And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. Joshua 24:19
This verse was a bit startling and puzzling to me when I first read it because I thought God was “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6, 7). But as I studied the context of Joshua’s statement, I started to get the picture of what he meant.
Joshua had been the leader of the Israelite nation for about 30 years and now he knew he was nearing the end of his life. He wanted to be sure that his people were firmly established in their commitment to God, so he called them together for one final exhortation. To paraphrase his interchange with the people in Joshua 24:
Joshua (v. 14, after briefly reviewing their history): “Because of all that God has done for you, you ought to choose to serve Him exclusively and reject all other gods. If you don’t want to serve Him, choose who you will serve, but I and my family will serve the Lord.”
People: “We would never choose any other god. The Lord has been good to us. We promise to follow Him.”
Joshua: I want to remind you that serving and worshiping Yahweh as your God is different from serving Baal or Ashtoreth or Isis. They don’t care how many other gods you have. The more, the merrier. Serve all of them at the same time if you want to. But don’t think you can do that with Yahweh. He is different. He cares. He is jealous and He expects you to exclude all other gods from your worship. He is merciful and patient and will forgive mistakes, but He does not tolerate conscious and persistent rebellion. He will not forgive that. If you choose to turn against Him, He will turn against you and you will suffer even though He had blessed you before that.”
People: “We would never do that; we promise.”
Joshua: “You are pledging to stay faithful to Him from now on?”
People: “That’s right.”
Joshua: “Okay, get rid of all others permanently and focus your affections on the Lord.”
People: “That’s what we will do.”
So Joshua wrote out the covenant, they signed it, it was notarized, and they went home. (vv. 25-28)
This sounds very much like a marriage vow that each spouse repeats and promises to keep. Prior to courtship, engagement, and marriage there is a certain degree of freedom in relationships. But marriage requires a commitment to exclusiveness. In Bible times, even the engagement time included the promises and contract of a marriage as we can see from the story of Joseph and Mary. When she was found to be pregnant before they came together in marriage, he planned to “put her away” privately. That phrase means “divorce.” They were already under the contract of marriage during the time that she was “espoused” to him.
In marriage, there are many adjustments to make and mistakes to overlook, but one thing needs to be thought through and a solid decision reached before the marriage occurs: Am I willing to forsake all others and commit the rest of my life to this one person? This permanence and exclusiveness is not something to be taken flippantly. It may be difficult at times but it is absolutely necessary to maintain stability in the family and in society. Both spouses must decide beforehand, and continually from then on, to abide by that decision no matter what may come in life.
The Christian life is the same. Jesus attempted to make this point with His disciples in various ways.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:28-33
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13, 14
Think through what you are committing yourself to. To be a disciple, to belong to God and walk in His ways, is not easy. Living the Christian life means going against the current of a sinful, degraded society and battling with your own sinful nature and its tendencies toward evil. Satan is constantly trying to seduce you away from God into an “affair.” There are plenty of “gods” around you vying for your attention. Anything that rules your life is a god – career, relatives, money, things you own, your own “wants.” When you have a decision to make and you ponder, “How will this affect (whatever)?” or “What would (whoever) think of this?” whatever or whoever you put in that blank could be your god – anything or anyone that has the most influence on your daily decisions.
Living for God is not natural for sinful humans. It involves continually choosing against what is natural. We cannot just drift along and do what we want. We have to make conscious and firm decisions each day and throughout the course of each day as we meet various situations.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Galatians 5:17
Make your choice today and stick with it.
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 24:15