In these passages, Joshua gathers all of Israel at Shechem. Joshua recounts what God had done for Israel since bringing Abraham from Mesopotamia to the promised land. He also recounted how God blessed Israel in bringing them back to the land to possess it. Joshua reemphasized that Israel’s continued blessings were contingent on their obeying and serving God.
Joshua spoke these famous words: “Choose for yourself today whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It really boils down to that. We cannot control the beliefs of others: neither friends nor family. We can only choose for ourselves how to believe and how to live.
The Bible says that in the end times, true believers in Jesus Christ will be hated by even close family members. Being a believer in Jesus Christ will be punishable by death. Some believers will be turned over to the authorities by family members. These times will require strong Faith to survive.
