Yehoshua 24 takes place at Shechem, a major covenant location in Yisrael’s history. It’s significant because Avraham, Ya’acov, and later Yisrael’s tribal identity are all tied to this place. Yehoshua gathers all the tribes there at the end of his life to reinstate the Sinai Covenant.
Through him, YHVH recounts His faithfulness in verse 2-23:
- He called Avraham out of idolatry
- He gave Yitshaq and Ya’acov the promise
- He delivered Yןsrael from Egypt
- He protected them in the wilderness
- He gave them land they did not labor for
Now fear YHVH, and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river in Mitsrayim and serve YHVH-
And if it seems evil in your sight to serve YHVH, choose for yourselves this day who you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river, or the Amorites in whose land you dwell-
But I and my house will serve YHVH.
– Yehoshua 24:14-15
The Hebrew behind “sincerity and truth” is tamim and emeth– not merely personal sincerity or subjective honesty, but wholeness, integrity, and covenant faithfulness rooted in the established and reliable truth of YHVH.
In response to Yehoshua, the people declare they too will serve YHVH because of all He has done.
Yehoshua doesn’t immediately agree- he challenges their sincerity:
“The people not will be able to serve YHVH, for He is a God holy. He is a God jealous and not He will forgive your transgressions, nor your sins. If you forsake YHVH and serve gods foriegn, then He will turn and do harm to you, and consume you following after He has done you good.”
– Yehoshua 24:19-20
On the surface, this seems like he is implying it is impossible to serve YHVH- but that would contradict Deuteronomy 30:11-14, “this command is not too far… but near in your hearts and mouths that you may do it.”
He is actually saying ‘You are making a declaration you have not counted the cost for’- Yisrael was making a promise without realizing what exclusive loyalty looked like.
Then, in v. 25-27 Covenant is formally renewed:
Yehoshua:
- Cuts a covenant for the people
- “a choq and mishpat” (statute and judgment)
- Writes it in the book of the Torah
- Sets up a large stone as a witness- meant to testify: you heard this and agreed.
The call is covenant loyalty- serving YHVH by exclusive loyalty to Him and His Torah:
And the choice He places before His people is still the same:
…I have set before you today life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, that you and your seed may live. That you will love YHVH your Elohim, obey His voice, and cling to Him, for He is your life…
– Deuteronomy 30:19-20
To serve YHVH is to choose life. And to choose life is to love Him, obey His voice, and cling to Him with undivided devotion.
What does it really mean then, to serve YHVH?
In Tanakh language, “serve” avad can mean to work or labor, but also carries the meaning of:
- belonging to a master
- living under a master’s authority
So “serving YHVH” is about living under His authority as your actual Master in real life decisions.
For me, this understanding was first rooted in Proverbs:
Trust in YHVH with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
– Proverbs 3:5-6
Acknowledge, yada, is not just a shallow instruction to remember God exists; Yada is a deep, relational knowing:
It is to bring all decision making under His authority-
- family decisions
- money ethics
- relationships priorities
Acknowledgment of His authority in our private lives- not just public worship.
It is not simply about sincerity- it is about which voice we are actually submitting to as final authority.
Scripture does not leave this undefined or subjective.
YHVH, through Mosheh, establishes how His voice will be recognized and received:
YHVH your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him…
– Deuteronomy 18:15 (quoted in Acts 3:22 in regard to Messiah)
In His Torah, He also gives boundaries for discernment- because not every voice that speaks “in the name of Lord” is from YHVH.
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or wonder, and it comes to pass the sign or wonder which he spoke to you, saying “let us go after other gods which not you have known, and let us serve them”
Not you shall listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams, for YHVH your Elohim is testing you to know whether you love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.
– Deuteronomy 13:1–3
The test is not merely accuracy of signs- it is loyalty to YHVH’s given instructions. Because anything that draws people away from obedience to Him, even if it carries spiritual language or signs, cannot be treated as His voice.
