Powerpoint Pictures: Traffic Lights

Coming up to a busy junction in a car, what do you expect to see? [Traffic Lights]

Why do we have traffic lights? [To keep us safe; prevent accidents; drive smoothly to the destination]

Both the red light that tells us to stop and the green light that tells us to go are for our own good, even if we prefer the green light.

After God kept His promise to give Israel the land of Canaan, many years went by and when Joshua was close to death he gave a farewell speech to the people of Israel.  This speech was a bit like a set of traffic lights designed to keep the people safe and so they could enjoy life in the land.

Joshua told the people some things to do like the green light and he told them some things not to do like the red light.

But first he reminded them about some of the incredible things God had done for them and how He had kept His promise.  He reminded them about how God had parted the Red Sea so they could safely cross and how He had brought down the walls of Jericho so they could capture the city and now live in this wonderful and fruitful land.

Then came the green light – the things they should do to carry on enjoying life in the land.

“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14)

Joshua also had a red light command to give them – the things they were not to do.

“If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you.” (Joshua 24:20)

The people of Israel had a choice: Serve and obey God who rescued them and brought them into the land or serve and obey a pretend gods.

“And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.” (Joshua 24:24)

The end.

Sadly it’s not the end of the story.  The people did serve and obey God for a time.  But after Joshua and that generation died, the next generation started following pretend gods and as God said it would, disaster came and Israel was attacked and captured.

They ended up as slaves again.  They needed to be rescued again!