Joshua 24:15 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →There comes a day when the comfortable middle ground gives way, when you can no longer drift along borrowing the loyalties of those around you. Maybe you feel the pull of a hundred quieter gods, the ones your own world serves without thinking. Joshua, near the end of a long life, does not coax you or shame you. He sets the choice plainly before you and shows you where his own feet are planted, then waits for you to plant yours.
Faith comes down to a daily choice, and Joshua makes his out loud for all to hear.
The Context of Joshua 24:15
Joshua is an old man near the end of his life, gathering all the tribes of Israel at Shechem one last time. After rehearsing everything God has done for them, he lays a clear choice before the whole assembly and answers it himself.
What Does Joshua 24:15 Mean?
Joshua leaves the people free, setting the decision plainly in front of them: if serving the LORD seems like a hard road, then choose, today, who they will serve instead. He even names the alternatives honestly, the old gods their fathers carried and the local gods of the land they now live in. The choice is real, and he asks them to make it with open eyes. Then he plants his own stake in the ground.
'But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.' Whatever the crowd decides, Joshua has decided, and he has decided for his household with him. Generations later this same call still rings out, for no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and Jesus made Himself the one we are asked to follow. The God who brought Israel this far is worth the whole of a life, and the invitation to choose Him is set before us still, fresh as the word 'this day.'
The setting sharpens every word: Joshua has gathered all the tribes to Shechem, the very ground where Abram first built an altar when he entered the land (Genesis 12:6-7), and there he rehearses the whole story of grace before asking for a response. Faithfulness is never inherited by proximity; each generation must "choose this day," for the God of the covenant seeks willing hearts, not conscripts. Notice too that Joshua's choice is not private. He binds his household to it, shouldering the responsibility a father bears for the faith of those under his roof. Long before Elijah forced Israel to stop halting between two opinions (1 Kings 18:21), Joshua names the fork in the road plainly and then walks it first. Leadership here is simply going ahead of others in obedience, staking your own life where you ask them to stake theirs.
Joshua 24:15 in the Original Language
bachar (בָּחַר), 'choose' -- to select after weighing, a deliberate setting of the heart upon one thing.
Bible Verses Related to Joshua 24:15
“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”
- 1 Kings 18:21
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”
- Deuteronomy 30:19
“And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.”
- Genesis 12:7
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
- Matthew 6:24
How to Apply Joshua 24:15 Today
Joshua reminds us that faith is chosen freshly, 'this day,' a decision we make again rather than settle once and leave behind. We are invited to make the same clear-eyed decision he did, and like him to let it shape not only our own hearts but the home and people entrusted to us.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joshua 24:15
What does Joshua 24:15 mean?
Faith comes down to a daily choice, and Joshua makes his out loud for all to hear.
What is the context of Joshua 24:15?
Joshua is an old man near the end of his life, gathering all the tribes of Israel at Shechem one last time. After rehearsing everything God has done for them, he lays a clear choice before the whole assembly and answers it himself.
How can I apply Joshua 24:15 today?
Joshua reminds us that faith is chosen freshly, 'this day,' a decision we make again rather than settle once and leave behind. We are invited to make the same clear-eyed decision he did, and like him to let it shape not only our own hearts but the home and people entrusted to us.
Reflection & Prayer
Joshua does not pretend the decision is small, and he does not make it for you. He names the rival loyalties honestly, then declares his own household's allegiance and leaves the rest in your hands. To serve the LORD is something you choose, this day and the next, in the ordinary rooms where you actually live. Let your "as for me and my house" be spoken with your life. Father, give me the courage to choose You today, and steady my steps to keep choosing You tomorrow. Let my home be a place where Your name is honored. Amen.