choose

[asper]

Joshua 24:15 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.

Would you say that this verse says to choose between the True God and false gods,

or does it say if it seem evil to serve the Lord then you are to choose?

Edited July 11, 2012 by asper

[Guest man]

Would you say that this verse says to choose between the True God and false gods,

or does it say if it seem evil to serve the Lord then you are to choose?

The verse is pretty self-explanatory. They were given the option of serving God or not serving God.

Choose whom you wish to worship.

[Stan53]

This was Joshua's final oratory and it was his desire to be as candid and straight forward with the people of Israel that he had led for years. Amazingly after ALL God had done for them, there was still descent in the land. It is NOT surprising then, that we have basically the same problems with believers today.

[gdemoss]

Asper, we need only one previous verse to clarify your question and the answer to it.

Jos 24:14 ¶ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

Jos 24:15 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 command is to serve the Lord in 14. The alternative is given in 15 with the condition 'if it seem evil unto you' then 'choose'. Now for the real question. Where are we going with all this?

Yours In Christ,

Gary

[asper]

Asper, we need only one previous verse to clarify your question and the answer to it.

Jos 24:14 ¶ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

Jos 24:15 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 command is to serve the Lord in 14. The alternative is given in 15 with the condition 'if it seem evil unto you' then 'choose'. Now for the real question. Where are we going with all this?

Yours In Christ,

Gary

hi gdmoss,

going nowhere.

one of my interests is how commonly quoted verses are misunderstood.

this is a clear if, then, statement.

which means that when "if" is not correct then you do not proceed with the rest of the statement. but when if is true then you go to the rest of the statement.

so then they were to choose between two sets of gods if they thought it evil to serve the Lord.

i was just curious on how people would interpret this.

God bless

[combat68w]

Asper, we need only one previous verse to clarify your question and the answer to it.

Jos 24:14 ¶ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

Jos 24:15 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 command is to serve the Lord in 14. The alternative is given in 15 with the condition 'if it seem evil unto you' then 'choose'. Now for the real question. Where are we going with all this?

Yours In Christ,

Gary

hi gdmoss,

going nowhere.

one of my interests is how commonly quoted verses are misunderstood.

this is a clear if, then, statement.

which means that when "if" is not correct then you do not proceed with the rest of the statement. but when if is true then you go to the rest of the statement.

so then they were to choose between two sets of gods if they thought it evil to serve the Lord.

i was just curious on how people would interpret this.

God bless

Yeah, the way I read it, it's an ultimatum, either one serves the Lord or doesn't. Compare it to this verse :

"All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the LORD weighs the spirit."

(Proverbs 16:2 ESV)

[Bold Believer]

It's a call to declare whose side one is on, therefore demonstrating whether God has chosen YOU. James as much said the same thing when he wrote:

'...and I will show you my faith BY MY WORKS.'

[childeye]

Joshua 24:15 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.

Would you say that this verse says to choose between the True God and false gods,

or does it say if it seem evil to serve the Lord then you are to choose?

It says both. For unless you thought evil of God there would be no reason to seek to choose a different god. But as for Joshua and his family, he knew there was no other God.