70 SESSION LifeWay

Transcription

1 70 SESSION 6

2 The Point Leaders set the example and call others to follow God. The Passage Joshua 24:14-18, The Bible Meets Life We did not get to where we are on our own. Other people s example and influence both good and bad affect our choices and the outcome of our lives. We also have an influence on others, and we should use that influence to point them to life in Christ. At the end of Joshua s life, he reminded the Israelites of God s work on their behalf. He challenged them to follow his lead and commit their ways to God. The Setting Joshua assumed the leadership of the children of Israel as they moved into the land God had promised Abraham so many years before. Under his leadership, Israel had entered Canaan and slowly taken control of what was becoming their national homeland. In his final act of public leadership as recorded by Scripture, Joshua challenged the nation to choose decisively whether they would follow God or follow man-made gods. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 71

3 What does the Bible say? Joshua 24:14-18, (HCSB) Fear (v. 14) To fear the Lord means having a deep reverence toward God and a heightened awareness of His presence and His will for one s life. Covenant (v. 25) From the Hebrew term berith, covenant refers to a binding agreement between two parties, most often Yahweh and His people, comparable to a relational contract. Statute and ordinance (v. 25) Statutes and ordinances refer to the stipulations for maintaining the covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel, notably to abstain from idolatry and immorality. 14 Therefore, fear the LORD and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh. 15 But if it doesn t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh. 16 The people replied, We will certainly not abandon the LORD to worship other gods! 17 For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. 18 The LORD drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the LORD, because He is our God. 24 So the people said to Joshua, We will worship the LORD our God and obey Him. 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them. 26 Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God; he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak next to the sanctuary of the LORD. 72 SESSION 6

4 THE POINT Leaders set the example and call others to follow God. GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes DISCUSS: Invite your group members to turn their attention to the image at the bottom of page 59 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG). Ask: Who are some of your favorite leaders from history? RECAP THE PSG: As I stood with my kids on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, we marveled at our view as we looked across the Reflecting Pool, up to the World War II Memorial, and finally, at the majestic Washington Monument towering in the background. Then I looked behind me where Abraham Lincoln sat deep in the shadows of his own memorial. The Gettysburg Address is engraved in one of the walls. With that speech, Lincoln made a courageous call for the nation to preserve unity even if it would call for the highest price. Notes TIP: This is the last session in this study. Be sure to offer group members a time for review and evaluation. Martin Luther King, Jr. also stood on these same steps, calling the nation to racial equality. Reverend King stood on the proverbial shoulders of Lincoln, a leader who called people to a higher and nobler ground. Both men impacted history (PSG, p. 60). SAY: Leaders influence others, calling them to the place God desires for them to go. Like Moses, Joshua challenged the people to new heights of love and loyalty for God. GUIDE: Call the group s attention to The Point on page 60 of the PSG: Leaders set the example and call others to follow God. Explain that this key idea will drive your discussion (it appears at the top of each session page). PRAY: Transition into the Bible study by thanking God for all the ways He provides and protects us each day, as well as our opportunities to influence others to follow Him. Display Pack Item #7 for use with Discussion Question 5. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 73

5 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Joshua 24:14-15 Notes 14 Therefore, fear the LORD and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh. 15 But if it doesn t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh. READ: Ask a group member to read Joshua 24:14-15 aloud. ALTERNATE QUESTION: What about God s character leads you to fear and worship Him? RECAP: Joshua led and influenced others throughout his life. Even at the end of his life, he gave a farewell message that included a great challenge to the Israelites. With the nation gathered before him, Joshua called the people to renew their loyalty to God. He began by reviewing the history of God s involvement in the lives of their people. Based on how God had worked among the people throughout their history, they were to fear the LORD and worship Him in sincerity and truth. The fear of God includes the knowledge that His character demands us to honor and reflect His holiness (PSG, p. 62). DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 62 of the PSG: How can we obey what Joshua commanded in these verses? RECAP: How we choose to live is shaped by what we fear, revere, or desire the most. Knowing this, Joshua called the people to make a choice. They were free to choose for themselves whom they would fear and, as a result, whom they would serve. Joshua declared that he and his family were choosing to fear the God who had worked on their behalf. Joshua led not only with his words, but with his example as well (PSG, p. 62). TRANSITION: In the next verses, we find out how the Israelites responded to the challenge: follow God wholeheartedly or follow man-made gods? 74 SESSION 6

