Day 88

24:31 — Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua…

When I got the above verse, I said, this is so true. In the book of Joshua, we see obedience to everything they were asked to do, and God fought for them. They eventually got to rest from war (23:1). In the end, our obedience to God is for our good.

Joshua reminds them of all we have been reading — God’s goodness and faithfulness, their disobedience, how they got where they are. He also reminds them to fear and serve God, and the people repeated several times that they would fear and obey Him. He made a covenant for the people, wrote them down and reaffirmed the laws. 24:25–27.

I had an epiphany, or let’s say, I was able to draw a parallel between when Paul says be not unequally yoked with unbelievers. The Israelites had been warned several times not to live or marry certain people because their hearts would be turned to their gods. An example would be what happened with the Moabites.

I’ll further say, ensuring one surrounds oneself with people whose values align with one is essential. Whether we like it or not, we are affected by who and what we surround ourselves with. More than we think or even would like. One of the things that guide my family in raising our kids is that we may not be able to control them, but we can control the environment we put them in. The environment includes the type (and values) of school they attend, the programs we send them for etc.

24:15 — Joshua is telling them to serve God, but in the end, it is their decision, but as for him and his house, they’ll serve God. This is an excellent place to end the book of Joshua; who would I follow, who would I listen to, who do I go to when I need to make my decisions? Would I consult God or myself? I need God’s help.