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Introduction
We can think that other people have idols and fall into idolatry. We picture the Old Testament nations bowing down to statues, or even people. We can fall into the trap and think, “Well, I don’t bow to created things, so I am fine.” We fail to see that idolatry is about placing our trust, our identity, or our joy in anything other than God. This definition hits much closer to home.
Joshua recounts the Lord’s faithfulness in Joshua 24. As Joshua rehearses the Lord’s faithfulness throughout covenant history, Israel is commanded to put their trust in the one true God. They are to trust God alone for their provision, contentment, and joy in this life. Idolatry is broader than bowing to physical false gods.
Worship God Exclusively
The heart of idolatry is trusting in something that we value or create in the place of God. We can trust in money, our abilities, our jobs, our families, our strategies, and the list continues. It is not to say that all idols are necessarily sinful in themselves. The sin is the trust we place in them. Idolatry means we are worshipping something other than God. This means we are living for another god.
Joshua says, “Choose this day whom you will serve.” God’s people, Israel, are called to trust in the one true God. God is not an option or an aid who functions alongside other gods. Joshua’s call is a conscious act where we deliberately pursue the one God exclusively for our pleasure, protection, and provision in this age.
We need to see the things we love as blessings from the hand of our Lord. All good things come from his fatherly hand. Appreciate them, but remember who provides them. Worship the Lord exclusively and not as a god alongside other gods.
Wait Upon the Lord
We wait upon God alone to care for us. We become impatient because God has not given us what we want when we want it. We begin to think that perhaps we need to take matters into our own hands. Maybe our plan will give us what we want. But the irony is that getting our own way often leads us into things that ultimately harm us.
But waiting upon the Lord means trusting that his wisdom is greater than ours. Sometimes the answer to our prayer is yes. Sometimes the answer is no. And sometimes the answer is simply, “Not yet.”
We need to see that the Lord is not withholding good from his children when he makes us wait. He may know that a good gift might ruin us at a particular time. The Lord may give us the good gift when we are mature enough to receive it.
Joshua recalls that God has given us a record of his faithfulness. Joshua reminds us that we should also contemplate the good things God has done. We can forget the many times that he has shielded us, protected us, and provided things we never thought would be given to us. Joshua’s rehearsing of the Lord’s history is not just the historic prologue, but also a great reminder to contemplate our Lord’s goodness.
Walk in the One True God
Finally, this exclusive worship and patient waiting should drive us to consciously walk with the Lord and to the Lord. The Christian life is not about denial or excess. It is not about seeing poverty as piety or prosperity as piety. It is about humbly discerning how to glorify the Lord in our current life circumstances.
We see this with Joshua. He was not a perfect man (Joshua 9:14). However, Joshua’s life trajectory was continually turning to and pursuing the Lord exclusively. He commands Israel to choose whom they will serve (Joshua 24:15). We know that our Lord has redeemed us, and so the Christian life is seeking to discern how to glorify God as our redeemer. We are his people, and he is our God. Let us live our lives in that conviction.
Maybe we are aware of our potential idols, and we continue to pursue the Lord. If we want to dig deeper, we can see that one helpful question to discern our idols is this: “What occupies my thoughts when I think about my happiness or security?” The answer to that question reveals what can pull us away from trusting in the one true God. Those things may not be sinful in themselves. They may actually be good gifts from God. But even good gifts can become idols when we begin to live for them rather than seeing the hand of our God providing them. The answer is not to reject every good thing God gives us, but to put everything back in its proper place.
This is where we return to what Joshua teaches us. It is not about Joshua, but about rehearsing the Lord’s promises. The Lord has been faithful, the Lord is faithful, and therefore the Lord will continue to be faithful. He fulfills his promises. This is why we consciously seek to walk in the one true God.
Conclusion
Joshua pointedly commands Israel when he says, “choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). This is a call that still applies to us today. We are the new Israel and sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:29). We may not have fashioned little gods that we place on our bookshelves. We must never underestimate how much we can put our trust in our money, our abilities, our jobs, our plans, our success, or even the good things God has given us. Our call is to continually and consciously pursue Christ. He is our exclusive source of hope in this age.
Let us never forget that our hope is not found in how perfectly we worship, wait, or walk in Christ. Our hope is found in Christ who has redeemed us.
Don't forget to check out our Sermon Shorts on YouTube for brief summaries and highlights from our sermons, or listen to the full message through our podcast.
Additional Resources
The Canons of Dort explain the biblical teaching on human corruption, the bondage of the will, God's sovereign grace, and the way he renews the heart and will of his people. This is a good place to start if you want to understand the human will.
Martin Luther's classic work examines the bondage of the human will and argues that our salvation cannot ultimately depend upon the supposed freedom of our fallen will, but upon the grace and mercy of God. This is a link to a free PDF of the book.
A helpful introduction to the Reformed understanding of the bondage of the will, explaining why fallen man is unable and unwilling to turn to God apart from His gracious work in us.
An introduction to biblical idolatry and the way we can put created things in the place that belongs to God alone. This helps us see that idolatry is not limited to worshiping physical images, but reaches into the desires and trusts of the human heart.