6 THE POINT Leaders set the example and call others to follow God. Joshua 24:14-15 Commentary Call for others to make a public commitment to God and set the example. Today s passage focuses on Joshua s concluding act as leader of God s people. Moses had been known as the servant of the LORD, a title used 14 times for him in the Book of Joshua. Through his diligent service, Joshua earned the same title at the end of his life (Joshua 24:29). In his last recorded act as leader, he encouraged others to follow God. Joshua gathered the leaders and all the people to Shechem where they presented themselves before God (v. 1). Then he recounted the history of the Lord s dealings with His people beginning with Abraham s family and extending to their present dwelling in the promised land (vv. 2-13). Joshua concluded his historical summary by reminding the people the Lord had given them the land, the cities, the vineyards, and the olive groves (v. 13). Verse 14 The term therefore marks Joshua s transition from recounting what Yahweh had done for Israel to his invitation for Israel to respond to what Yahweh had done for them. Four times in these two verses, he referred to worshiping the Lord. When Joshua commanded the people, fear the LORD, he was calling them to hold Yahweh in deep awe and reverence and to live in a state of heightened awareness of His presence and purpose for them. The obvious way to demonstrate their reverence was to worship Him in sincerity and truth. Interestingly, the command to worship utilizes the Hebrew verb abad, meaning to serve. This word approximates Paul s use of the Greek term latreian in Romans 12:1, which is rendered as service in some English texts and as worship in others. The term sincerity refers to a wholesome integrity and dedication to the Lord s service. The companion word truth refers to what we would call faithfulness or a firm resolve to stay the course. Holding Yahweh in deep awe and reverence necessitated they get rid of the gods, a reference to the idols their fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River, literally in the region across the river or in Mesopotamia. The people also had to get rid of the gods that were worshiped in Egypt. Apparently, some had enslaved themselves to worshiping Egyptian idols. Verse 15 Joshua called for others to make a public commitment to God. He knew, however, that true commitment to God is a matter of choice. So he introduced the alternative by saying, if it doesn t please you to worship Yahweh. The statement if it doesn t please you is a translation of the literal Hebrew for if it is evil (or a bad thing) in your eyes. A choice had to be made. Joshua commanded them, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship. As we have seen, their choices included the gods their fathers served in Mesopotamia and the gods worshiped in Egypt. To this list Joshua added a third category of idols, the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. Joshua s command to choose was not an encouragement for the people to commit idolatry; rather, it was a reminder that fearing, serving, and worshiping Yahweh had to be a deliberate choice on their part. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 75

7 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Joshua 24:16-18 Notes 16 The people replied, We will certainly not abandon the LORD to worship other gods! 17 For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. 18 The LORD drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the LORD, because He is our God. READ: Ask a group member to read Joshua 24:16-18 aloud. RECAP: The Israelites wholeheartedly agreed they would follow God alone. It s as if Joshua had pulled back the curtain to allow them to see the full measure of God s faithfulness. Once they saw the wider perspective, they were filled with confidence in their decision to serve God alone. They would serve the God who had worked on their behalf. How could they follow other gods and forsake the God who had worked so mightily to provide for and protect them? We too will worship the Lord, because He is our God (PSG, p. 63). SAY: In these verses, the Israelites recounted all that God had done for their continued protection. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt, protected their travel, and removed any people groups who might threaten them. ALTERNATE QUESTION: When have you been a witness to God s work in the world? DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 63 of the PSG: How does God s past faithfulness influence your current actions? DO: Divide your members into groups of three or four people each. Within each small group, direct members to take turns sharing aloud their responses to the activity on page 64 of the PSG. Tried and True: ]] Which of the following images best depicts God s provision and protection in your own life? Explain. 76 SESSION 6 TRANSITION: God s actions on their behalf moved the Israelites to worship and reverence He would be their God and they would be His people.

