here to the God of Israel. Note, Those that resolve to serve God, must not mind being singular in it, nor be drawn by the crowd to forsake his service. Those that are bound for heaven, must be willing to swim against the stream, and must not do as the most do, but as the best do.
(2.) The matter being thus put to their choice, they immediately determine it by a free, rational, and intelligent, declaration, for the God of Israel, against all competitors whatsoever, v. 16··18. Here, [1.] They concur with Joshua in this resolution, being influenced by the example of so great a man, who had been so great a blessing to them, v. 18, We also will serve the Lord. See how much good great men might do, if they were but zealous in religion, by their influence on their inferiors. [2.] They startle at the thought of apostatising from God, v. 16. God forbid! the word intimates the greatest dread and detestation imaginable; "Far be it, far be it from us, that we or our's should ever forsake the Lord to serve other gods. We must be lost to all sense of justice, gratitude, and honour, ere we can harbour the least thought of such a thing." Thus must our hearts rise against all temptations to desert the service of God: Get thee behind me, Satan. [3.] They give very substantial reasons for their choice, to show that they did not make it purely in compliance to Joshua, but from a full conviction of the reasonableness and equity of it. They make this choice for, and in consideration, First, Of the many great and very kind things God had done for them, bringing them out of Egypt through the wilderness into Canaan, v. 17, 18. Thus they repeat to themselves Joshua's sermon, and then express their sincere compliance with the intentions of it. Secondly, Of the relation they stood in to God, and his covenant with them, "We will serve the Lord, v. 18, for he is our God, who has graciously engaged himself by promise to us, and to whom we have by solemn vow engaged ourselves."
2. He brings them to embrace their religion resolutely, and to express a full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. Now that he has them in a good mind, he follows his blow, and drives the nail to the head, that it might, if possible, be a nail in a sure place. Fast bind, fast find.
(1.) In order to this he sets before them the difficulties of religion, and that in it, which might be thought discouraging, v. 19, 20. Ye cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God, or as it is in the Hebrew, he is the holy Gods, intimating the mystery of the Trinity, three in one; holy, holy, holy, holy Father, holy Son, holy Spirit. He will not forgive. And if ye forsake him, he will do you hurt. Certainly Joshua does not intend hereby to deter them from the service of God as impracticable and dangerous. But, [1.] He perhaps intends to represent here the suggestions of seducers, who tempted Israel from their God, and from the service of him, with such insinuations as these; that he was a hard master, his work impossible to be done, and he not to be pleased, and if displeased, implacable and revengeful; that he would confine their respects to himself only, and would not suffer them to show the least kindness for any other, and that herein he was very unlike the gods of the nations, which were easy, and neither holy nor jealous. It is probable that this was then commonly objected against the Jewish religion, as it has all along been the artifice of Satan ever since he tempted our first parents, thus to misrepresent God and his laws, as harsh and severe; and Joshua by his tone and manner of speaking might make them perceive he intended it as an objection, and would put it to them how they would keep their ground against the force of it. Or, [2.] He thus expresses his godly jealousy over them, and his fear concerning them, that, notwithstanding the professions they now made of zeal for God and his service, they would afterward draw back, and if they did, they would find him just and jealous to avenge it. Or, [3.] He resolves to let them know the worst of it, and what strict terms they must expect to stand upon with God, that they might sit down and count the cost. "Ye cannot serve the Lord, except you put away all other gods, for he is holy and jealous, and will by no means admit a rival, and therefore you must be very watchful and careful, for it is at your peril, if you desire his service; better you had never known it." Thus though our Master has assured us that his yoke is easy, yet lest, upon the presumption of that, we should grow remiss and careless, he has also told us that the gate is straight, and the way narrow, that leads to life, that we may therefore strive to enter, and not seek only. "You cannot serve God and mammon; therefore if you resolve to serve God, you must renounce all competitors with him. You cannot serve God in your own strength, nor will he forgive your transgressions for any righteousness of your own; but all the seed of Israel must be justified and must glory in the Lord alone, as their righteousness and strength, Isa. 45. 24, 25. They must therefore come off from all confidence in their own sufficiency, else their purposes would be to no purpose. Or, [4.] Joshua thus urges on them the seeming discouragements which lay in their way, that he might sharpen their resolutions, and draw from them a promise yet more express and solemn, that they would continue faithful to God and their religion. He draws it from them that they might catch at it the more earnestly, and hold it the faster.
(2.) Notwithstanding this statement of the difficulties of religion, they declared a firm and fixed resolution to continue and persevere therein, v. 21. "Nay, but we will serve the Lord, we will think never the worse of him for his being a holy and jealous God, nor for his confining his servants to worship himself only. Justly will he consume them that forsake him, but we never will forsake him; not only we have a good mind to serve him, and we hope we shall, but we are at a point, we cannot bear to hear any entreaties to leave him, or to turn from following after him, Ruth 1. 16. in the strength of divine grace we are resolved that we will serve the Lord." This resolution they repeat with an explication, v. 24. "The Lord our God will we serve, not only be called his servants, and wear his livery, but our religion shall rule us in every thing, and his voice will we obey." And in vain do we call him Master and Lord, if we do not the things which he saith, Luke 6. 46. This last promise they make, in answer to the charge Joshua gave them, v. 23. that, in order to their perseverance, they should, [1.] Put away the images and relics of the strange gods, and not keep any of the tokens of those other lovers in their custody, if they resolved their Maker should be their Husband; they promise in this to obey his voice. [2.] That they should incline their hearts to the God of Israel, use their authority over their own hearts to engage them for God, not only to set their affections upon him, but to settle them so. These terms they agreed to, and thus, as Joshua explains the bargain, they strike it, The Lord our God will we serve.
II. The service of God being thus made their deliberate choice, Joshua binds them to it by a solemn covenant, v. 25. Moses had twice publicly ratified this covenant between God and Israel, at mount Sinai, Exod. 24. and in the plains of Moab, Deut 29. 1. Joshua had likewise done it once, ch. 8. 31, &c. and now the second time. It is here called a
