Gods

Joshua 24:11-15 – And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’ “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before me.

Ruth 1:16 – But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

1 Kings 18:21 – And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

Daniel 3:18 – But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

• ·         Fear the Lord means trust, serve and worship.
• ·         No deity, real or imagined, is to rival the one true God in anyone’s heart and life.
• ·         Joshua publicly makes his commitment, hoping to elicit the same from Israel.
• ·         Ruth’s commitment to Naomi is complete, even though it holds no prospect for her but to share in Naomi’s desolation.
• ·         Elijah placed a clear choice before the people. He drew a sharp contrast between the worship of the Lord and that of Baal, to eliminate the false idea that both deities could be merged and worshiped.
• ·         Whether God decides to rescue me or not, is my faith fully resigned to His will?

All Scripture verses taken from ESV