Which God?

Now notice several examples of how God required Israel to make a decision with the knowledge that He had given them.

Just before he died, and before giving the reins of leadership over to Joshua, Moses spoke this to all Israel on God’s behalf: “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 you and your seed may live: that you may love the Lord your God, and that you may obey His voice…” (Deut. 30:19-20).

Similarly, a generation later, just before Joshua died, he spoke these words to all of Israel, assembled before him: “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the Lord.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you 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 you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:14-15).

We previously described how the prophet Elijah presented a stark choice to Israel, shortly before putting to death in the people’s presence the 450 prophets of Baal. Let’s read the passage one more time: “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt you between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word” (I Kgs. 18:21).

Also, in the New Testament, Christ declared, “No servant 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” (Luke 16:13).

Now Decide!

The decision facing you is the same one that Israel faced over and over again, and that many thousands before you have faced since Christ built His Church.

God tells you that He does not accept indecisiveness—that you cannot serve two masters—that you cannot halt between two opinions as Israel did. God does not permit you to “answer Him not a word.” To make no choice is to make the wrong choice! One must decide whether he will implement knowledge—he must decide which master he will serve—and he must decide which God he will serve!

We saw in the book of Acts that Luke recorded this after describing Paul’s reference to the “unknown god” on Mars’ Hill: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Lk 17:30). Ignorance is the state of being without knowledge. Once knowledge is given—and is received—ignorance is no longer an excuse. God commands the one who has received knowledge to decide what he will do. This begins with the decision to serve “no other gods before” the true God!

This towering question looms: What will you DO with this knowledge? Will you disregard it—reject it—and merely move on with your life? Will you think about it at some more “convenient time”? Or will you act on—put to use—what you have learned and go on to serve the true God—and fulfil your incredible human potential?

The perfect, brilliant, all-powerful and all-wise, eternal God who made the heavens and the earth—and you!—awaits your decision…