ft. [ 940 m ] and Gerizim is 2,890 ft. [ 881 m ]) there are many presentday accounts of people speaking from the slopes of the mountains and being heard in the valley below above the noise coming from the city of Nablus.
Years later at the end of the conquest of the land for the 12 tribes of Israel, Joshua again gathered all of them together at Shechem.( see Josh 24) He reminded them of God’ s promises and how He had fulfilled those promises and delivered them from all their problems. Joshua then challenged the people to say whom they would serve, they promised to serve God. Jos 24:14 – 20
The renewal ceremony between the Israelites and God recognized the promises God made to Abraham Gen 12:7; 17:7- 8, Jacob, and the people at Sinai through Moses. Ex 24:8 The people chose to put away their foreign gods and serve the Lord. Joshua wrote these statutes and rules for them and they were added to the book of Deuteronomy. He took a large stone, stela or a pillar on which this covenant would be written as a witness and set it under the terebinth tree that was by the sanctuary of the Lord, as was the custom in those days.
These accounts surrounding Shechem illustrate the human condition and how incapable we are of making a lasting promise to God. Despite all their promises to Joshua, Shechem still became the centre of idolatrous worship practices, a wilful tendency to disobey God. We see the geographical, historical and spiritual significance of Shechem and how geography affects history such as when Joshua explains not only the grace of God in calling them out of a pagan land, but also the faithfulness of God in taking care of them after their deliverance. We should also remember how God, in His grace, has called us out of our pagan past and taken care of us since our deliverance from destruction into a relationship with His Son who is still caring for us today.
We too must choose to surrender our will to God. We have come to those crossroads in Shechem today. Are we going to choose to go back the way we have come, back into our old life or are we choosing to go into Samaria where they so nearly got it right? As Jews they integrated with the surrounding nations and worshipped their foreign idols / gods. Are other things more important to us than God?
Jesus sat with the woman at the well in Shechem, because He was telling her that HE IS THE LIVING WATER. He gave her and her nation a choice. Did you notice the similarity when Joshua said“ Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and throw away the gods which your ancestors served on the other side of the river Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose lands you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Jesus says the same thing in the same spot when he told the woman at Jacob’ s well that the worshippers God seeks are those who worship Him in“ Spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24 in other words, worship inwardly not just outwardly. Your relationship with Jesus is not what others see but what is going on in your heart. I wonder if Jesus was remembering the words of Joshua? Will you choose the right way on this crossroads, the road to Jerusalem( peace) the way to the promised land( rest)? Jesus died on a cross for the World. He is beckoning to us to go His way, we have a choice. CHOOSE YE, THE WAY TODAY AND GO IN IT. p
By Teresa L. Randle Missionary, Preacher and Bible Teacher
January- March 2017 SHARE | MAGAZINE | 11