Two blogs back I proposed that Joshua 24:15 does not validate man's freedom to choose right or wrong. In fact, taking into account the context of Joshua 24 and the surrounding context of the OT, Joshua 24 actually demonstrates the failure of man to choose the good if left on his own to "choose for himself." I then provided a few reasons why I believe the context bears out this interpretation. I would like to briefly mention here the rest of the supporting evidence I have found.
Joshua must have thought the people's response was insincere (v 14). What clues me into this is that Joshua responded to them by saying, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God" (v 19). Now what Joshua is responding to in v 19 is what the people said in vv 16-18. They gave a similar history of God's work among them as did Joshua in vv 1-13, then they pledged their allegiance. Evidently, Joshua thought their pledge insincere. Why? I believe it is because there is a right way and a wrong way to view God's work on our behalf.
Joshua represents the right way. Having known all that God has done for them, Joshua responds in fear and service that springs from sincerity and faithfulness. Joshua knew that God had done all of these mighty works for His name's sake (Ez 20:44), not because of any merit within the people. The people were unworthy of such mighty acts. They enjoyed these blessings from sheer grace. Therefore, Joshua responds to God with heartfelt worship and service.
The Israelites represent the wrong way to view God's good gifts to them. Their service to God was based not on sovereignty and grace but rather on the fact that God had done so many wonderful things FOR THEM! They pledge to serve this God that thinks so much of them and does them so much good. As long as He keeps rewarding, they will keep serving! The reason I think this was their motivation is from a look at their history and their future. Remember the complaints in wilderness? Remember in Malachi the people say, "It is vain to SERVE the Lord" (Mal 3:13-14)?
Joshua also knew they were insincere because he told them twice to put away their foreign gods (vv 14, 23), and they never said that they would!
Joshua knew the people did not truly believe (v 14). He explicitly said, "He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins" (v 19). If they were people who believed, they would already have been forgiven!
He also knew they did not believe because of what he told them in v 20. Most English translations begin v 20 with "If" however a more accurate translation would be "Because." (The Hebrew word kee indicates causality not conditionality) So Joshua flat out told them they were going to turn away from God, just as Moses did in Deut 31:29!
Finally, when Joshua told them to "incline your heart to the Lord (v 23)," they responded inappropriately by assuring their obedience to the Lord. If honest about the state of their hearts, they would have responded, "O God, we can't change our hearts! Change us O God!" David knew that God must incline the heart (Psalm 119:36). Solomon knew that God must incline the heart (1 Kings 8:58). But these people arrogantly trusted in their own "free will" to do the right thing!
Lessons: (1) If one's heart is not right (believing with fear and sincerity), one's profession is meaningless! (2) We cannot change our hearts. We must cry to God for His mercy and grace! (3) The appropriate view of God's providence that brings us good is that God is working all things for His glory and we enjoy these things from sheer grace because there is nothing good in us! (4) We are not able on our own to choose God if we choose for ourselves! We will only choose God if our hearts have been "circumcised," and only God can do that! (Deut 30:6)
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