A Joshua Kind Of A Dad, Part 1

In the twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Joshua, Joshua assembles the tribes of Israel in a place called Shechem. Joshua, if you remember, is the one chosen after the death of Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. It has taken them forty long years of wandering the desert in redemption, but they finally make it in and are ready to take the land God has given them.

Because of Joshua’s faithfulness he is able to successfully rout the enemies of God so that the Jews can possess their land. Thirty-one kingdoms are conquered, not by Joshua’s might, but by the divine intervention of the Lord. Battle after battle is won in spite of the odds against the Israelites.

Now, many years later, Joshua stands before all the people. He shares what God has spoken to him, listing all the promises, miracles and provisions with which the Lord has blessed His people. There was Abraham and his descendents, Moses and the exodus from Egypt, battle after battle when they crossed the Jordan River. And Joshua reminds them, “You did not do it with your own sword and bow.”

Then Joshua speaks for himself. He’s more than aware that there are still a large number of Israelites, in spite of everything they’ve seen and done, who worship other gods. But he’s about to make it clear where he stands on the matter of his faithfulness. In essence, he draws a line in the sand. They can choose to serve the gods of their forefathers or even of the Amorites in whose land they now live.

I can then picture Joshua pausing for effect. He straightens his shoulders, sets his jaw and says, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

A man’s man, that Joshua. Strong. Resilient. Dedicated. Convicted, not only to be the leader of his people, but to be the spiritual force of his family. You can rest assured that the stories and laws of his God were passed down to his children and grandchildren.

It didn’t matter whether his father taught him about God. Didn’t matter if his neighbors were teaching their children. Didn’t matter if the elders in his tribe did. Didn’t matter if the people in his Sunday school class did, or his Bible study group, or his accountability partner or if the other parents of his daughter’s youth group did.

Very funny. Get the point?

Joshua was making a stand as the head of his household that God was going to be foremost in their daily life. They were not going to just pay lip service to their faith. They were going to walk, talk, think and act in a way that glorified God for no other reason than that He is the great I AM.

Related Articles:
A Joshua Kind Of A Dad, Part 2
Joshua And Eunice, The Series