Joshua 24:19-28

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.

Blood Donation

Genuine believers are not temporary members of the church. We are permanent and everlasting parts the body of Christ. Parts of our physical body (like blood) can be donated for others to use. Similarly, in a local congregation, God let believers to transfer their church membership wherever He deems suitable.

Some church attendees have no concern about church membership. This is why, ‘annual recommitment’ for church membership is necessary for us to identify those who would seriously commit as members of this church. The ‘recommitment day’ will offer believers the opportunity to be released from church membership without much issue.

Recommitment in serving the Lord is biblical. Determination to serve the Lord is a proof of active faith. Let’s learn from the Israelites’ determination to serve the Lord.

1. Determination

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.”

Previously, Joshua told the Israelites that he and his household have decided to serve the Lord. The Israelites responded and acknowledged the Lord as their God. They recalled what the Lord has done in their life until they received their inheritance in the Promised Land. And they were also determined to serve the Lord.

Joshua did not doubt their determination to serve the Lord. Nonetheless, he told them that they cannot serve the Lord, and he warned them of the worst things that may happen to them if they forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods. The Israelites firmly declared that they will serve the Lord, and said it three times. That was some sort of emphasis of the Israelites’ determination to 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.

When Joshua said that the Israelites cannot serve the Lord, was he testing their determination? When he said that they were witnesses against themselves, he made it sure that the Israelites understood the magnitude of their declaration to serve the Lord. The Israelites did not hesitate to strongly affirm their commitment.

Commitment is more apparent when the stability of leadership is endangered.

Ittai the Gittite

Leaders become great not only because they overcome great trials but because of supportive committed followers. David was the greatest king of Israel. When Absalom tried to grab the kingdom from his father David, the leaders of Israel were caught in a situation where they have to choose which side they would serve. The faithful supporters of King David escaped with him. One of them was Ittai the Gittite.

In 2 Samuel 15:18-22, ¹⁸ All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king. ¹⁹ The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. ²⁰ You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”

²¹ But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.” ²² David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.

That is the kind of supportive commitment that great leaders need in the church. There will always be difficult challenges that we may face as a local church. Pray that God would bring into the church potential members who will be faithful and committed to serve the Lord. Pray that God would discourage perennial transferees to join us.

When Joshua gave his farewell speech, the Israelites understood that Joshua’s tenure as Israel’s leader was nearing its end. They may have considered that after Joshua’s death Israel’s leadership would be threatened. Instead of worrying about the uncertainty of Israel’s leadership, they have decided to serve the Lord.

When there’s serious concern about leadership, it surely reveals faithfulness of commitment. Let’s learn from the Israelites. We should be determined to serve the Lord no matter what concern we have in the church leadership. If we cannot help but worry how church leaders function, pray. Leaders should worry how they serve or function.

It says in Matthew 18:6, ⁶ “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

The phrase, “little ones who believe in me,” Christ pertains to His disciples. Among Hebrews, a spiritual teacher would normally call his student or disciple as ‘Little one.’ It’s a warning for anybody about leading others to stumble or commit sin.

Pray for our church leaders to make leadership decisions according to God’s will.

2. Declaration

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.”

Joshua exemplified good leadership. He encouraged the Israelites to yield and submit their hearts to the Lord and not to him. Indeed, the Israelites declared their commitment to the Lord. They accepted the challenge of Joshua to serve the Lord because their hearts were inclined to follow not to their human instinct but to the Lord.

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.

The large stone that Joshua took was landmark that would remind the Israelites of their commitment to serve the Lord. If the Israelites would serve other gods, they cannot deny that they have committed to serve the Lord. The stone landmark would serve as the legal proof that they declared their commitment to the Lord at Shechem.

Are you determined to serve the Lord? Do you have any landmark that may remind you of your commitment to serve the Lord?

Marriage Contract

At the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom sign a ‘marriage contract’ to officially and legally declare their agreement as lifetime husband and wife.

‘Marriage contract’ cannot guarantee faithful commitment of a husband and wife as lifetime marriage partners. We can easily observe it even among Christians, pastors, church leaders or ordinary church attendees. Agreement does not result to faithfulness.

Faithful commitment of husband and wife can be only achieved when we allow the Holy Spirit to bear fruit of love and faithfulness in our life.

When the husband or the wife commits illegal offence or violates the stipulation, terms, or agreement of marriage, their ‘marriage contract’ serves as legal document to support whatever claim favorable to appropriate party.

As members of this church, what legal document can be used to prove our commitment as members of this church?

During our “Recommitment Sunday,” we signed a copy of our church covenant.

Is it a binding and legal document to use the signed copy of the ‘church covenant’ to claim all the rights of a members stipulated in the Constitution and By-laws?

How about if a leader or ordinary church member violates or ignores the terms stipulated in our ‘church covenant,’ would the copy of the ‘church covenant’ that the violator had signed serve as legal document against the said violator?

Signing a copy of ‘church covenant’ to signify commitment as church members does not guarantee faithfulness. Faithfulness to the Lord is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This is why the focus of our faithful service should be on the Lord.

Human commitment is temporary. Divorce in marriage testifies to its reality.

Do you agree that marriage’ between a husband and wife is lifetime? Should ‘church membership’ be given more seriousness since we are not temporary part of Christ’s body? Faithful commitment to the body of Christ exhibits faith in Him.

Passive church membership has been infecting the body of Christ—the church just as divorce has confused the sanctity of marriage. Have you discovered the blessing of faithfulness in church commitment yet? Pray that others will discover it also.

By God’s grace, we can be more faithful in our commitment as church members.

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