The Book of Joshua
Chapter 24:14
GNV Translation Ed. 1599
14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in uprightness and in truth, and put away the gods, which your fathers served beyond the flood, and in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord.
Brethren;
We so often recall and recite the verse afterwards, yet it is important to note that Joshua makes steadfast his affirmation of serving God, by the above verse. Additionally he exhorts the children of Israel to dismiss and foreign forms of worship, and by extension any forms of idolatry.
Study notes;
Since he has done such great and good things, fear the Lord and his goodness, fear him for his goodness sake; nothing so influences fear, or a reverential affection for God, as a sense of his goodness; this engages men sensible of it to fear the Lord, that is, to worship him both internally and externally in the exercise of every grace, and in the performance of every duty. [To serve Him] in the uprightness of [our] souls, without hypocrisy and deceit, and according to the truth of his word, and of his mind and will revealed in it, without any mixture of superstition and will worship, or of the commands and inventions of men. [This is to say to] express an abhorrence of them, and keep at a distance from them, and show that you are far from giving in to such idolatries your ancestors were guilty of, when they lived on the other side Euphrates, in Chaldea, or when they were sojourners in Egypt; for it cannot be thought that the Israelites were at this time guilty of such gross idolatry, at least openly, since Joshua had bore such a testimony of them, that they had cleaved to the Lord unto that day, ( Joshua 23:8 ) ; and their zeal against the two tribes and a half, on suspicion of idolatry, or of going into it, is a proof of it also. Finally to serve Him only and none other(s). - John Gill (Edited RPW. Sr.)
Under these particulars, no doubt he (Joshua), comprehends all other false gods, which were served by the nations amongst whom they were, but only mentions these, as the idols which they were in more danger of worshiping than those in Canaan; partly because those of Canaan had been now lately and palpably disgraced by their inability to preserve their worshipers from total ruin; and partly, because the other idols came recommended to them by the venerable name of antiquity, and the custom of their forefathers. - John Wesley
To fear and serve God, in gratitude for his favour, and that it might be continued to them, v. 14. Now therefore, in consideration of all this; “Fear the Lord, the Lord and his goodness, Hosea 3:5. Reverence a God of such infinite power, fear to offend him and to forfeit his goodness, keep up an awe of his majesty, a deference to his authority, a dread of his displeasure, and a continual regard to his all-seeing eye upon you.’’ and "Let your practice be consonant to this principle, and serve him both by the outward acts of religious worship and every instance of obedience in your whole conversation, and this in sincerity and truth, with a single eye and an upright heart, and inward impressions answerable to outward expressions.’’ This is the truth in the inward part, which God requires, Psalm 51:6 . For what good will it do us to dissemble with a God that searches the heart? Put away the strange gods, both Chaldean and Egyptian idols, for those they were most in danger of revolting to. It should seem by this charge, which is repeated (verse 23), that there were some among them that privately kept in their closets the images or pictures of these dunghill-deities, which came to their hands from their ancestors, as heir-looms of their families, though, it may be, they did not worship them; these Joshua earnestly urges them to throw away: "Deface them, destroy them, lest you be tempted to serve them.’’ Jacob pressed his household to do this, and at this very place; for, when they gave him up the little images they had, he buried them under the oak which was by Shechem, Genesis. 35:2, 4. - Matthew Henry
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