- Home
- Bible
- Joshua
- Chapter 24
- Verse 24
Joshua 24:14
Verse
Context
Choose Whom You Will Serve
13So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’14Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.15But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
Sermons
William MacDonald
Jim LoganWilliam MacDonald
Carl Armerding
Paris ReidheadSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Fear the Lord - Reverence him as the sole object of your religious worship. Serve him - Perform his will by obeying his commands. In sincerity - Having your whole heart engaged in his worship. And in truth - According to the directions he has given you in his infallible word. Put away the gods, etc. - From this exhortation of Joshua we learn of what sort the gods were, to the worship of whom these Israelites were still attached. 1. Those which their fathers worshipped on the other side of the flood: i.e., the gods of the Chaldeans, fire, light, the sun. 2. Those of the Egyptians, Apis, Anubis, the ape, serpents, vegetables, etc. 3. Those of the Canaanites, Moabites, etc., Baal-peor or Priapus, Astarte or Venus, etc., etc. All these he refers to in this and the following verse. See at the conclusion of Jos 24:33 (note). How astonishing is this, that, after all God had done for them, and all the miracles they had seen, there should still be found among them both idols and idolaters! That it was so we have the fullest evidence, both here and in Jos 24:23; Amo 5:26; and in Act 7:41. But what excuse can be made for such stupid, not to say brutish, blindness? Probably they thought they could the better represent the Divine nature by using symbols and images, and perhaps they professed to worship God through the medium of these. At least this is what has been alleged in behalf of a gross class of Christians who are notorious for image worship. But on such conduct God will never look with any allowance, where he has given his word and testimony.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth--After having enumerated so many grounds for national gratitude, Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel. He avowed this to be his own unalterable resolution, and urged them, if they were sincere in making a similar avowal, "to put away the strange gods that were among them"--a requirement which seems to imply that some were suspected of a strong hankering for, or concealed practice of, the idolatry, whether in the form of Zabaism, the fire-worship of their Chaldean ancestors, or the grosser superstitions of the Canaanites.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Now therefore fear the Lord,.... Since he has done such great and good things, fear the Lord and his goodness, fear him for his goodness sake; nothing so influences fear, or a reverential affection for God, as a sense of his goodness; this engages men sensible of it to fear the Lord, that is, to worship him both internally and externally in the exercise of every grace, and in the performance of every duty: and serve him in sincerity and in truth: in the uprightness of their souls, without hypocrisy and deceit, and according to the truth of his word, and of his mind and will revealed in it, without any mixture of superstition and will worship, or of the commands and inventions of men: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; that is, express an abhorrence of them, and keep at a distance from them, and show that you are far from giving in to such idolatries your ancestors were guilty of, when they lived on the other side Euphrates, in Chaldea, or when they were sojourners in Egypt; for it cannot be thought that the Israelites were at this time guilty of such gross idolatry, at least openly, since Joshua had bore such a testimony of them, that they had cleaved to the Lord unto that day, Jos 23:8; and their zeal against the two tribes and a half, on suspicion of idolatry, or of going into it, is a proof of it also: and serve ye the Lord: and him only.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
24:14 Put away forever the idols: Israel had not yet broken with the old polytheistic traditions of Mesopotamia beyond the Euphrates River, and some Israelites had added to their supply of gods while living in Egypt.
Joshua 24:14
Choose Whom You Will Serve
13So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’14Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.15But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Guidelines to Freedom Part 1 - Who Takes First Place?
By Alistair Begg2.5K40:23FreedomJOS 24:14JER 9:23MAT 6:33MAT 22:37MRK 12:30ROM 12:1In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the transformative power of the Ten Commandments for believers. He explains that the law of God reveals our sinfulness and leads us to salvation in Christ. Once saved, we are then guided by the Spirit to love God and our neighbors through obedience to the commandments. The preacher also warns against compromising the truth of Scripture and encourages believers to engage with others in a loving and respectful manner. Additionally, he emphasizes the sovereignty of God over creation and rejects the idea of "mother earth" or any other deity.
Decisions
By William MacDonald2.0K31:40DecisionsJOS 24:14EPH 2:7In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of making decisions in life. He uses examples from biblical stories such as Jonah and Pilate to illustrate the consequences of both good and bad decisions. The preacher also encourages the audience to make a decision about their faith in Jesus Christ, emphasizing that being neutral is not an option. He concludes by highlighting the significance of decisions made in everyday life and how they can impact both the present and eternity.
