seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Joshua 24:16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”
19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”
“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.
27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”
28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.
19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”
“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.
27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”
28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.
So they all agreed and they put a stone under the oak near the holy place of the Lord. That's what these verses are about. Yesterday, the verses said Joshua told them he and his household were going to serve the Lord. Today, the verses said that the Israelites all agreed to serve the Lord. I figure the reason Joshua had to speak, then they had to respond, then Joshua had to warn, and then they had to respond once again.... was for witness. Remember, it takes two people to witness and since all the people were involved, it makes me think it was to create a legal witness.
This is from the easy English site.
The people promised to serve the Lord. Of course, it was the Lord who brought them out of Egypt. It was the Lord who freed them from slavery.
Joshua told the people that it will be hard. God is holy. God cannot look at sin. The people might sin. They might worship other gods. God will punish them. They must be sure that they want to serve the Lord.
Joshua told the people that it will be hard. God is holy. God cannot look at sin. The people might sin. They might worship other gods. God will punish them. They must be sure that they want to serve the Lord.
It's not easy to follow God's Law. He's perfect. He doesn't have a Human Side. He doesn't have a Dysfunctional Family. He's not bombarded daily with shiny little gods like money or sexy objects of affection. He's hard to please because He sets such a very straight and narrow path. He never steps off the path.... He doesn't lie or lust and humans are so good at those two things.
Joshua was honest with those Israelites. A Theocracy with a perfect God is nearly impossible to live up to. This is the beginning of a new chapter.... those Israelites are getting ready to take a new ride.... they are no longer slaves.... they are no longer nomads.... now they are land owners with responsibilities. The biggest responsibility was to a perfect God.
And they marked the agreement with a stone placed under an oak near the holy place.
