Sabbath: Choose This Day!
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 20th of December 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Joshua 24:1-33; Genesis 12:7; Deuteronomy 17:19; Deuteronomy 5:6; 1 Kings 11:2,4,9; 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
Memory Text: “ ‘And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’ ” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV).
The final chapter of Joshua is set in the context of a covenant renewal ceremony, but this time conducted by the aged leader of Israel. Although not a covenant itself but rather a report of a covenant renewal ceremony, the chapter has the elements of ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaties: (1) a preamble in which the suzerain, the initiator of the treaty, is identified; (2) the historical prologue, which describes the relationship between the overlord and the vassal; (3) the covenant stipulations asking the vassal to manifest total allegiance to the suzerain based on, and motivated by, gratitude; (4) blessings for obedience and curses for breaking the covenant; (5) witnesses to the pledge of the vassal; (6) deposition of the document for future reading; and (7) ratification of the covenant.
Joshua is close to the end of his life; no replacement is on the horizon. The covenant renewal is a reminder to the Israelites that their king is Yahweh Himself and that, if they remain loyal to Him, they will enjoy His protection. Israel does not need a human king. As a theocratic nation, they have to ever keep in mind that their only king is the Lord.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 27.
Joshua led the Israelites for about 25 years according to Jewish tradition, and like all old men, he had some ideas about how the nation should run after his leadership. We have a week to reflect on what he said and how we should apply it to our day. I have a number of ideas but the week has not started yet so I am not going to put them up today.
But here is a rhetorical teaser: If the Seventh-day Adventist Church was to disappear, what sort of congregation would I seek to join? Or, would I not join any congregation at all? Don’t write an answer – it’s for thinking about. Maybe at the end of the week we will have an answer.