My House
"What's up, Dad?"
Joshua looked up at his son, coming down the path, silhouetted by the bright sunlight. "We're having a family meeting," he said. "Now we're just waiting on your mother to finish up."
His wife came out of their home. "I'm finishing fixing your lunch," she said, "so I don't think you want to rush me!" She smiled. He had loved that smile for so long now, through so much. They had spend so many years with uncertainty hanging over their heads, but now things would be different. Now, he thought, they could have some sense of being settled. There was just one more thing to take care of.
"All right," Joshua said, standing up. "Everyone's here. Now, I've just got a short time before the people gather and I have to make a speech to them. You, of all people, know how hard it's been these last few years. When I took over for Moses, I never imagined..."
"Yeah, Dad, we know that you're the guy in charge! You keep reminding us!" Everyone laughed.
Joshua smiled. "Do I need to go back and tell you about how I was one of the spies sent into this land?"
"No, no!" they cried out, putting their hands over their hears. "Anything but that!"
"Okay, then," Joshua said, "Let an old man say what he wants to say then." He took a moment to wipe his brow. Goodness it was hot here. "When I took over from Moses, I thought conquering the Promised Land would be easy. I thought people would just give up their land. Was I ever wrong, and looking back I can't imagine why I ever thought that anyway! So it's been a hard journey of battles, warfare, uncertainty and some dumb decisions. Like the time we made that ill-considered treaty..."
"Honey?" his wife said. "Your lunch might burn if you tell all your stories."
"Right," he said. Even then, the way to a man's heart—and short speeches—was through his stomach. "So, anyway, we're really at a crossroads right now. We have taken the land—well, most of it—just like God told us to. And now we have to decide what kind of people we're going to be."
"I'd like to be taller," his son said.
"No, no," Joshua laughed. "That's not what I mean. What I mean is—" He paused and looked at all of them in turn. "What I mean is this: we have to decide whether we're going to be God's people or whether we're going to worship something else. There are a lot of gods to choose from, especially in this land. And what I want to be able to tell the people is that my house has chosen to serve the God who rescued us from Egypt."
Everyone was quiet for a moment. It was Joshua's wife who spoke first. "Well, dear, you know I'm with you. I can't imagine worshipping any other god, not after all the things we've seen, the miracles and the battles we really should have lost..."
Joshua smiled at her, then looked at his children. His eldest spoke first. "Yes, Dad, we are determined to keep worshipping God, too. Why would we turn our backs on him now?" The others all agreed.
Joshua breathed a deep sigh. "I knew that," he said, "but I needed to hear you all say it. And thank you...thank you. It gives this old man great relief to hear you all say those things. It gives me great peace to know that when I die, I'll be able to say that me and my house—well, we served the Lord."
His wife put her arm around his neck. "Well, you're not dying any time soon, so let's have some lunch...then you can give your big speech."
Words began forming in his head as he went back into their home....as for me and my house...we will serve the Lord. We will serve the Lord. He thought he just might use that in his speech.
Joshua looked up at his son, coming down the path, silhouetted by the bright sunlight. "We're having a family meeting," he said. "Now we're just waiting on your mother to finish up."
His wife came out of their home. "I'm finishing fixing your lunch," she said, "so I don't think you want to rush me!" She smiled. He had loved that smile for so long now, through so much. They had spend so many years with uncertainty hanging over their heads, but now things would be different. Now, he thought, they could have some sense of being settled. There was just one more thing to take care of.
"All right," Joshua said, standing up. "Everyone's here. Now, I've just got a short time before the people gather and I have to make a speech to them. You, of all people, know how hard it's been these last few years. When I took over for Moses, I never imagined..."
"Yeah, Dad, we know that you're the guy in charge! You keep reminding us!" Everyone laughed.
Joshua smiled. "Do I need to go back and tell you about how I was one of the spies sent into this land?"
"No, no!" they cried out, putting their hands over their hears. "Anything but that!"
"Okay, then," Joshua said, "Let an old man say what he wants to say then." He took a moment to wipe his brow. Goodness it was hot here. "When I took over from Moses, I thought conquering the Promised Land would be easy. I thought people would just give up their land. Was I ever wrong, and looking back I can't imagine why I ever thought that anyway! So it's been a hard journey of battles, warfare, uncertainty and some dumb decisions. Like the time we made that ill-considered treaty..."
"Honey?" his wife said. "Your lunch might burn if you tell all your stories."
"Right," he said. Even then, the way to a man's heart—and short speeches—was through his stomach. "So, anyway, we're really at a crossroads right now. We have taken the land—well, most of it—just like God told us to. And now we have to decide what kind of people we're going to be."
"I'd like to be taller," his son said.
"No, no," Joshua laughed. "That's not what I mean. What I mean is—" He paused and looked at all of them in turn. "What I mean is this: we have to decide whether we're going to be God's people or whether we're going to worship something else. There are a lot of gods to choose from, especially in this land. And what I want to be able to tell the people is that my house has chosen to serve the God who rescued us from Egypt."
Everyone was quiet for a moment. It was Joshua's wife who spoke first. "Well, dear, you know I'm with you. I can't imagine worshipping any other god, not after all the things we've seen, the miracles and the battles we really should have lost..."
Joshua smiled at her, then looked at his children. His eldest spoke first. "Yes, Dad, we are determined to keep worshipping God, too. Why would we turn our backs on him now?" The others all agreed.
Joshua breathed a deep sigh. "I knew that," he said, "but I needed to hear you all say it. And thank you...thank you. It gives this old man great relief to hear you all say those things. It gives me great peace to know that when I die, I'll be able to say that me and my house—well, we served the Lord."
His wife put her arm around his neck. "Well, you're not dying any time soon, so let's have some lunch...then you can give your big speech."
Words began forming in his head as he went back into their home....as for me and my house...we will serve the Lord. We will serve the Lord. He thought he just might use that in his speech.
Joshua 24:15
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