Title Let's Reach Shechem / Joshua 24:14-25
Content Let's reach Shechem / Joshua 24:14~25
Key Verse: “If it does not seem good to you to serve the Lord, choose whom you will serve, whether it is the god your ancestors served beyond the river, or the god of the Amorites in your land, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (15). section)
Word: The text of Joshua's farewell sermon is recorded. The place where this sermon was preached was in Shechem. Shechem is a city located in the valley between Mount Gerizim and Mount Eber. Shechem was the place where Abraham held his first worship. When Jacob returned from his wanderings in Mesopotamia, he brought an idol with him. However, realizing that the idols were wrong, they buried them in the ground. After that, I decided to serve only God, but it is Shechem where my determination and devotion were made. The place where Joshua delivered his farewell sermon was also Shechem. The core of that sermon was to ‘serve only your God’ (verses 14-15). Shechem is a place where only God is served. How can I get to Shechem?
First, we must acknowledge the sovereignty of God. In verses 3-7, the word ‘I’ appears six times and the word ‘I, the Lord,’ appears once. The Lord testified that while they were suffering in Egypt, God sent Moses and Aaron, God brought disaster, and that God had led the Israelites out of Egypt. It is not Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt, but God, and he acted in his sovereignty. That is why “therefore” in verse 14 refers to serving only the Lord. If we acknowledge God's sovereignty, we can serve Him.
Second, we must get rid of idols. Verse 14 says, “They put away the gods that were worshiped in Egypt.” Idols did not exist only before we believed in Jesus. Even after we believe in Jesus, idols may still exist in our lives. Sometimes my children, my business, my material things can be idols. Among these, the answer is given through verse 23. “Put away the foreign gods and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” If we remove idols and turn our hearts to God, we can reach Shechem.
Third, we must make a decision to serve. See verse 15. “Choose whom you will serve today, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Joshua, the leader of Israel, is not swept away by the crowd, but only makes the right decisions in a one-on-one relationship of faith with God. Such determination is the key to reaching Shechem.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, grant us to acknowledge your sovereignty, to remove idols, and to reach spiritual Shechem through the determination to serve only God. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer