A Pledge of Obedience
August 27th, 2009Yesterday we talked about God’s steadfast love – even in the face of disobedience. The context of that scripture was after the exile, when Jerusalem was being rebuilt. Today’s scripture takes us back more than 800 years to a time before Jerusalem and the Temple, when the people of Israel were about to cross over into the Promised Land. Joshua declared that he and his would worship only God and required this pledge from all of Israel:
14 ”Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region 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.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods;
17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed;
18 and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
19 But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.”
21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!”
22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.”
23 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” Josh 24:14-24 (NRSV)
How do we square verses 19 and 20 with yesterday’s lesson scripture? Indeed, how do we square it with any of the many instances of God’s forgiving mercy, grace and love?
It’s important that we think through and answer these questions. I was talking the other day with a couple of friends and they were both saying that Christianity would die out within the next fifty to a hundred years. “In Europe, most people don’t go to church and don’t believe,” they said, “We’ll follow in Europe’s footsteps soon enough”. Both of these friends are church-going Christians. Do you believe this as well? To paraphrase Joshua, “As for me an my household, we do not.”
Earlier this week we looked at the Great Commission as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. Recall that there were some present on that mountain in Galilee following the resurrection who doubted. In the verses prior to Matthew 28:16 we read of how those in power at that time reacted to the news of the resurrection: with deliberate attempts to discredit the news. Two thousand years out and that’s still happening.
The Great Commission is as alive and important today as it was when it was heard by the eleven disciples gathered on that mountain with the risen Christ. Hear the words yourself when you read Matthew 28 – let the Spirit stir your soul with the knowledge that you are one with those first Christian saints and with every generation of saints since then and in times to come. So, yes it’s important that we think through and answer questions like the apparent contradiction between yesterday’s and today’s lesson scripture because we have a duty to be about teaching all nations to obey everything he has commanded us.
So . . . how do we square verses 19 and 20 with the God of steadfast love?
…Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25-26
To me, the issue with verses 19 & 20 is not that they “cannot serve God”, but rather that “Therefore we also will serve the Lord” (vs. 18) typical Hebrew phrasing; this does not read “we too will serve” but rather “we will serve Him also” -I take this to mean that the Israelites do not acknowledge (at this time) that there are consequences to worshipping their other “gods”…and “He is a jealous God…” (vs. 19) – Throughout the gospels we are reminded that we can not serve two masters.
We are called to love and obey…(Matthew 28:20) – in other words “trust” God – and remember “‘el melaeh ne’eman” (God is (a) faithful King)…for He says “I am with you always…” -Karen
Sorry for the typo – should be “melekh” – K
You’re talking about the nature of humans. But now what about the nature of God? “He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins”. How do we understand that? More importantly, how do we explain it to those new to faith?
God is a loving God, a jealous God, not in the way we humans express jealousy, but His way, loving us so much that He will accept nothing but complete obedience, or, our undivided attention. (Thou shalt have no other gods before Me) We belong to God, plain and simple. We, humans, choose to …”forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods,[and] then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” Doesn’t this sound a lot like betrayal? How should God respond to betrayal? Consequences and accountability. He has laid it all out for us and we have free will to choose the path we walk. But…the Good News is the key, and repentence is the answer.