Dangers in Spiritualist Practices
By Jim Logan1.6K46:35OccultEXO 20:3DEU 6:4JOS 24:14In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of not synchronizing Spiritistic teachings with Christianity. He refers to the book of Joshua, specifically chapter 24, where Joshua gives a strong message to the children of Israel about choosing who they will serve. The speaker shares a personal story about a young man who had gotten rid of Spiritistic teachings but had not fully surrendered to God, allowing the enemy to have a hold on his life. The speaker emphasizes the need to continually surrender to God and not allow the enemy to regain ground in our lives.
Houston Colonial Hills Conference 1995-05 Joshua 24:14
By William MacDonald1.5K29:26JoshuaEXO 20:3EXO 20:7JOS 24:14MAT 6:33EPH 2:7HEB 11:24In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of making decisions in life, particularly decisions that align with God's will. He encourages listeners to be people of prayer and suggests creating a prayer list to stay focused. The speaker also highlights the significance of making a total commitment to the Lord and living according to His blueprint. He references a poem by James Russell Lowell that emphasizes the eternal consequences of choosing between truth and falsehood. The sermon concludes with a reading from Joshua 24:14, where Joshua urges the Israelites to choose whom they will serve, and the people respond by affirming their commitment to serve the Lord.
No Other Name
By Carl Armerding1.3K37:16Name Of The LordJOS 24:141KI 18:21JOB 38:4ACT 4:4ACT 4:12In this sermon, the preacher discusses the importance of fearing and serving the Lord in sincerity and truth. He refers to the book of Joshua chapter 24, where Joshua gives his final words to the people he led into the promised land. The preacher emphasizes the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, comparing it to the miraculous healing of a crippled man at the temple gate. He refutes the idea that the gospel is obsolete, stating that it is still relevant and effective in a post-Christian era. The sermon concludes with a reminder to trust in Jesus' name and rely on His unchanging grace.
Ford at Southside-st.louis 04 Joshua 24;
By Stan Ford31745:48ChoiceCommitment to GodJOS 24:14Stan Ford emphasizes the critical choice each individual must make regarding whom they will serve, drawing from Joshua 24. He reflects on Joshua's leadership and the importance of remaining steadfast in faith despite challenges, urging listeners to consider their own commitments to God. Ford highlights that the decision to serve the Lord is not just a personal choice but a responsibility that each person must take seriously, as it impacts their lives and families. He encourages the congregation to choose wisely between the gods of the past and the true God, affirming that as for him and his house, they will serve the Lord.
So Great Salvation: The Fear of the Lord
By Paris Reidhead12345:09Fear Of GodDEU 10:12JOS 24:14PRO 8:13ECC 12:13ISA 8:13HEB 2:3HEB 12:5In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of not just memorizing and reciting the word of God, but truly experiencing and living it. He criticizes the idea of being like a tape recorder that simply plays back information without any personal connection or understanding. The speaker believes that it is crucial for believers to have a deep and vibrant relationship with the truth they profess and the salvation they embrace. He warns against the danger of becoming professional or mechanical in handling the things of God, and instead encourages a genuine and heartfelt approach. The sermon also touches on the need for missionaries to effectively communicate the message of God by connecting with their audience and using their material in a compelling way.
Warnings and Counsels
By A.B. Simpson0FaithfulnessVigilance in Spiritual LifeJOS 24:14A.B. Simpson emphasizes the importance of faithfulness to God as he reflects on Joshua's parting charges to Israel in Joshua 24. He warns that despite God's faithfulness and grace, believers must remain vigilant and dependent on Him, as self-confidence can lead to spiritual decline. Simpson highlights the dangers of relying on others for faith, failing to confront sin, and underestimating one's own weaknesses, which can result in a gradual drift away from God. He encourages believers to remember God's past faithfulness and to commit themselves to a life of obedience and reliance on His strength. The sermon serves as a reminder that true faithfulness requires personal conviction and a conscious effort to abide in Christ.
Joshua 24:14
By Chuck Smith0CommitmentChoice in FaithJOS 24:14Chuck Smith emphasizes the importance of making a wise decision in serving God, as he reflects on Joshua's call to the Israelites to choose whom they will serve. He highlights the necessity of revering God and serving Him sincerely, while warning against the polytheism that can infiltrate lives even among those who profess to worship one God. Smith stresses that the act of choosing is a sacred gift from God, and that true belief is a matter of the heart rather than mere intellect. Ultimately, he encourages the congregation to declare, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,' as the wisest decision one can make.
