Faithfulness: Past, Present, Future (Joshua 24)

Past, Present, and Future Faithfulness (Joshua 24)

Faithfulness in the Past (1-13)
The Lord had always been with them (Joshua 1:9).
It’s important for us to remember where we’ve come from (1 Cor. 6:9-11)
We might need to change how we see ourselves (remember who we were apart from Jesus).
Change how we view others( not by what they are now, but by what they could be when cleansed by the blood of Jesus).
The Present Choice of Faithfulness (13-22)
We must serve God in sincerity.
We must serve god in faithfulness.
We are all faced with a daily choice to serve the Lord.
We serve a holy and jealous god
We cannot serve multiple things (Heb. 10:26-27).
Be resolved in your position (v.23-33)
We must choose to run & cling to God.
We must be specific about how we will be faithful.
How will you serve the Lord this week?

Introduction
Discuss the Lads program for this year, the devotionals we’ve done, tease next year’s study. Throughout the book of Joshua, one theme jumped out to me: Faithfulness. It is most definitely one of the characteristics of God that is most on display throughout the Bible, and certainly it is on display in Joshua. Even in the “breeze over” chapters of land allotment, we see God’s faithfulness.
Now, in the concluding chapter of Joshua, the concluding speech of Joshua, offers a glimpse at the faithfulness of God in the Past, the choice of faithfulness we all must make in the present, and the resolve to be Faithful to Him in the future. With that in mind, we’ll focus on Joshua 24 tonight, but let’s 1st look to Joshua 24.
II. Faithfulness of the Past (v.1-12)
Joshua is toward the end of his life. The mantle that was passed to him in Joshua 1 must now be passed down. In chapter 23, he speaks, first, to the leaders of the tribes of Israel. Then, in chapter 24, he shares his reminders and warnings to the whole of the people. Before he addresses their future, he first looks to the past.
So, he gathers all the people, along with the elders, heads, judges, and officers of Israel, and he gives them a history lesson. But in this history lesson, he displays His presence the whole time. He says (v. 2-13), “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. 4 And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out.
6 “‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 And when they cried to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. 8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. 11 And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. 12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’
This look to the past is a reminder of where they’ve been and how far they’ve come, but all of it depends on the providence of God! Israel is closing out the “Joshua-era,” if you will and might be discouraged, not knowing what is to come. A change of leadership leads to uncertainty. The leadership of Moses helped them out of Egypt, the leadership of Joshua helped them into the Promised Land, but notice that the constant through both of these times is the presence of God.
Recall in Joshua 1, Joshua is having to carry the torch as Israel’s leader. With Moses’s passing, Israel was left with uncertainty, and what does God tell Joshua? Joshua 1:9 - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
The Lord has always been with them (His people) (Joshua 1:9; Hebrews 13:5-6).
God’s hand is with His people. It was true then, it’s true now. In Hebrews, another book of the Bible reminding God’s people to be faithful to a faithful God, in the closing chapter the speaker reminds them (v. 5-6), “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Just as Joshua looks back in this closing chapter and displays God’s presence through their history, let’s go back in times of our lives and see that God was there. God is there when provided with a blessing (a newborn child, a new job, a wonderful opportunity, a helping hand from a neighbor) all of these are God working. Recall (James 1:17) “Every good and perfect gift comes from above.” God is there when we lose a child, when our parents or spouse is sick, when we lose our dream job, when our neighbor hurts us) God is with us, helping us through. As David writes in Psalm 23. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
God is with His people and helps us through. It’s important for us to look back and see His faithfulness. And as we look back to where we were, let us appreciate how we’ve got to where we are. The Israelites were looking back at their bondage, their conflicts, their times of waiting. Now, they could see that God helped them get through those to where they currently are.
I’m mindful of Paul in 1 Cor. 6 beginning in verse 9. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” And then we often stop there. We isolate these 2 verses to talk about certain sins that are mentioned and how they don’t mix with the Truth of God’s Word. And while that is certainly true, it’s not the point of the passage. Because afterwards Paul says, “ 11 And such were some of you.”
This is where we once were. We could be tossed in with these descriptions. We, too, in different specific ways, have been sinners, no better than the unsaved today. But we have seen the faithfulness of God. Paul goes on, “…But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” We have come out of that. It’s important for us to see where we’ve come from, for our own lives and for how we reach others. If we want to reach sinners, perhaps we should change how we see ourselves, not more highly than others, but honestly; remembering who we were prior to the cleansing Jesus has given us. Then we can look at others through a more appropriate lens, not tolerating sinfulness, but seeing them as sinners in need of cleansing, just as we were. Jesus’s faithfulness in my past has led me to my present saved condition, and He can do the same for all sinners. Again, when we know where we’ve come from, it can help us and others to get to where we need to go. We must remember the Faithfulness of God in the past. This way we know what choice we must make in the present.
III. The Present Choice to be Faithful (v.13-22)