This is a repeated phrase from the Shema–
Hear, O Yisrael! YHVH is our Elohim, YHVH is One. And you shall love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
– Deuteronomy 6:4-5
The Hebrew word shema is translated as “hear”, but the meaning is deeper- it also included
- Understanding what you hear
- Responding
- Obeying
It is the foundation of faithful covenant with YHVH:
- Recognize who He is
- Love Him
- Walk in His ways
Obedience flows from covenant love.
Understanding “With all your heart and soul”
Heart / Levav
In Hebrew thought, the levav is not primarily the seat of emotions-
It is the center of a person’s thoughts, understanding, reasoning, intentions, decisions, desires and will
- Pharaoh hardened his lev (heart) – meaning his mind and will became stubborn.
- Solomon asked for a “hearing heart” (1 Kings 3:9) – wisdom and discernment.
- “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
So “love YHVH with all your levav” means:
- Every thought submitted to Him
- Every decision guided by Him
- Every motive examined before Him
- Every desire aligned with Him
Soul / Nephesh
In Genesis 2:7 Man did not receive a nephesh– Man became a nephesh.
A nephesh is a nuanced term that means a living being, a living creature, a living person, life itself
- Animals are called nephesh chayyah (living creatures) in Genesis
- A dead body is called a dead nephesh in Torah
- “My nephesh thirsts for God” means “my whole being longs for God.”
Thus “love YHVH with all your nephesh” means to love Him with your entire life.
- Your breath
- Your actions
- Your time
- Your energy
- Your physical existence
Basically everything that makes you a living person.
So in the Shema, Moshe- and later Messiah Yeshua- are saying “Love YHVH with every thought, every intention, every desire, every decision, and with your entire life and being.”
This is why “serving YHVH” is not abstract devotion. It doesn’t mean giving money to the right groups, or attending the right church, or memorizing all the best bible verses. It is total lived alignment with His voice- which is tested by His word, measured by His covenant, and proven by trust in Him and His plan alone.
To serve YHVH, then, is to obey His voice. And His voice is received through the Prophet He promised- Messiah Yeshua.
True alignment requires a willingness to be corrected
If serving YHVH is about alignment with His voice, then the posture of the heart matters just as much as the measure of trust.
It requires the possibility that a currently held belief could be incomplete, or even mistaken- Not in fear, but in humility.
Because if we are truly seeking YHVH, then truth cannot be something we only accept when it already agrees with what we think. We can pray to serve Him- but if our hearts are already hardened by our own understanding, how will we recognize it when He sends correction, guidance- or even a messenger meant to redirect us?
We can look to Proverbs for Torah guided wisdom-
“The beginning of wisdom is the yir’ah of YHVH, and knowledge of holiness is understanding.
– Proverbs 9:10
Yir’ah is a Hebrew word that carries both reverence and respect- often translated as “fear”, it’s full meaning is the deep recognition that YHVH is the One who defines truth, order, and wisdom itself.
True yir’ah means trusting that the Potter knows better than the clay. And that trust changes everything.
It means being willing to question what we have been taught- even when it comes from people we assume are trustworthy. It means stepping back from ideas that feel familiar, but do not align with Scripture. It also can mean moments of isolation, because obedience to conviction often clashes with worldly views.
If we believe that YHVH is the One who defines truth, we owe to Him and to ourselves to ask
“Am I still willing to be led into truth?”
And so the shift is not only external alignment, but internal posture. Not asking how YHVH fits into our understanding- but whether our understanding is willing to be reshaped by Him. Because if we are truly listening for His voice, then we cannot be selectively deaf to correction.
Final thoughts
Serving YHVH is not proven by how firmly we hold our beliefs, but by our willingness to submit those beliefs to scrutiny. The Narrow Way requires both trust and humility- the trust to follow where He leads, and the humility to be corrected when we have gone astray.
The choice set before Yisrael remains before us today: life or death, blessing or cursing. To serve YHVH is to choose life- to love Him, obey His voice, and cling to Him with an undivided heart.
My prayer is not simply that I would know the truth, but that I remain teachable before the One who is Truth. That I would have the courage to follow wherever He leads, even when it challenges what is familiar, comfortable or widely accepted. For the servant’s place is not above the Master, but at His feet.
May we serve YHVH in truth, undivided loyalty and, above all, humility.
Leave a Reply