focal points

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

For Sunday, August 23, 2009

Proper 16

Where are the places where the three most significant events of your life happened? For me, one would be my birth in Milwaukee, WI. Another would be my marriage proposal in Wauwatosa, WI. Another would be Irkutsk, Siberia where we served for 10 years as church planters and trainers.

There were significant places in the life of God's people as well. One of these was Shechem. It is not by accident that Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at this particular place. It was at Shechem that Moses first pitched his tent and built an altar in honor of God's covenant promise to him and his descendants. It was here that Jacob settled with his family and built a well. In modern times, it was here that Yasser Arafat had his headquarters.

There is something interesting about the geography of this place that seems to parallel what Joshua is doing rhetorically. The entrance to Shechem was only 500 yards wide, bound on the left by Mt. Gerizim, and on the right by Mt. Ebal (Gerizim is listed on the map above, Ebal is the blue square at the far right). Just as the land was brought to a focal point at this particular location, so was Israel's future: "Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. . . But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve."

This is a call for each of us to ask, "Who am I serving, really?" Am I serving Christ, or my career? Am I serving my family, or myself? Am I a fully devoted follower of Christ, or just dabbling? Joshua was very clear about his own commitment: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

There is a special call here for men to rise up and lead their families and households. Men, it starts with us. For the sake of our loved ones and of Christ, let us not fail them.

living on the shoulders of God's blessing

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
For Sunday, November 9, 2008
Proper 27

Places are important to us. We remember the place we were born, the place we were married, and the place where our father died. Places are important to God too. This is why the final chapter of Joshua chapter 24 begins with reference to a place: Shechem: "Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem."

Why Shechem? If you have a Bible with cross-references it becomes readily apparent in the reference to Gen. 12:6. In Genesis chapter 12 the Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country... and go to the land I will show you." Abram went, and where was the farthest point to which he traveled? Shechem: "Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem" (Gen. 12:6).

This city, known today as the Palestinian city of Nablus, is known as the most beautiful spot in all of Central Palestine. At this farthest point to which Abraham travelled God said to him, "Okay, now that you've traveled this far, guess what? This is what I'm going to give you... all of it."

Fast forward now to Joshua's day. The point of gathering the twelve tribes here once again was to say, "Despite all we've been through (Egypt and the desert wandering) do you see how God has fulfilled his promise to Abram by pouring out his blessings upon us?" This is why Joshua then says essentially, "Look, I don't know who you are going to serve with your life, but given the fulfillment of God's promise we are witnessing here today, as for me and my house, we are going to serve the Lord" (Josh 24:16).

The name Shechem means literally, "God's shoulder." Joshua is saying this: "Look at the blessings we have received. Do you think we amassed these for ourselves? Think again. We are living on the shoulders of God's gracious blessing."

What about us? Have we really pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps, or like these Israelistes are we actually living on the shoulders of God's blessing? If the latter, what will be our response: to take him for granted, . . . or to commit everything we have and are to God's cause and glory?

I'm with Joshua: as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.