8 THE POINT Leaders set the example and call others to follow God. Joshua 24:16-18 Commentary Remind others of what God has done for them. Verse 16 The people heard Joshua s invitation and replied emphatically: We will certainly not abandon the LORD to worship other gods! The emphasis indicated by the phrase certainly not translates the Hebrew term chalilah and can be rendered as far be it from us or God forbid (KJV). The term is an emphatic interjection that conveys strong emotion. In the strongest way possible, the people responded to Joshua s leadership by asserting they would not abandon or forsake the Lord, nor would they worship other gods. The reference to the people is somewhat generic. The Book of Judges is replete with examples of many people who later did indeed abandon the Lord. However, in the spirit and emotion of that moment at Shechem, they pledged allegiance to the Lord. Verse 17 Just as Joshua had recounted the Lord s salvific acts on behalf of Israel (Joshua 24:1-13), so also the people acknowledged His gracious actions. They referred to the LORD as our God, combining the covenant name Yahweh, here rendered the LORD, with the relational affirmation our God. This affirmation put the Shechem proceedings on a covenantal foundation (v. 16) in that they promised they would not abandon the LORD to worship other gods! The people then acknowledged God s gracious acts of deliverance. Yahweh had delivered them from the physical, mental, and emotional turmoil derived from being enslaved by others. In Israel s collective memory, the land of Egypt was foremost the place of slavery. The Lord had delivered them from their bondage by doing these great signs before their eyes. The phrase these great signs referred to the same phenomena the Egyptians experienced as the plagues (Exodus 9:14). They pledged faithfulness to Yahweh because He was faithful to them. By saying God performed these great signs before our eyes, the Israelites acknowledged receiving the Lord s covenant grace. His grace did not end with deliverance from Egyptian slavery. The people admitted Yahweh also protected us all along the way. He protected them from all the peoples whose lands they traveled through. Verse 18 The people s confession then became current with their immediate situation. As they gathered at Shechem, they proclaimed, The LORD drove out before us all the peoples. The only reason the Israelites could gather for this covenant renewal ceremony was because Yahweh had defeated the Amorites and all the peoples who lived in the land. The Lord had faithfully fulfilled His promise to give His people the land (1:6, 13; 2:14; 21:43). What was the appropriate response to such an overwhelming and lavish display of God s favor? The people pledged, We too will worship the LORD, because He is our God. The combining of the phrases the LORD and our God here and in 24:17 put the people s commitment on a covenant footing. God s actions on their behalf moved the Israelites to worship and reverence. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 77

9 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Joshua 24:24-26 Notes 24 So the people said to Joshua, We will worship the LORD our God and obey Him. 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them. 26 Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God; he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak next to the sanctuary of the LORD. READ: Ask a group member to read Joshua 24:24-26 aloud. RECAP: The Israelites made a commitment to serve the Lord, and Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God to remind them and guide them as they served God in the new land. Then, because this was a significant moment, Joshua raised a monument as a way to remind them and bind them to their commitment: he set a large stone next to the sanctuary. Perhaps the idea was that, as the people came to the sanctuary for worship, the monument would remind them faithfulness was to extend into their daily lives. The large stone was a witness as to the people s commitment to follow and obey God (PSG, p. 65). ALTERNATE QUESTION: What is the value of commemorating our commitments in tangible ways? DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 64 of the PSG: What are some tangible ways we can commemorate our commitments to God? SAY: Each of us can have monuments ways to remember and commemorate what God has done in our lives and the lives of those we lead. We can help others by sharing those tangible, memorable things that recognized God s past work on our behalf. DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 65 of the PSG: How can we lead our community in renewing a commitment to God? ENHANCEMENT: Bring your group s attention to Pack Item #7, Leaders Influence Others poster, during your discusion of Question 5. TRANSITION: Be ready. Be ready to influence others by pointing them toward what God has done and what He longs to do in the days ahead. 78 SESSION 6

