Plurality Of 'gods' (Jos. 24: 2-3)
- Olusegun Emosu
- Feb 27
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 6
Text: And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel:'Your fathers,
including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac." (Jos.24:2-3).
Introduction:
At the tail end of his ministry, in what seemed a valedictory- cum parting speech, Joshua was compelled to relay the mind of God to the Israelites- responsibly represented by their elders, heads, judges, and officers, (Jos.24:1). The crux of his message was the heart of God with particular reference the lifestyle the patriarchs lived in terms of their heart wrenching devotion and obsession to idol worship. These lifeless divinities so much preoccupied the minds and hearts of their Israelite-devotees, at the expense of the true and ONLY GOD. Back then, Israel was deeply immersed in this polytheistic worship atmosphere that never argured well for their spiritual wellbeing.
It was much of a concern for Joshua, God's representative at this time in history, that he thought it right to set the records straight, (to the extent of mentioning some of the names of the guilty patriarchs in his context).With this address, he meant to put the polluted religious atmosphere in right perspective before exiting the scene. Joshua's move was a rare feat and legacy of a selfless leader who was yet concerned with what his nation would look like, in its religious practices, even several years after he might have left the stage.
Meaning:
Simply put, plurality of 'gods' means many 'gods.' It means proliferation of 'gods.' Too many
to count. Too many, yet, clamoring for attention, recognition of unwary and ignorant worshippers so much that they brought nothing but confusion and pollution to the state of Israel. Too many 'gods' speaking in different voices to their equally confused adherents. Imagine what our current world would look like if the presence of these 'gods' takes dominance. Elijah's battle with the 'gods' of baal on Mount Camel gives us an ample insight into this. Joshua took a good and bold initiative to tidy this unwholesome atmosphere...a truly commendable feat!
Contradicting The 'Shema.'
The carefree attitude of the patriarchs and other devotees of these 'many gods' is a pure contradiction too, and a marked and unprecedented departure from the 'Shema.' What is 'Shema'? Shema is simply a Hebrew word that means 'listen' or 'hear.' It also means 'to pay attention to.' In its full usage, the 'Shema' is an expression of the Jewish belief in the Oneness of God. It is emphatic on God's recognition as ONE that has no equal, no rivalry, and must be so loved and worshipped. The 'Shema' clause is entrenched in the scriptures thus: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." (Deut.6:4).
It then should be a concern for all responsible religious leaders, an example set out by Joshua, whenever this age-long spiritual liturgy is violated. Such matters should not be left lying low if we really want to be on the good side of God. Nations with 'true' religious worship should be advocated. Primarily, what Joshua clamored for was for the sanctity of true religious worship, that recognised ONLY GOD as the true ONE that should hold sway in our world. Joshua sought to impute this truth in the Israelites before taking his leave. He did not do this in isolation, either. In doing this, he deployed a three-step process. First, he implored them to fear the LORD and serve Him, "now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods..." (Jos.24:14). Next, he gave them freedom of choice, "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." (Jos.24:15). And finally, he was vociferous in his personal choice to serve God. And in his quest for the new religious orientation, his entire house was not exempted, "but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Jos. 24:16). For whoever will later deviate from this rebirth, Joshua did not forget to spell out the consequences, "if you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good" (Jos.24:20.
Failed Competition With The Only True God:
Our God, being the only true ONE, is not an author of confusion, "for God is not an author of confusion but of peace..." (1 Cor.14:33). Hence , He speaks to us, His children in one simple "still small voice", (1 Kgs.19:12). He's not a God that speaks with the two sides of the mouth. In an event that a nation or family is bedeviled and infested with multiple 'gods', confusion is not wanting. Contradictions in instructions are the order of the day, when multiple voices speak. Orderliness is void. Strives and competition for superiority among the 'gods' are tensed. Their adherents are equally at constant war and loggerheads with one another. Hell is let loose. Bloodbath is a major feature and hallmark in the equation. Prophet Elijah spearheaded one of the historical precedents, as it became unavoidable, in this rebirth, to expose the foolish self-inflicted bloodshed of the adherents of these 'gods' in 1 Kgs.18. It was a call to test might and superiority, between the lone representative of the ONLY true GOD and several worshippers of these lesser 'gods.' It was probably the most sorrowful time of their lives as well, "their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after other god." (Ps.16:4).
This scene remains a major unprecedented open fight between the ONLY true GOD and the impostor-gods, in the Old Testament times. By the time the chips were down, it remained indisputable who the true GOD was, (and is still), "so they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them." (1Kgs.18:28). Come to think of it; what 'god' do you serve that makes 'cutting yourself with knives' a prerequisite for gaining his attention and response at a very critical time of your life? And yet recedes into deeper slumber the more you cry to him? To even say these were gods fashioned out of man's imagination is ironic and saddening! Nothing could be more demoralizing, embarrassing, discouraging, frustrating, when a raised hope is dashed, moreso in full public glare. What a shame on lifeless gods! These 'gods', undoubtedly, need help, a very urgent one at that!
