Joshua 24:15

Context

This verse comes from the final chapter of the book of Joshua. After Israel has settled in Canaan, the aged Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He recounts what God has done, from the call of Abraham through the Exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and the conquest of Canaan (24:2–13). He then urges the people to put away the gods their fathers served beyond the River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt, and to serve the LORD (24:14). In verse 15 he tells them that if they are unwilling to serve the LORD, they must choose that day whom they will serve, whether the gods of their fathers or the gods of the Amorites, and he declares his own resolve and that of his household: "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." The people answer three times that they will serve the LORD, and Joshua makes a covenant with them (24:16–25).

Interpretation

• As a decision of covenant renewal: On this reading, the choice marks the occasion on which Israel, already God's people, pledges renewed loyalty to the covenant in a new land. It is closer to a community's renewal of faith than to an individual's initial conversion.
• As a model of household faith: On this reading, "me and my house" shows how the spiritual decision of the head of a household extends to the faith of the whole household. The verse is often read alongside Acts 16:31: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
• As a warning about genuine faith: When the people declare that they will serve the LORD, Joshua replies, "Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God" (24:19). This reading takes his words as a demand for wholehearted devotion rather than a lightly made pledge.

Debates and Issues

The command "choose" is frequently cited in discussions of predestination and free will. Arminianism and the Wesleyan tradition point to this verse as evidence that God entrusts human beings with real responsibility to choose. The Calvinist tradition affirms that human choice is real and responsible but holds that such a choice is possible only because God's grace first moves the heart (Philippians 2:13). Both sides generally acknowledge that, in its context, the verse does not directly address the doctrine of salvation.

In the Korean Church

This is one of the verses most often used for family mottos, framed displays in entryways, and wedding gifts. It is also a principal text for sermons encouraging family worship and for events during Family Month (May).

Related Passages

• Joshua 24:14–25
• Deuteronomy 30:19–20
• 1 Kings 18:21
• Acts 16:31
• Philippians 2:12–13