Remember Shechem

Josua 24:1 — And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua 24:15 &madsh; And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

• Everyone will serve something. Live in service to someone. We are promoting a cause with our lifestyles and words.

• This is how a FREE PEOPLE talk. If they were not free, there would be no choice. They we would be slaves to their circumstances and victims of the tyrants in their life. FREE TO CHOOSE.

2. Thus Saith the Lord, vs.2

I'm not saying this, God is.

• THEY GATHERED THEMSELVES BEFORE GOD.

1. A Place for Decision: Shechem, vs. 1

• Do you have a thinking place?

The Ark is at Shiloh, but Joshua gather's Israel at Shechem. There is history here.

• a. There is some pain associated with this name "Shechem", Dinah was kidnapped by a man named Shechem, who dishonored her.

• b. Here at Shechem, hundreds of years after our text a united Israel will divide into two nations.

• 1. Abraham first built an altar to God here. (Genesis 12:6)
• 2. Jacob purchased this land and He with his family laid all their idols down here before consecrating themselves to worship God alone. (Genesis 35)
• 3. Joseph though he died in Egypt, his body is buried here.
• 4. In the years to come, it will become a city of refuge and a gathering place of the tribes.
• 5. Near Shechem, where Jacob dug a well, Jesus will meet a Samaritan women in John 4.

John 4:5 — Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. …

John 4:10 — Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

• 6. A Valley between the mountains Ebal an Gerizim, (Between BLESSING and CURSING, This is where we all live our lives.)

The valley of Shechem extends Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, and is about five hundred yards wide; within hailing distance of each other.

Judges 9:7 — And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

This is following Moses' Prophecy:

De 27:11 ¶ And Moses charged the people the same day, saying, 12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin: 13 And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

In Joshua 8, One half of Israel was arranged on Gerizim, and the other half on Ebal. The priests in the valley saying aloud, looking to Gerizim, "Blessed is the man that maketh not any graven image," And the people would respond with a shout of AMEN!

then turning round to Ebal, they cried, "Cursed is the man that maketh any graven image"

• Children of Rachel and Leah: Gerizim
• Children of Zilphah and Bilhah: Ebal (Except Rebuen, oldest but cursed and Zebulon leah's youngest, so least honorable) --- necessary though painful

WE Will, No You cannot! and When You Fail There will be Hell to Pay

• Face the Reality if a HOLY GOD and Cry Grace!

• My religion, my pursuit of God should not be a firstly a criticism of others, but of myself.

• Not only will we have to choose which God we will serve, but we will have to battle the devil. Where are we going to fight him? Within. Here is where I can conquer evil, within my own heart.