Joshua 24: As for me and my house

Joshua 24:15 is the most-cross-stitched verse in evangelical homes. The actual scene is much more sober — an old man calling a wavering people to a final choice.

Historical context

Joshua, at the end of his life, gathers all Israel at Shechem (the site of Abraham's first altar in the Promised Land, Genesis 12:6-7). He rehearses God's deliverance from Abraham forward. Then he demands choice — and the people pledge. The chapter ends with Joshua's death and burial. The book of Joshua, like Deuteronomy and Genesis, ends with a death.

Three sermon arc options

• A covenant renewal at Shechem. Walk the structure: history rehearsed (1-13), choice demanded (14-15), people's response (16-21), covenant ratified (22-28), Joshua's death (29-33).
• Choose this day. 24:14-15 alone. The choice between the gods of Egypt, the gods of the Amorites, and the LORD. Apply the contemporary alternative gods — and call for the same choice.
• As for me and my house. 24:15b. Joshua's personal commitment precedes the people's. The leader chooses first. Apply: pastoral leadership requires the leader's own household to be ordered first.

Original language notes

Bachar ("choose," vv. 15, 22) — deliberate, decisive. Not feeling, decision. Avod ("serve," used 13 times in this chapter) — service in the sense of allegiance to a god. Not mere worship; whole-life loyalty.

Five illustration hooks

• A history rehearsed before a choice is demanded — biblical decision-making requires memory first.
• A site (Shechem) where Abraham first built an altar — Israel's covenant ends where it began.
• A "choose this day" — not a slow drift but a definite day. Decision required.
• A pastor whose house orders first before he asks the congregation to order theirs.
• A stone (vv. 26-27) erected as witness — the OT habit of physical reminders.

Cross-references

• Deuteronomy 30:15-20 — Moses' "choose life" — same theology.
• 1 Kings 18:21 — Elijah on Mount Carmel — "how long will you go limping?"
• Genesis 12:6-7 — Abraham at Shechem — Joshua's scene comes full circle.
• Matthew 6:24 — Jesus on serving two masters.

Pastoral application

Don't preach this as a "pick Jesus today" altar call without the history. Walk through what God has done. The choice is in response to deliverance, not in a vacuum. The order matters pastorally.