A THRONG of people stood in reverent silence listening to the words of a great leader. It must have been a dramatic, awe-inspiring occasion, and although it took place more than three thousand years ago, the words spoken at that time are as important and pertinent to us today as they were to those ancient Israelites who first heard them.
It was Joshua who spoke. He reminded the people of the great goodness of God and of how He had delivered them from the slavery of the Egyptians. God had taken them safely through the Red Sea, guided and sustained them on their long, laborious journey through the wilderness. He had brought them into the promised land of security and supply.
Joshua knew the temptations to which his people had been exposed, especially the temptation of idolatry. The neighboring peoples had gods, or idols, which they could see and touch. The Israelites had one God, the great, ever-present, all-powerful I AM. It was a magnificent heritage—this monotheism of their forefathers—the most magnificent heritage in all the world. But it was a constant challenge as well. And over and over again the Israelites were lured away to the easier, less spiritual forms of worship of their neighbors.
