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 .
Joshua 24:15 KJV

This verse is very much spoken about as a decision, but it is really a declaration. This declaration is to heaven, as a covenant, to earth as a standard, and under the earth, as a warfare.

The “gods of the Amorites where you dwell” gives us the impression that the spirits that dwell where our house stand can sometime infiltrate into family life. That is the tendencies and trends, the fashion of the day, can suddenly creep into our home. This “god of this world” is astute to try to infiltrate. This infiltration can take our house into a warfare which we see poverty, sickness begin to rule. Where family relationships begin to break down.

We sometimes are so involved in the complicated day to day that we fail to see the trickle that eventually fills the house with contention.

The world is at enmity with God. It is ruled by the prince of the air.

But the statement Joshua makes is covenantal in that he identifies himself with God’s agenda, with God rule, with God’s interaction in relationship. If at any time we need to reiterate this statement it is today.

We need to see that prayer and the Word be a constant pursuit and constant standard for our lives. Our home is the last defence against the marauders of circumstances and organised chaos.

Let us not be deceived. The eternal programme is rolling and where the evil gets fuller and fuller, so to keep our house safe from the “angels of destruction” the Blood needs to cover the door.

We are coming to the time of Passover where we doubly celebrate the deliverance. We see Israel distinguished by blood. As blood was seen on the houses of Israel, symbolised the identification with covenant and protection from judgment . It is so true today, that as our families have the application of a better Blood so we will see judgment pass over but we will not see it devour in our home.

Psalm 91 speaks extensively of this protective privilege of being in covenant.

What we need to do is have Jesus open to us the Scriptures to be able to discern the covenant He makes with us.

The Blood of the Passover Lamb was sacrificed so that in applying the blood to our home we will see us enjoy miracles of provision and health.

So when Joshua makes the proclamation here in chapter 24 he is pasting the Blood to his family.

The extent of this covenant is eternal in that as Ephesians 4 explains, that He descended to Hades.

He takes from satan the keys of death, and Hades and these no longer have dominion over us. So for Joshua in Christ, heard the message and they were freed to their eternal rest. For us the descent has brought for us the authority and privilege of contending for the Kingdom to manifest.

Paul says that the Kingdom is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. 2 Corinthians 12.

Whatever threatens that peace, must be recognised and resisted.

The enemy tries to steal our joy so that we lose sight of the privileges, benefits, blessings of our personal covenant with the Lord.

David puts it succinctly in Psalm 23 that God makes him sit at a table before his enemies. That is the covenant table.

As a natural family is constituted by blood, how much more is our spiritual family constituted by the Blood of Christ!!

Joshua in making his statement is invoking covenant and contending territory from the enemy which is territory bought by Christ by His Blood.

So much can be achieved by seeing this statement bring upon our faith communities the privilege, protection, power, purpose of covenant.

May we today rise up and declare as Joshua did…

Shalom!