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. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

This passage is a bit romanticized, in my opinion. Modern Christians don’t see it as the ultimatum it is. “Serve God, and enter the promised land, or serve idols and remain in the desert.”

This was not a call for faithfulness for faithfulness sake, either. Joshua was leading up an army to take a country from its current inhabitants by force: it was an invasion. Serving the Lord at this time meant not even taking a single handful of plunder. Serving the Lord meant facing warriors so valiant they shared a name with gods. Serving the Lord meant giving up being a shepherd who fought off wolves to become a soldier who killed every last enemy.

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. 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.”

But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24: 19-21

This was total dedication, or to say it another way, a life offered in sacrifice. Joshua gave them an out. “Go back to Egypt. Stay among the Amorites. But don’t join this army unless you fight for the Lord.” They saw the power of the Lord at Jericho. Now they would fight to take the rest of the land in the name of the Lord.

What is it that God is asking us to sacrifice here and now? Temporary comfort, to aid the hurting. Monetary safety, to help the needy. Peace of mind, to comfort the grieving. Time, social discomfort, patience and friendship to share the Good News.

“As for me and my house” means something different to the Christian. We are God’s Children. It’s his house. Are we dedicated to serve?

Ethan Kirl