Joshua 24:24-28: a reflection

24The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God, and we will listen to his voice.” 25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the LORD’s words which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God.” 28So Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

At Shechem, the people make their commitment: We will serve the LORD our God, and we will obey his voice. And Joshua does something to seal it: he makes a covenant, writes the words in the book of the law, and sets up a great stone as a witness. This stone, he tells them, has heard all the words the LORD spoke to us; it shall be a witness against you, lest you deny your God. The commitment is made solemn, recorded, and given a lasting witness to hold them to it.

Notice how the commitment is sealed: with a witness set up to hold them to it. Joshua does not let the people's promise be a mere passing word; he records it, and sets up a stone as a standing witness, so that the commitment cannot be quietly forgotten or denied. The stone would remain, a reminder of what they had promised, a witness against them if they turned away. The commitment was made in a way meant to hold, with something set up to keep it before them.

That points to the wisdom of making our commitments to God in ways that will hold us to them. It is easy to make a commitment to God in a moment of resolve, and then let it quietly fade, forgotten, as if it had never been made. Joshua's stone suggests the value of giving our commitments some lasting witness, something that keeps them before us and holds us to them, whether a written record, an accountable friend, or a regular reminder. When you commit yourself to serve God, do not leave the commitment as a passing word that will fade; give it some witness that will hold you to it, as Joshua set up the stone. A commitment with a witness to keep it before you is harder to quietly abandon; make your commitments to God in ways that will hold, so that you do not forget what you have promised, or deny the God you vowed to serve.

Lord, at Shechem the people committed themselves to serve you and obey your voice, and Joshua sealed it: he wrote the words in the book and set up a great stone as a witness, so the commitment could not be quietly forgotten or denied. Show me the wisdom of making my commitments to you in ways that will hold me to them. It is easy to make a commitment to you in a moment of resolve, and then let it quietly fade, forgotten, as if it had never been made. Joshua's stone suggests the value of giving my commitments some lasting witness, something that keeps them before me and holds me to them, whether a written record, an accountable friend, or a regular reminder. When I commit myself to serve you, keep me from leaving the commitment as a passing word that will fade; help me give it some witness that will hold me to it, as Joshua set up the stone. A commitment with a witness to keep it before me is harder to quietly abandon; help me make my commitments to you in ways that will hold, so that I do not forget what I have promised, or deny you, whom I have vowed to serve. Hold me to my commitment to you, Lord.