Lesson 13: Choose This Day!

Overview Discussion (2) Completed users (1)
Joshua 24:15 – “ ‘And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’ ”
Core Theme: The covenant relationship with God is a conscious, daily choice of exclusive loyalty and service, requiring a decisive rejection of all idols and a wholehearted commitment to the faithful God who has redeemed His people.

Key Insights by Day:

Sunday: You Were There! (Joshua 24:1-13)
  • Joshua gathers Israel at Shechem, the historic site of God’s promise to Abraham, to renew the covenant.
  • God as Protagonist: The historical review centers on God’s actions (“I took,” “I gave,” “I delivered”) - highlighting that Israel’s existence and inheritance are solely gifts of His grace, not human merit.
  • Corporate Responsibility: The covenant is made with the present generation as much as with the past; each new generation must personally appropriate God’s past faithfulness.
Monday: In Sincerity and Truth (Joshua 24:14-15)
  • Joshua issues a radical call to “fear the LORD” and serve Him with undivided loyalty (“in sincerity and in truth”).
  • Defining Fear and Service: “Fearing” God means reverent awe leading to obedience. Serving “in sincerity” (tamim) implies wholeness and integrity, like a perfect sacrifice. Serving “in truth” (’emet) means with constant faithfulness, mirroring God’s own character.
  • The Choice: Israel must decide whether to maintain its unique identity by serving Yahweh or assimilate into idolatrous cultures.
Tuesday: Free to Serve (Joshua 24:16-21)
  • The people enthusiastically pledge to serve God, but Joshua surprisingly challenges their sincerity, warning that God is “holy” and “jealous” and will not forgive their rebellion.
  • Serious Commitment: Joshua tests their resolve, emphasizing that serving God is a serious, free-will decision with eternal consequences, not to be made lightly or out of compulsion.
  • Relationship over Rules: True service springs from a personal relationship with the saving Lord, not merely mechanical adherence to rules.
Wednesday: The Dangers of Idolatry (Joshua 24:22-24)
  • Joshua presses the people three times, urging them to “put away the foreign gods” that are among them.
  • Inclining the Heart: The call to “incline your heart to the LORD” (natah) highlights the need for a conscious, internal turning toward God, as the sinful heart naturally bends toward idolatry.
  • Open-Ended Plea: The book concludes without reporting the idols' removal, leaving the urgent appeal to serve God exclusively as a perpetual challenge for every future generation.
Thursday: Finishing Well (Joshua 24:29-33; 2 Timothy 4:7)
  • The book ends with the burials of Joshua, Eleazar, and Joseph’s bones - symbolizing the end of wandering and the secure fulfillment of God’s promises.
  • Legacy and Future: A faithful generation has passed. The future of God’s people now depends on the choices of the next generation, who must answer the same call to loyalty.
  • Our Fight: Like Joshua and Paul, we are called to “fight the good fight” and finish faithfully, making daily decisions that ensure our eternal assurance.
Final Thoughts (Friday):
  • Root Problem: The hidden, persistent danger of idolatry and mere formalism within the covenant community.
  • The Perpetual Challenge: The church is always “one generation away” from spiritual extinction. Each generation must consciously choose to serve the Lord.
  • Our Call:
    • Make a decisive, daily choice for God, rejecting all subtle “idols” that compete for our allegiance.
    • Serve God “in sincerity and truth” - with wholehearted, faithful devotion that reflects His character.
    • Understand that God’s jealousy is an expression of His holy love; He will not share worship with rivals.
    • Pass on the torch of faith by living a legacy of unmistakable commitment, so that our lives point others to the same choice.
"Joshua’s stone at Shechem still stands as a witness: God’s faithfulness demands a response. The covenant is not inherited; it is chosen anew by every heart in every generation."
 
I would define an idol and something we provide for ourselves, rather than asking God to provide for us, we provide for ourselves.
This "self providing" is seen when Adam and Eve sinned

Ge 3:7 they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Instead of asking God to provide for the lost covering, they manufactured their own, becoming their own provider of salvation.

Jesus offered to provide salvation for them, and this chataah (sin-offering) is a very grand theme.

Shalom
 
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