Daily Devotional for Thursday, April 10, 2025

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What Does It Truly Mean to Choose Whom We Will Serve?

A Call to Unwavering Devotion: Understanding Joshua 24:15

Few verses in the Old Testament capture the weight of personal responsibility before Jehovah as powerfully as Joshua 24:15. The verse reads: “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve Jehovah, 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. But as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.” This declaration stands not as a sentimental expression of preference, but as a solemn and public vow grounded in covenant loyalty and the absolute rejection of all idolatry. Spoken in approximately 1399 B.C.E., near the end of Joshua’s life, this verse occurs at a critical juncture in Israel’s history—after the conquest of Canaan and prior to Joshua’s death, when the people would soon be tested by the absence of centralized leadership.

Joshua’s statement follows a lengthy recounting of Jehovah’s faithful acts in Israel’s history, beginning with Abraham and culminating in the recent victories in the Promised Land (Joshua 24:1–13). Jehovah had brought them out of slavery in Egypt, led them through the wilderness, defeated their enemies, and given them cities they did not build and vineyards they did not plant. In light of this, Joshua presents a choice that is not neutral or philosophical—it is a covenantal decision with real consequences. The people must either serve Jehovah with exclusive devotion or serve the false gods their ancestors and neighbors once followed. There is no third option. Neutrality is not presented as a possibility.

The Hebrew term used for “serve” is עָבַד (ʿābad), which means to work for, worship, or submit to. It is the same term used for slave labor in other contexts, reinforcing that serving a deity in Israelite understanding was not a passive belief system but a total-life commitment involving obedience, allegiance, and practical worship. To “serve” Jehovah meant to follow his laws, reject competing loyalties, and shape every part of life around his Word. It demanded not only public loyalty, but private obedience, and full conformity to divine instruction.

Joshua acknowledges that some may find it “evil” or undesirable to serve Jehovah. This startling phrase exposes the rebelliousness of the human heart. Despite all that Jehovah had done, some might still view his commands as burdensome, his exclusivity as offensive, or his sovereignty as restrictive. But the choice still stands: if one rejects Jehovah, they must actively decide whom they will serve. Joshua does not leave room for spiritual independence. Every person serves someone or something. As Jesus said centuries later in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and wealth.” Likewise, in Romans 6:16, Paul wrote, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey…?” There is always service involved—either to righteousness or to sin.

Joshua’s declaration, “as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah,” reveals personal leadership, moral clarity, and spiritual conviction. He does not merely hope to serve Jehovah or discuss it as a noble goal. He declares it as an irrevocable decision. As the head of his household, he commits his entire family to Jehovah’s service. This reflects the biblical principle that spiritual leadership begins in the home. As Deuteronomy 6:6–7 commanded, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…” Joshua’s example is one of godly leadership grounded in the authority of God’s Word and faith in his promises.

The context of the verse also reveals the real threat of idolatry among the Israelites. Joshua refers to the gods of their forefathers (likely referencing Mesopotamian idolatry from Abraham’s time), the gods of Egypt, and the gods of the Amorites—the pagan deities of the land they now inhabited. This was not an abstract temptation. The religious practices of the Canaanites were woven into their culture, including fertility rites, human sacrifice, and idolatrous worship. Jehovah had explicitly commanded in Exodus 23:24, “You shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.” Israel’s ability to remain faithful depended on constant vigilance and deliberate rejection of these false systems.

Choosing whom to serve is not a one-time emotional decision but a lifelong pattern of obedience. The text does not suggest a shallow moment of rededication, but a public reaffirmation of covenant faithfulness. Joshua’s use of the word “choose” (בָּחַר, bāchar) signifies a deliberate, thoughtful, and permanent commitment, not an impulsive emotional response. This same word is used in Deuteronomy 30:19, where Moses declared, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.” True choosing involves action—aligning one’s behavior with the Word of God and turning away from all forms of spiritual compromise.

In modern times, this verse continues to challenge those who wish to straddle the line between faithfulness to God and conformity to the world. It remains a corrective to any form of lukewarm religion. As Revelation 3:15–16 records, Jesus rebukes the church in Laodicea: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm… I will spit you out of my mouth.” The call of Joshua 24:15 is a call to wholehearted allegiance. To serve Jehovah is to forsake all rivals, no matter how culturally accepted or emotionally satisfying they may be.

The New Testament reiterates this call to exclusive devotion. In 1 Peter 3:15, believers are commanded, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” This internal sanctification of Christ as Lord is the New Covenant parallel to Joshua’s public vow. Serving the true God requires both internal conviction and outward confession.

It is also worth noting that the people’s immediate response to Joshua’s challenge was one of verbal agreement. In Joshua 24:16, they replied, “Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah to serve other gods.” However, Joshua does not immediately accept their affirmation. In Joshua 24:19–20, he challenges their sincerity: “You are not able to serve Jehovah, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God… If you forsake Jehovah and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm.” Joshua understood that verbal promises without sustained obedience are meaningless. The call to serve Jehovah must be followed by action, repentance, loyalty, and the continual rejection of sin.

The message of Joshua 24:15 is as relevant today as it was in 1399 B.C.E. Every generation must choose whom they will serve. Cultural pressures, moral decline, and false religion make this choice increasingly urgent. The line between the holy and the profane must not be blurred. Christians are not permitted to serve two masters, to blend biblical truth with worldly compromise, or to admire God’s Word while refusing to obey it. The way of the faithful is narrow, but it leads to life.

Those who follow the example of Joshua must not only declare their loyalty but live it consistently—in the home, in the workplace, in times of ease and in times of difficulty. Jehovah is not looking for part-time devotion or convenient obedience. He calls for the full heart, the full mind, and the full life. Choosing to serve him is not a cultural tradition or religious habit—it is the only path to eternal life.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).