Having reminded them of their past, Joshua draws attention to the choice that they must make in the present. v.13 ““Now therefore (now, because of what God has done for you in the past) fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.”
What does that mean? Sincerity - “Do you mean what you say and intend to do what you say you will do? Do you have intention to what you are doing? Do you mean what you say when you’re saying ‘I will serve the Lord.’”
I think the majority of people, even those who don’t follow through with their intentions, are sincere when the say them. But that’s where the second part comes in. Sincerity and faithfulness. They need to go together. Sincerity, mean it; Faithfulness, do it!. Say you’ll fear and serve the Lord, but do it!”
Faithfulness is not intent, it’s action. And faithfulness is not just displaying faith when expected. Serve the Lord not just in front of the assembly. Not just around fellow believers. Not just on Sunday morning. It’s easy to express faithfulness on Sunday, but it’s in the gaps where faithfulness is truly seen.
The decision to serve in sincerity and faithfulness is a choice and challenge. And just as the Israelites are about to be faced with a challenge and a choice, so are we faced with the same challenge and choice each day. Here’s the challenge: Fear and serve the Lord in sincerity and faithfulness… and here’s how: (v.14b-15) “Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.” You must choose, each and every one of you. Choose whom you will serve, God or something else? You can’t have both. Joshua says, “You must choose. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This isn’t a choice that can be made for you or collectively as a nation. Individuals must choose to serve God.
Of course, the people respond with sincerity. (v.16-18) “ Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, 17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” There’s sincerity. But sincerity wasn’t the question. The question was of faithfulness, and Joshua calls them on their potential lip service. He says (v.19-20), “But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord.” Now, why would Joshua tell them to serve and then say they can’t? Joshua isn’t saying it’s impossible to serve God. He’s saying, “This is not something to go into flippantly. First he says, “He is a holy God.” This isn’t
choosing heads or tails before a coin toss. This is a serious decision that requires focus and change. He also says 2. “He is a jealous God.” He’s telling them “You cannot serve God and other gods. He will not share allegiance to other Gods. Just as God will not share allegiance with our hobbies, our leisure, our money (you cannot serve God and mammon), or even our family. Allegiance is to God alone, for God is a jealous God. And if we say we’ll serve God, but fail to do so… (v.19b-20) “He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.”
The audience of Hebrews along with us are warned similarly in Hebrews 10:26-27. “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” This is not saying that if we sin at all we won’t be forgiven. 1 John 1:7 says that “if we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us of all sin.” No, this is sinning impenitently, without remorse. Choosing to serve God while also choosing a sinful. We can’t do this. God is a holy and jealous God. So, again, we must choose and serve in sincerity and faithfulness.
Now, the Israelites affirm their choice saying they will serve the Lord and Joshua responds that they are witnesses to themselves. He’s essentially saying, “You’ve said it. It’s on you to follow through.” Much like confessing Jesus before baptism. Before we are immersed, we are declaring we will serve Him always. If we don’t, we are witnesses against ourselves. This is a choice to be faithful, and it’s one we must make every day.

IV. The Resolve to be Faithful in the Future (v.23-33)

God is faithful in the past, we have a choice of faithfulness in the present, but that choice must manifest itself in resolve to be faithful in the future. And that resolve is more than a simple feeling. It’s a plan on a course of action. Think of the hymn: “I am resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world's delight; things that are higher, things that are nobler, these have allured my sight. I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free; Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.”
Hasten, go quickly to something. It’s running to Jesus. Now, this song sounds like the words of one choosing to put on Christ, but I believe the sentiment applies to all believers. In every moment, are we running to and clinging to God? As Joshua first tells the leaders of the tribes in Joshua 23:8, “but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day.” Choose God and run to Him. That’s resolve.
But resolve for each of us is different. It’s specific. For Israel, Joshua tells them in verse 22, they must “1. put away foreign Gods and 2. incline their heart to God.” What must we give up to be devoted to God more? How can we incline our hearts more to Him? What would that look like? We need to be specific about how we are going to get to where we want to be and how we want God to help us get there.
Joshua and the Israelites renew their covenant with God, Joshua writes rules and states in the book of the Law, and, as a reminder, he sets up a large stone under a tree near the sanctuary as a reminder of their promise to serve God, a promise reaffirmed once more in verse 24 when they emphatically say, “The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey.”

Unfortunately for the Israelites, the next few books will show that this is not the case, and that the warnings that Joshua provides them all come to devastating fruition. This shows, once again, the importance to serve God in sincerity AND Faithfulness. Say what you mean, and do it!
Here’s a challenge: Write down how you will serve God this week. How will you express your faithfulness to Him? Maybe it’s by doing similar things you’re already doing. Maybe it will be a challenge. But write it down. Let your own writings be a witness to you that you’ve said you will serve the Lord this week. Prove it. Go and serve.

Conclusion:
I want to conclude as the book of Joshua concludes. One last reminder of God’s faithfulness as well as an encouragement for our faith.
Joshua is buried, we are told that the people remained faithful under Joshua as well as the elders who saw all that the Lord did for Israel. But then, in verse 32, we read of Joseph’s bones, how they "were brought up from Egypt, buried in Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money.”What’s the significance? In Gen. 50:24, Joseph is about to die. He isn’t going to be around for the next chapters of Israel. But he knows that God will be and his faithfulness will be, too. So he says to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob…God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” Joseph believed in the faithfulness of God. Of course He did! He’d seen it so much in His life. Perhaps Joseph had seen what would happen in Israel’s future, the bad and the good. But he knew that the Lord would be there, as He always is. I find it fascinating that in Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith, that the one thing mentioned about Joseph’s faith is that “at the end of his life, Joseph made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.”
Faith is trusting in the faithfulness of God, knowing that what he promises will come to be. Joseph was faithful because he had faith. Joshua was faithful because He had faith. God was with Joshua, as He promised. Joseph’s bones were taken to the Promised Land, just as Joseph knew they would.
Do you have that kind of faith? Faith in a God who has been, who is, and who will continue to be faithful to His people, to the very end? A God whom, if we entrust our lives to Him, just as Joseph’s bones were taken to the earthly promised land, so will our spiritual body be taken to the heavenly promised land. Choose today, in sincerity and faithfulness, whom you will serve. I hope that you can say, today and everyday, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

Take Home Message: God has been, is, and will be faithful to His people. Let us choose to be sincere and faithful service to Him.