A Servant of the Lord

Joshua chapter Twenty Four

Graveyards can tell many sad stories recently, when Marcella and I were looking at her granny’s grave, I found sitting side by side three headstones.

A young policeman who was gunned down, A U.D.R. Captain who was blown up by a booby trap at work, and a Minister and his daughter who died tragically in a fire, three horrific and sad stories.

At the end of the book of Joshua we are brought face to face with death, three men are buried, Joseph, Eleazar and Joshua all buried at the end of this great book.

Perhaps the meaning of their names would teach us about he important things in life.

Joseph means addition, or let him add, or God adds.

All of us have known something of the blessing of God in our lives.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Eleazar means God helps, and how often people have said if it had not been for the Lord I would not have been able to cope, the Lord has helped all of us.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

God adds, God helps and then we come to Joshua.

Joshua means God saves, and let me say this in spite of how God has blessed you, in spite of how God has even helped you through life, if he had never saved you, then your death will be a terrible tragic happening.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

As I said headstones can tell many a story, if we were to imagine a headstone for Joshua, we would find the inscription here at the end of this book.

Joshua 24:29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

What an inscription to put on our headstone, "The servant of the Lord." here is a man whose whole life was given over to the Lord.

Well it is easy to write an inscription, but Joshua not only had an inscription, we see the confirmation.

Joshua 24:31 And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel.

His influence lived on; such was this Godly man.

I wonder what sort of an obituary you and I could honestly expect, if God was writing it?
  • Here lies a luke warm believer.
  • Here lies a backslider.
  • Here lies a gossip and a troublemaker.
  • Here lies an idol worshipper.

Could we expect the Lord to say of us, a servant of the Lord?

All Christians have eternal life but not all Christians have abundant life- wrote Graham Scroggie.

I want to examine this chapter and see how we could be like Joshua called servants of the Lord.

 

Grace featured.

Joshua 24:1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

 

Here is Joshua’s second and final public address.

Joshua 24:2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

Joshua does what Moses did and what Stephen will do; he recalls the history of Israel.

Joshua 24:3-8 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. [4] And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. [5] I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out. [6] And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea. [7] And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. [8] And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.

 

If you look through the first thirteen verses you will discover that Joshua is speaking on behalf of God and time after time he uses the word I.

I took, I gave, I sent, Joshua recalls that every blessing Israel enjoyed, was not deserved, but by the grace of the God.

 

Joshua 24:5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.

 

Joshua 24:7 And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

Joshua 24:8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.

Joshua 24:9-10 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you: [10] But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

Joshua 24:13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

A servant of the Lord will recognise and appreciate the grace of the Lord.

The God he feared.

Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

The problem with Israel was idols, what Joshua was doing was showing how God triumphed over all other would be gods.

Joshua 24:2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

Joshua warns Israel that they must serve God and serve him in sincerity and truth.

Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

I wonder has some other god crept into your life?

What can your god do to change a life?

What can your god do when trials come?

What can your god do when you pass through the valley of the shadow?

What can your god do when all things are against you?

Look what your God in His grace and mercy has done and still can do for you. He has delivered, protected and given you victory, reward and abundant life.

Joshua 24:15 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.

It is make your mind up time, as for me says Joshua, he would serve the only true God he would be known as the servant of the Lord

Do you need to ask yourself this question? Who is Lord of my life?

Choose you, [personally], this day [urgently] whom you will serve [uniquely].

Israel said:

Joshua 24:18 And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God.

But look what Joshua said:

Joshua 24:19 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.

Two important points to remember:

  1. God is a Holy God so you cannot keep your sin.
  2. God is a jealous God so you cannot keep your idols.

The people insist and then Joshua says:

Joshua 24:23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.

Choose you this day whom you will serve.

Grace featured, God he feared and:

A Good Father.

I could not find any reference to Joshua’s family but from what he said in verse 15, I base my thoughts.

This man of God didn’t neglect his home in spite of all his duties.

Joshua 24:15: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Chuck Swindoll: -whatever else may be said about the home, it is the bottom line of life, the anvil upon which attitudes and convictions are hammered out. It is the place where life’s bills come due, the single most influential force in our earthly existence.

Are you prepared not just to hang the text on the wall, but to hang it on your heart?

We could pick up some lessons from this chapter on how to help our homes.

Joshua as I said recalls God’s goodness, every time we give thanks for a meal we are showing them that we appreciate God’s goodness.

Joshua 24:14 now therefore fear the Lord,

Do they see in us revulsion at sin and such Godly standards that they know we fear God?

Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

If someone were to ask your children what your daddy loves most, would it be Eastenders, Coronation Street, Match of the Day or the word of God?

Joshua 24:15 but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Personal- as for me,

Private – my house.

Purposeful- we will serve the Lord.

I looked at some, "as for me" in scripture. I believe we have some good advice for fathers.

Spend time in prayer for your family.

1 Samuel 12:23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

Bring your family to the place of worship.

Psalm 5:7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

Show your family your priorities.

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Show them the purity of your walk.

Psalm 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

Show them that you are prepared to accept God’s will.

Jeremiah 26:14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

Grace featured, God he feared, and a good father:

Great example to follow.

There are many admirable things we could say about Joshua’s leadership, but I just want to finish with one thought.

There were many monuments erected in this book, nine at least, for example the stones at Gilgal. Why were they erected?

Joshua 4:23-24 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: [24] That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

It was to bring Glory to God, in all of the monuments, Joshua erected none to himself. This is the mark of a servant of the Lord, for Joshua it was, "To God be the glory."

May we, like Joshua truly be known as servants of the Lord.

Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

Warren Wersbie has said of this verse, "Our tomorrows can be exciting and wonderful if we are all that God wants us to be."

Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

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