Joshua 23 LAST WORDS - UNCHANGING PRINCIPLES Twenty or twenty-five years after Israel had claimed the land of promise, they still hadn't carried out the word of the Lord relating to the previous inhabitants and their evil idolatrous practices. Joshua must have been able to see that and was concerned about the future of God's people. The dangers were subtle because the false contentment of complacency had already settled on the Israelites and they were content to share life with those who opposed God and did not care for His word. Appeasement has always ended in disaster ultimately. When early zeal for truth and righteousness fades, those who are enemies can be perceived as friends. An apathetic attitude towards the enemies of God quickly leads to compromising of our own integrity. The standards of life that we once lived by are lowered and we are in danger of going back to what God hates.
Caleb, Phinehas the high priest, those older ones in leadership who were involved in following the word of the Lord as He guided them into the land and victories over blatant and dark evil, were gathered as Joshua expressed his concerns. There may have been the younger, up-coming leaders there also, who were wanting to take over and make changes that would better adapt to the new generation who did not know warfare. They were wanting to accommodate to life as it was, not life as God intended. The standards of separation were being lowered by those who did not know or appreciate the wisdom and faithfulness of God. The Lord is faithful to all of His promises. The challenge to the leadership was to not forget it was the Lord who brought them there. It is the Lord to whom we belong. It is His interests we represent. He was faithful to us in the past and will be to us in the future if we are strong to do His will and love Him.
Leaders have a serious responsibility. Leaders need courage to stand against both liberalism and legalism. To lead God's people in holy living and maintain the biblical standards to which we are committed, calls for courage and personal commitment. Cleaving to the Lord is the only way this charge can be fulfilled. Those who cleave unto Him are close enough to hear what He has to say, understand what He means and feel what He feels. Love for the Lord is needed. Our affection for Him as well as our value of Him will keep us in a spiritual condition in which we can speak for Him and guide others to Him.
Those who lead need to understand what Joshua said to those of his day regarding apostasy. We need to pass on what we know to others so they are able to warn against the dangers which are seeking to overtake the people of God. Mixed marriages, false forms of worship, lack of purity and holiness, turning back to what we left, are all signs of latent apostasy lurking near us. Prayerlessness, cold calculating Christianity, lack of concern for the lost and a materialistic outlook on life are all evidence that the danger of backsliding is near. The results of that kind of living are defeat in spiritual life, powerlessness over sin and attraction to worldly standards of living. Spiritual discomfort and tolerance of evil lead to the loss of our joy in the Lord. Soon we will not even seem any different from those who do not know and love the Lord. When the passion for the souls of people freezes; coldness in our heart comes in; prayerlessness paralyzes us – then comes defeat. Weakness, indifference will lead to defeat and dishonor of the name of the Lord.
Unjudged evil, and alliances formed with those who do not want God in their lives, will turn us away from power for living holy, righteous and godly lives in testimony to the Lord. Joshua warned the people of his day that if they left the ways and will of God to follow the ways and will of the world, God would leave them to fight the enemies - worldliness, superstition and idolatry on their own. To guard against the challenges latent apostasy brings, we must commit ourselves to be obedient to God's Word and apply its teaching to our daily lives. We need to have conscious communion with God and enjoy fellowship with Him to stand strong under pressures to conform to what is popular. It is our responsibility to separate from the accepted, sinful practices of the social world, business world and religious world and those who do not know and follow the Lord. Snares, traps, scourges and thorns from the world system, result in desperate discomfort to a true believer. Failure to press on to fulfill God’s purposes, tolerance of the enemy and a willingness to allow the enemy to share our land will bring desperate discomfort. Sin must be deliberately driven out. Temptation cannot be pampered or encouraged. Compromise cannot be given a foothold lest it become a scourge. If allowed to continue, “Ye shall perish quickly.”
Failure to be deeply and sincerely devoted to the Lord soon leads to an "anything goes if we have a Christian song or brief devotional word," mentality. Joshua was so right when he told those leaders to "take heed that ye love the Lord your God." When "the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts," we have the right perspective of ourselves and have something to pass on to others. The faithfulness of God should never be taken for granted if we choose to go our own way and ignore the unchanging principles of God.
Unchanging principles of faith are passed down from one generation to the next. Every age and generation is called upon to learn the principles of Christian living, which begin with obedience. Do we obey the Bible? Do we pray? Do we allow God’s will and Word to convince and convict us until we obey? It means keeping clear of worldliness. It means to not play at Christianity and coddle sin. It means doing battle against Satan. It means being separated to God, not just from the world. The separated Christian does not give up what is wrong reluctantly, but gladly and with all his heart because he loves the Lord. True believers love Christ and are contented with Him. Love Christ and you will be bolder in witness. Love Christ and you will submit to His Word. Love Christ and you will not be inconsistent to Him.