Remembering Your First Love
By Walter Brubacker0JOS 24:14MAT 13:44MRK 10:15COL 2:6REV 2:4Walter Brubacker emphasizes the importance of not losing our first love for God and the need to continually pursue Him with zeal and devotion. He warns against the dangers of falling away from God and stresses the significance of remembering our initial pursuit of truth and righteousness. Brubacker encourages the congregation to reflect on their past dedication to God, make amends where needed, and refocus on seeking the kingdom of God above all else. He highlights the need to hold fast to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, avoiding distractions and false doctrines that may lead us astray.
Joshua Chapter 14 Warnings and Counsels
By A.B. Simpson0FaithfulnessSpiritual VigilanceJOS 24:14A.B. Simpson emphasizes the importance of faithfulness to God as he reflects on Joshua's parting charges to Israel. He warns that reliance on others, incomplete obedience, and self-confidence can lead to spiritual decline, as seen in Israel's history after Joshua's leadership. Simpson highlights the necessity of personal conviction and the dangers of complacency in faith, urging believers to remain vigilant and dependent on God's strength. He reminds the congregation of God's faithfulness and the need to remember His past mercies as motivation to uphold their covenant with Him. The sermon concludes with a call to recognize our weaknesses and to abide in Christ for true strength and perseverance.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Fear the Lord - Reverence him as the sole object of your religious worship. Serve him - Perform his will by obeying his commands. In sincerity - Having your whole heart engaged in his worship. And in truth - According to the directions he has given you in his infallible word. Put away the gods, etc. - From this exhortation of Joshua we learn of what sort the gods were, to the worship of whom these Israelites were still attached. 1. Those which their fathers worshipped on the other side of the flood: i.e., the gods of the Chaldeans, fire, light, the sun. 2. Those of the Egyptians, Apis, Anubis, the ape, serpents, vegetables, etc. 3. Those of the Canaanites, Moabites, etc., Baal-peor or Priapus, Astarte or Venus, etc., etc. All these he refers to in this and the following verse. See at the conclusion of Jos 24:33 (note). How astonishing is this, that, after all God had done for them, and all the miracles they had seen, there should still be found among them both idols and idolaters! That it was so we have the fullest evidence, both here and in Jos 24:23; Amo 5:26; and in Act 7:41. But what excuse can be made for such stupid, not to say brutish, blindness? Probably they thought they could the better represent the Divine nature by using symbols and images, and perhaps they professed to worship God through the medium of these. At least this is what has been alleged in behalf of a gross class of Christians who are notorious for image worship. But on such conduct God will never look with any allowance, where he has given his word and testimony.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth--After having enumerated so many grounds for national gratitude, Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel. He avowed this to be his own unalterable resolution, and urged them, if they were sincere in making a similar avowal, "to put away the strange gods that were among them"--a requirement which seems to imply that some were suspected of a strong hankering for, or concealed practice of, the idolatry, whether in the form of Zabaism, the fire-worship of their Chaldean ancestors, or the grosser superstitions of the Canaanites.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Now therefore fear the Lord,.... Since he has done such great and good things, fear the Lord and his goodness, fear him for his goodness sake; nothing so influences fear, or a reverential affection for God, as a sense of his goodness; this engages men sensible of it to fear the Lord, that is, to worship him both internally and externally in the exercise of every grace, and in the performance of every duty: and serve him in sincerity and in truth: in the uprightness of their souls, without hypocrisy and deceit, and according to the truth of his word, and of his mind and will revealed in it, without any mixture of superstition and will worship, or of the commands and inventions of men: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; that is, express an abhorrence of them, and keep at a distance from them, and show that you are far from giving in to such idolatries your ancestors were guilty of, when they lived on the other side Euphrates, in Chaldea, or when they were sojourners in Egypt; for it cannot be thought that the Israelites were at this time guilty of such gross idolatry, at least openly, since Joshua had bore such a testimony of them, that they had cleaved to the Lord unto that day, Jos 23:8; and their zeal against the two tribes and a half, on suspicion of idolatry, or of going into it, is a proof of it also: and serve ye the Lord: and him only.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
24:14 Put away forever the idols: Israel had not yet broken with the old polytheistic traditions of Mesopotamia beyond the Euphrates River, and some Israelites had added to their supply of gods while living in Egypt.