As for me and my house

After their escape from Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. As they were about to enter the Promised Land, Moses died and Joshua assumed the leadership. He gathered all the tribes of Israel together and asked them to decide who they would serve. He understood that we all serve something, so he identified three major cultural influences in Israel’s history. He reminded them that their fathers, in ancient times, had lived beyond the river and had served other gods. Josh 24:1, 2. He was referring to Ur of the Chaldeans where Abraham’s father had been a moon-worshipper. This is where Baghdad is today and it lies to the east of the river Euphrates. There were more than 400 years separating Abraham and Moses, but the cultural influence of life ‘beyond the river’ was obviously still evident.

Joshua also made mention of the ‘gods of Egypt’ where the Israelites had lived for 400 years. And finally, he spoke of the ‘gods of the Amorites’ in whose land they were currently living. He challenged the Israelites, saying, ‘If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD’. Josh 24; 14, 15.

We are all the fruit of multiple generations who have made decisions which have affected relational and cultural opportunities for those who followed. It is important that we appraise ‘the gods of our fathers’ because that is the history which has defined us. If the ‘gods of our fathers’ are the values and beliefs which have been passed down through many generations, we might say the ‘gods of Egypt’ are those things in our immediate past, in the last few years or perhaps the previous generation.

As the Israelites were coming out of Egypt, they grappled with their recent history. They could remember the garlic and leeks. Num 11:5. They could also recall the hard labour of course, but at least it was something they knew and understood. This is our dilemma as well. Like the Israelites, we look back over our shoulder and say, ‘Well at least that was familiar. Why am I here?’ The Israelites complained to Moses, ‘You have taken us away to die in the wilderness’. Ex 14:11. The ‘gods of the Amorites’ represent our immediate situation. It is the influence of our present society: our family, employment, church and community which impact our goals, behaviour and beliefs.

The Israelites were aghast when Joshua posed his question. They replied, ‘Of course we will serve the Lord!’ Josh 24: 16. They recounted how He had delivered them from Egypt and protected them in the wilderness. But Joshua was not convinced. He said ‘You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God’. Josh 24:19. They would only be able ‘to serve Him in sincerity and truth’ if they put away the foreign gods which their fathers served. Josh 24: 14. And it is the same for us today. We must actively choose to serve the living God. Like Joshua, will we say, ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’?

Paul Dalton

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Feature Articles
June 2009

The love of God

Preparing the way

Unrestrained lips

Redeemed to be sons

As for me and my house

Sweet fellowship

Effective households

Freedom

Setting goals

Pray without doubting