Choices

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve" - Joshua 24:15

One of the most difficult exercises that we have to face in this life is the making of decisions. In the society in which we live, as sensible adults we must realise through experience that decision-making will impact upon our future well-being and also possibly that of family and friends. How extremely important it is therefore to make the right choices as we progress along the pathway of life. The making of decisions always involves choosing, maybe between several possibilities. This exercise can become most confusing, especially for the devout Christian believer who has a real desire to please his Lord and Saviour. How then is it possible to find a solution to this perplexing problem? Let us consider some of the experiences of faithful servants of the Lord as we find them in the Holy Scriptures.

It is helpful to note that the English word "choose" is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as: adopt, designate, desire, elect, pick, predestine, select, take, wish, etc. The Old Testament Hebrew word for choose is bachar and has the meaning "choose" after testing.

Moses' choice
The Hebrew name of this most godly man has the meaning "drawer out". The Scriptural account of the early experiences of the child Moses will be familiar to most of us. It will be remembered that the King of Egypt at that time resolved to destroy every newborn male child of the Israelites. In the case of Moses this was not in God's plan. The Lord therefore intervened, prompting Pharaoh's daughter to rescue the child from the basket in the water in which he had been placed, and to adopt him as her own son. (Read Exodus 2).

In process of time, when Moses had become a mature man, he "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" (Hebrews 11:24-26). There are many attractive temptations in the world today-the choice is ours-the glitter and shine of worldly attractions or Christ Jesus our glorious Saviour. The temptations are hard to resist and without the Lord's enabling, utterly impossible to do so.

Joshua's choice
This godly man Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader and minister of Israel when Moses passed away. His name in Old Testament Hebrew has the meaning "Jah (Jehovah) saves". How fitting this was for the man who was chosen to lead his nation, the nation of Israel, to possess the land which the Lord had provided for them. In the man Joshua we perceive a perfect example of faithfulness and devotion to the Lord. In chapter 24 of the Book of Joshua there is a record of his address to that nation. He did not moderate his words, but spoke plainly, in view of the fact that at that time the people of Israel had become most ungodly and were worshipping idols. Forgotten were the blessings that the Lord had heaped upon them, constantly delivering them from their enemies.

The final words of Joshua to this unfaithful nation of Israel are most impressive. He threw out a momentous challenge (Joshua 24:15):

Choose you this day whom ye will serve....as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord

Here we have a wonderful example of devotion to an ever loving God and Saviour. Israel at that time was delivered from the power of the heathen and brought on by God to the land of promise, even as we, the Lord's people, have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of the Son of God's love.

David's choice
The record of the exploits of David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, will be well known to most of us, especially his great battle with the Philistine antagonist Goliath of Gath. The Scripture recording of this event has without a doubt been repeated in the ears of both young and old, over and over again, bringing a tremendous thrill as they hear of the triumph of good over evil.

Let us for a moment consider the situation that existed at that eventful time. A challenge was made by a heathen antagonist to the Children of Israel, who, because of their lack of faith, were unable to accept it, with the exception of one young man whose name was David. He was a young man indeed, inexperienced in battle but one of great faith in God Almighty. This man volunteered to fight Goliath, and he chose five small stones to enable him to do so. We all of us are aware of the result-Goliath was slain and David had the victory.

The words of the apostle to the Corinthians are indeed poignant: "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Corinthians 1:27). What a tremendous display of the power of God, against an evil and corrupt opponent. We need to remind ourselves that we are constantly involved in combat against sin, for our adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Therefore let us put on the whole armour of God to enable us to stand in that evil day.

The Saviour's choice
In considering the subject of "choice" it would be remiss of us if we did not include the most incredible and momentous "choice" of all time. It is recommended at this stage that the Epistle to the Hebrews chapter 10 should be read and carefully considered. Here the inspired apostle in his writing to the Hebrews (the Jewish people) is explaining to them the inadequacy of animal sacrifices which needed to be offered again and again, and he states that it was not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). In the reading of Psalm 40 we find the words of the Saviour which are also repeated in Hebrews 10: "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire….Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will O my God…"

We shall without doubt always remember the words of the Saviour to the Pharisees in John 10:17,18: "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." This was our Saviour's choice. O what joy, what gladness we are able to embrace, made possible by a glorious Saviour who knew no sin but who chose to be made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.