Cover to Cover

Reading: Joshua 22:1-24:33

Focus: Joshua 24:14-27

As part of life, there are choices which need to be made. Some of no consequence, some with short-term consequence, some with continual life-changing consequences. These life choices should never be made without serious consideration as it is often hard to go back on them. Buying a house and locking yourself into a mortgage… proposing to the girl of your dreams (though people are failing to see the long-term consequences of this one)… migrating to another country… which God you will serve…

At the end of his life, Joshua stood before the people of Israel to recount what God had done for them (Joshua 24:1-13). After testifying to all that God had done, he exhorted the people of Israel to make their choice. Joshua even warned them of the consequences of their choices. Joshua made it clear that this would be a life-defining choice and that it was not one that they could back out of… the price was simply disastrous.

The choice and consequence is no different today. To choice to believe in God, to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, is no small choice. It is a decision that has life-long consequence. The gospels are littered with the cost of following Jesus and it is by no means heavenly, well not yet anyway. The cost of following Jesus is often a sacrifice, for some parts of the world, even the sacrifice of life itself, yet this is the cost of discipleship… but why, why would anyone pay such a high price?

For the Israelites, it was a recognition that He had brought them through hardship and into the Promised Land (vv. 16-18). For the Christian, it is the recognition that God through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, has brought us through the enslavement to sin and into the freedom of life found in Him. The sacrifice of this temporal life now in exchange for a life eternal in paradise, our Promised Land, with our Creator—that is why anyone would pay such a high price. In the words of Joshua:

Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness… but if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

It’s your call…

Next Reading: Judges 1:1-3:31