Joshua 24:14-15
There have always been moments in history when leaders stepped to the forefront and made declarations that are long remembered and studied. For instance:
- Sir Winston Churchill: Battle of France/1940:
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender[.]
- John F. Kennedy: Inauguration Speech/1961:
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
- Martin Luther King: Lincoln Memorial/1963:
I have a dream…
- Ronald Reagan: Berlin Wall/1987:
We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
You find these same kinds of monumental statements in the biblical record:
- Elijah on Mt. Carmel with the Prophets of Baal:
And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. (1 Kings 18:21)
- Jesus on the cross:
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30)
- Paul to the Philippians:
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)
However, there is one declaration made in scripture by Joshua that is worthy of consideration concerning the radical faith needed for raising our families. It was made at Shechem, which was a vitally important site to the Jewish people. Clarence McCartney says about it,
“If you were to put Plymouth Rock and Yorktown and Lexington Independence Hall together, you would not have what Shechem is to Israel.” (Clarence McCartney, The Greatest Texts of the Bible, pp. 74-75)
It’s at this place that Joshua calls the people together, with all of their leaders, to reaffirm the Israelites’ commitment to the Mosaic Covenant. It’s a commencement day of sorts as he prepares to hand off the spiritual baton of leadership to the next generation.
After rehearsing God’s blessings to them in the previous verses, he issues a challenge to them to obey God.
- Joshua before his death:
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)
We desperately need today a radical commitment among parents and grandparents to influence their children for Christ. The children of our culture are regularly taking the brunt of our increasingly secular society.
In a report entitled, “America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Wellbeing, 2012,” agencies within the U.S. government give statistics about the general status of the children of our nation. The report is too lengthy to give them all, but listen to some of the key indicators of what is happening to our children. For instance:
“In 2011, there were 73.9 million children in the United States, 1.5 million more than in 2000. This number is projected to increase to 101.6 million by 2050...In 2011, children made up 24 percent of the population, down from a peak of 36 percent at the end of the “baby boom” (1964). Children are projected to remain a fairly stable percentage of the total population through 2050, when they are projected to compose 23 percent of the population.”
“In 2011, 69 percent of children ages 0–17 lived with two parents (65 percent with 2 married parents), 27 percent with one parent, and 4 percent with no parents. Among children living with neither parent, more than half lived with a grandparent. Seven percent of all children ages 0–17 lived with a parent who was in a cohabiting union...”
“The percentage of all births that were to unmarried women...more than doubled between 1980 and 2009, with the largest increases for women in their twenties. In 2010, 40.8 percent of births were to unmarried women....In 2010, the adolescent birth rate was 17.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15–17...”
“In 2010, 22 percent of children ages 0–17 (16.4 million) lived in poverty. This is up from
a low of 16 percent in 2000 and 2001. Consistent with expectations related to the economic downturn, child poverty has increased annually since 2006, when the rate was 17 percent.”
“For children living in female-householder families, the poverty rate was 47 percent in 2010,
an increase from 45 percent in 2009...For children living in male-householder families, the poverty rate was 29 percent in 2010, not statistically different from 2009.”
“In 2010, 10 percent of children lived in families with incomes below 50 percent of the poverty threshold (a value of $11,057 for a family of four). This estimate is the highest since 1994.”
“Recent illicit drug use among youth remained unchanged from 2010 to 2011. In 2011, 9 percent of 8th-graders, 19 percent of 10th-graders, and 25 percent of 12th-graders reported current illicit drug use, that is, use in the past 30 days...”
As these statistics show, our children are under attack and desperately need intervention. While it may not be possible to change the lives of all these children, it should be the desire of Christian parents to impact their own children's lives. And, Joshua’s declaration would be a good place to begin as we make our own declarations as to how we are going to live and lead our families.
Consider the following seven observations about Joshua’s faith...
- He spoke individually about his faith.
This was not the faith of his father's alone. This was a faith that he owned for himself and that he followed through the course of his life. There was no mistake about Joshua’s own commitment to the Lord. This life commitment was very personal to him, as well as permanent.
- He spoke thoughtfully about his faith.
He first rehearsed some of the many blessings God had given to Israel. Then he placed before them a question that was purely rhetorical in nature. He is not suggesting that they should leave the God of their fathers. But, he is calling the people to follow his example and to make the choice he made to obey/follow God.
- He spoke decisively about his faith.
Joshua left no ambiguity in his declaration. And, he spoke not just for himself, but for his entire family. He had no intention of leading them to any other decision than the one he had reached. He didn’t leave the faith of his children up to chance. (cf. Job 1)
- He spoke confidently about his faith.
There was no hypocrisy in Joshua’s declaration. The people had seen his integrity and he had demonstrated a consistency and genuineness of life. It was his sincere and proven character that added weight to his words when he spoke.
- He spoke submissively about his faith.
This wasn’t a “dead faith” that lacked works to demonstrate it. It was a living faith that brought him to the place of submission to the Lord. He intended to serve and obey God all the days of his life.
- He spoke openly about his faith.
He stands before all of the leaders of Israel and the people of the nation without a hint of indecision about following the Lord or making this declaration of allegiance. He didn’t have a secret relationship with God. Rather, it was a bold faith that was unafraid of public scrutiny. Everybody knew where Joshua stood and about his sincerity!
- He spoke purposefully about his faith.
All those years ago Joshua had stood alone with Caleb to declare that God could enable them to conquer the Land of Canaan. Now, he stands alone again to influence his nation to remain faithful to the God of Israel after he’s gone. He intends on leading them to a similar decision that he had made and kept throughout the years of his life.
It’s this kind of faith lived out before our families that this world is so desperate to see. It’s going to take the radical, living faith of parents and grandparents to influence the next generation for God. This is no time for indifference and/or negligence in rearing our children. If you are not showing them the way to God and how to live this relationship out before others, then you can be sure that the world, the flesh and the devil are looking to trap your kids/grandkids in ungodly ways.
So often the way our kids turn out is determined by the way we live out our faith before them.
Illustration: There were four scholars who were arguing over Bible translations. One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beauty, eloquent old English. Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its literalism, the way it moves the reader from passage to passage with confident feelings of accuracy from the original text. A third man preferred Moffatt’s Translation because of its quaint, penetrating use of words, the turn of a phrase that captures the attention of the reader.
After giving the issue some further thought, the fourth scholar admitted, “I have always personally preferred my mother's translation.” When the other scholars chuckled, he responded, “Yes, she translated the scripture herself. She translated each page of the Bible into life and it’s the most convincing translation I’ve ever read.”
Application:
1. Instruct your children in the ways and Word of God.
2. How well you live is as important as how well they listen.
3. Pray for your children...without ceasing.
4. Encourage the work of God in their hearts when you see it.
5. Love is the bridge you cross to sow faith in their hearts.