10 THE POINT Leaders set the example and call others to follow God. Joshua 24:24-26 Commentary Help them remember and commemorate their commitment to God. Verse 24 The people once again responded to Joshua s prompting by asserting: We will worship the LORD our God and obey Him. The pledge to obey the Lord is the logical parallel to their oft repeated vow to worship Him. The literal Hebrew would be something like and to His voice, we will hearken. The most interesting aspect of the people s response, however, is the time frame. They had recounted God s salvific acts on their behalf in delivering them from Egypt (distant past) and His providential guidance in giving them the promised land (recent past). Now, at Shechem (present), they spoke of their intention to worship and to obey Yahweh in the future. Another important aspect of the vow is its collective nature. In our American society, we emphasize the importance and freedom of the individual almost to the exclusion of thinking of community or shared responsibility. However, the Bible is replete with examples of how God judges nations and groups. The foreign nations in Amos 1 2 and the seven churches in Revelation 2 3 are two good examples of the biblical principle of corporate judgment. The pluralized statement, We will worship the LORD our God and obey Him, is an example of collective or corporate self-obligation. Verse 25 As a result of the people s pledge, Joshua made a covenant. Joshua had obligated himself and his family to worship and serve the Lord (v. 15). Next, Joshua made a covenant between the people and Yahweh. The Hebrew term for covenant is berith, probably deriving from a verb meaning to bind. A covenant was a binding agreement between two parties, in this case, Israel and Yahweh. God obligated Himself to protect and to provide for His people as demonstrated by the exodus, the wilderness provisions, and the conquest of the promised land. In return, Israel vowed to worship and serve Him and to obey His voice as a way to acknowledge His gracious watch care and provisions. Verse 26 Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God. Neither the statute and ordinance of verse 25 nor these things in verse 26 are explicitly stated. Probably these things refer to the statute and ordinance. However, implied in these things is the totality of the covenant law. 1 Joshua also took a large stone and set it up next to the sanctuary of the LORD. Thus, the establishment of a statute and ordinance, the recording in the book, and the large stone all served as tangible reminders of the people s vow of loyalty and obedience to Yahweh. In the future, every time the people of Israel in whole or in part worshiped at the Shechem sanctuary, they would be reminded of Yahweh s faithfulness and their vow to obey Him. 1. Marten H. Woudstra, The Book of Joshua (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981), 357. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 79

11 5 minutes LIVE IT OUT SAY: How will you call others to follow God this week? Notes GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 66 of the PSG. ]] Create a marker. Find something tangible that serves as a reminder a monument to something God has done in your life. Place this marker somewhere you see often. Share the story of God s provision with someone this week. ]] Make a list of two or three ways you ve seen God work in your life or someone else s in recent months. Spend time thanking God for His faithfulness and provision in all areas of our lives. ]] Identify an area of your life where you need reminding of God s faithfulness. Whether it s a relationship or a career decision, renew your commitment to follow God s leadership in that area. Ask a trusted friend to keep you accountable to God in this area and to pray with you on a regular basis. Wrap It Up SAY: Who are you challenging to new depths of love and loyalty to God? He desires to use each of us. Let your life be a testament to God s sovereignty and your commitment to Him. 80 SESSION 6

12 My group's prayer requests Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, collegiates, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife. Unmasked I love superhero movies. And, I m fairly indiscriminate about them too. Superman, Batman, Ironman, X-men I like them all. Maybe it stems from the little boy inside of me. Maybe it s because I have a subconscious desire to leap tall buildings in a single bound or drive cars that look like sleek tanks. Regardless, I like them a lot. To continue reading Unmasked from Threadsmedia.com, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 81

13 Be Strong and Courageous: Everyday Leadership from Joshua Because we all have influence in the lives of those around us, we re all leaders in some way. By applying the leadership principles gained from the Book of Joshua, you can have an incredible impact on the community and culture around you for the kingdom of God. The best example of leadership is Jesus Christ. He fully obeyed the Father and was consequently successful in the mission He came to accomplish. Jesus dealt with our sin on the cross. His death made it possible for us to be free from our sin and failure, and to do what is right. God doesn t call us then leave us alone. He gives His Holy Spirit to instruct and empower us. 82 SESSION 6

14 God has given all believers spiritual gifts, and we lead as we use those gifts in ministry. Our example and confidence in Christ motivate others to use their gifts and serve Him, as well. Our willingness to confront a problem with integrity not only leads to resolution but points to the One we follow. Our influence and approach to leadership influences others to follow Christ. Helping you move from where you are to where God wants you to be. This is your passion for your class or group. Yet helping different individuals each take their next step to grow as disciples is challenging. The Transformational Discipleship Assessment (TDA) is a quick and easy tool to help you discover how you and the members of your group are doing in eight essential areas of discipleship. The TDA provides next steps to help your group move from where you are to where God wants you to be. The assessment is online which allows each group participant to take it in the comfort and privacy of their home, office, or even on their mobile device. Discover more at: TDA.LifeWay.com BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 83