"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."
Joshua 24:14
Part 3
Yesterday: Serving God “in Sincerity and Truth”
“In sincerity.”
Our service must be authentic.
“And in truth.”
Our service must come from a true heart.
Today: The Believers’ Service Is to God Alone
“And put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt.”
(“And put away the gods”)
It is impossible to serve the One true and living God if our heart is divided and our allegiance is to other gods. God does not share his glory with anyone! God told Israel,
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 48:10-11, ESV[1]).
False gods have been a problem for Israel for hundreds of years in the past.
“Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments” (Genesis 35:2).
“And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations” (Leviticus 17:7).
God does not allow His children to serve anything or anyone other than Himself. This is why he had Joshua tell Israel,
“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 24:2).
“Now, therefore, put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel” (Joshua 24:23).
(“Your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt.”)
When we look at Israel’s history and think about the “other gods” that she has served “on the other side of the flood,” there are many gods we can remember. And there are also at least three bodies of water that make sense here.[2]
Joshua 24:2-4 – on the other side of the Euphrates were the gods of the Chaldeans, the “Sumerian and Babylonian culture – gods of heritage” (Guzik). These were “the gods of the Chaldeans, fire, light, the sun, etc.” (TSK).
Joshua 24:5-7 – “on the other side of the Red Sea were the gods of ancient Egypt – gods of upbringing” (Guzik). The Egyptians worshiped “Apis, Anubis, serpents, vegetables, etc.” (TSK). In fact, “…there were over 2,000 deities in the Egyptian pantheon. Some of these deities’ names are well known: Isis, Osiris, Horus, Amun, Ra, Hathor, Bastet, Thoth, Anubis, and Ptah while many others less so”[3] (Mark).
Joshua 24:7, 13, 15 – “as they crossed the Jordan there were the gods of the Amorites – gods of your culture” (Guzik). These gods of the “Amorites, Moabites, Canaanites” were “Baal-Peor, Astarte, etc.” (TSK).
“How astonishing is it that after all that God had done for them, and all the miracles they had seen, there should still be found among them both idols and idolaters!” (TSK).
It is no wonder then that God said specifically in His law,
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).
Only as Israel purged herself of false gods could she now serve the Lord, the living and true God.
“And serve ye the LORD.”
What have we learned from all of Israel’s wanderings? To serve the Lord, we must have no other idols in our hearts. We fear Him, and nothing else can overshadow our love for Him. He expects us to serve Him with sincerity and truth. And He is looking for whole-hearted loyalty and obedience to Him. This should not be difficult for God’s child.
“Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you” (1 Samuel 12:24).
By the way, the same principles will help us build our church:
“Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied” (Acts 9:31).
Quote: “It’s my belief that God gives us all gifts, special abilities that we have the privilege of developing to help us serve Him and humanity”[4] (Ben Carson).
[1] ESV, English Standard Version.
[2] These thoughts were borrowed and edited from two sources. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword, and TSK – The Treasure of Scriptural Knowledge, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] This quote was downloaded: July 13, 2021. From: Joshua J. Mark, https://www.worldhistory.org/article/885/egyptian-gods—the-complete-list/.
[4] Carson’s quote downloaded: Tuesday, July 13, 2021. From: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/serving-god.