be afraid of Him, but He does expect His people to reverence Him.  After all, He certainly deserves that! Joshua 24:15 "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." These people had a history of falling away from the Lord and following after other gods. (Hebrews 3: 7-19) It is clear that Joshua took the lead in his household. How you handle the mistakes will also prove your leadership. Let me ask you, fellow believer, do you fear the Lord? It Seem evil — Unjust, unreasonable, or inconvenient. what does, If its disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the gods of amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord mean? Not only will you be challenged regarding the circumstances surrounding the error, but your ability to lead will also be called into question with each and every error. Remember Eli's family? (Romans 12: 3-8) You will be misinterpreted, misquoted, and generally unappreciated for your direction. Now let’s consider Joshua 24:15, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”  Joshua calls upon the Lord’s people to make a decision.  He had said back in Joshua 24:2, “…Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.”  These people had a history of falling away from the Lord and following after other gods.  This was a call to decide.  Joshua was literally saying, “If it seems like serving the Lord is the wrong thing to do, then choose whom you will serve.”  He then makes that bold statement that he and his house, or family, would serve the Lord.  Make no mistake, Joshua declared that he and his family would serve the one true God…Jehovah.  I am so impressed that Joshua, as the head of his family, declared that his family would serve the Lord.  He rightfully took upon Himself to lead his wife and children in obedience to God’s Word. 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