A Solemn Pledge

AUGUST 31, 2023

 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt;…And the LORD drave out from before us all people…which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.” (Joshua 24:15-18)

Joshua had lived a long and productive life of service to the Lord and to His people. Having proven himself as a faithful minister to Moses, he was later anointed and set apart by the laying on of Moses’ own hands to succeed him as leader of the people of God. Upon the death of Moses, Joshua was put in charge (Ch. 1:1,2) and the Lord immediately began to magnify him in the sight of all Israel, so that people honored Joshua as they had honored Moses. (Chapters 3, 4) From the time that Joshua first took command, Israel was blessed with a faithful and trustworthy leader who was above reproach, both as a captain and as a spiritual leader. His impeccable character and faithful leadership are more fully manifested in these two closing chapters of the book of Joshua, which cover the last days of his life on earth. Knowing that his temporal life was quickly drawing to a close, and that his course was almost finished, he devoted his remaining time to the preparation of the people for after his departure. He is a model for every minister of Christ. May we, like Joshua, be faithful stewards, and remain so to the end.

Joshua called two assemblies, back to back, one at Shiloh, and the other at Shechem, for the purpose of challenging the people to remain faithful to the Lord, and to pledge themselves to do so. As a faithful minister, he led by example. “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Vs. 15) The heads of the congregation then responded with a solemn pledge of their own. “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;… therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.” (Vs. 16, 18) This was not mere lip service on their part. In verse 31, we read: “All Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua…” Verbal commitments can come easy, but commitments that are kept are not spur-of-the-moment decisions that are based on emotion. These commitments were made by people of true faith, who knowing what God had done to save them, considered service to Him to be their debt and their duty.

The heads of the congregation gave just and solid reasons for their decided resolution. They repeated the arguments that Joshua gave in his challenge to them, the underlying reasons for his own solemn pledge. How could they choose to serve any but the God who had chosen them, delivered them from bondage, and given them their land? They said, “For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up…out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage…” They could say with David, “He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:19)

This reason for faithfulness should also be ours. If, indeed, we can say that our Lord has redeemed us from bondage and has brought us into a large place, where we have large forgiveness, and large blessings, and plenteous mercy, and love; and where grace abounds, surely this merits our faithful service and devotion. “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, and serve other gods.”