The Only True God And The 'gods' (Jer.10)
A copious portion of Jeremiah chapter 10 is dedicated to the truism that our God is undoubtedly the ONLY true God, zeroing in on the obvious and undeniable strengths and supremacy of Elohim. This buttresses the fundamental truth already expressed in all scriptures. And undoubtedly, both 'subjects' in discussion here, are not at par, in anyway, and by every sense of the word. This is one of the few situations of life where majority does not carry the vote. This is not a game of numbers either. It was far from a democratic government. Plurality does not have a say in this sensitive matter. Regardless of the brilliant crafts and skills of the 'manufacturers' of these 'gods', as Jeremiah commended them, "silver is beaten into plates...the work of the craftsman and the hands of the metalsmith; blue and purple are their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men" (Jer.10:9), they are still NOT a force to be reckoned with. In the meantime, the weeping prophet immediately, unequivocally stated, "but the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King, at His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to stand His indignation." (Jer.10:10).
Jeremiah thrusted himself into this crusade, all in a commendable effort and in a fashion that resonated with Joshua's, to set the pace for what was right, and is still right. His passion and drive to stamp this truth about ONE true God was burning so much in him that he had to pass a statement of indictment on these gods who had no idea of the created order. He minced no word in expressing his mind. He pointedly wrote, "the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens." (Jer.10:11). By and large, if these alien 'gods' perish from under the heavens, then logic tells us that this is not a safe haven for their adherents.
The Abraham Example:
Ultimately, the need to break away from the shackles of these 'gods' is imperative for our own good. Until Abraham yielded to God's instructions and surrendered to His mighty hand, he was equally under the heavy yoke of limitations these 'plurality of gods' placed on his life, "then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac..." (Jos.24:3). For someone reading this piece, the "still small voice" is still much loud and alive to hear, yield to, and embrace, even much as we are in the faith, if only we can be patient to listen. All it takes for us to remain afloat, having escaped the grasp of the ill fated 'gods,' is to hearken to the true voice directing us on the right path, "your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, this is the way, walk in it" (Is.30:21). It's high time we left the other side of the River, abandon the unhelpful 'gods'', to the warm embrace of the New Covenant ! May God help us. Amen.
Sidebar:
The crux of this message was the heart of God with particular reference to the lifestyle the patriachs lived in terms of their devotion and obsession to idol worship.
In an event that a family/ nation is bedeviled and infested with multiple gods, confusion is not wanting. Contradictions in instructions are the order of the day when multiple voices speak.
Come to think of it; what 'god' do you serve that makes 'cutting yourself with knives', a prerequisite for giving you attention and response at a very critical time of your life? And yet recedes into deeper slumber the more you call to him?
Conclusion:
Ties to these many 'gods' translate to covenants. And covenants shape who become in life. Hence, the more several 'gods' domiciled in our roots, and we commit to, the more we are prone to their grips, influences and consequences, in covenant form. This was Joshua's talking point to the Israelites. As their spiritual head at this point in history, it was important he pointed to them, the need to weigh their options-in clear and unambigious terms. This is not without communicating his household choice to serve God, to the nation of Israel.
Beloved, some of the salient questions before us in this submission are, what are those 'plurality of gods' that we inherited from our forefathers, or that we crafted for ourselves ? If so, how much are we committed to worshipping them either directly or by proxy? Are we technically shying away from the reality of our worshipping them, saying "I only send money / material things, to these 'gods' with no physical contact" ? No! That is a weak escape route. Better not be involved at all. The consequences and effects of either form of involvement are equal and the same. Best form of separation is a complete dissociation from the loop.
Further connection with them does us more harm than good. Whoever is still found in this error has to have a rethink and resolve like Joshua, to jettison these 'gods' and cling to the ONLY true and faithful God. Then watch things turn around for the best.
SALVATION PRAYER : Peradventure you want to accept the LORD as your Savior, please pray thus: LORD JESUS, I repent, confess, and fosake all my sins and surrender my life to You. From this day, I accept You as my LORD and Savior. Wash me clean and accept me as Your child. Amen!
PRAYERS:
LORD, I thank You for saving my soul.
I confess a total and complete separation and severance of ties, implied or expressed, to any 'god' in my lineage.
I dissociate all my entire family members from from the consequences of worshipping 'the gods' of my fathers. Amen!
© March 2025 (The Landmark Year)
Being A Monthly Bulletin
From The Desk Of
Olusegun A Emosu (The Blessed, The Chosen & The Favored)
B.A (Hons), M.A (Ilorin), MBA (Arizona)
The Redeemed Christian Church of God,
2244, Panola Rd, Suite 2, (3 D Complex),
Lithonia GA 30058
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