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Questions · Doctrine

Choose life, choose this day: Joshua 24:15 and Deuteronomy 30:19

What Christian writers said, from about AD 198 to 1906.

27 passages · 13 writers · 6 centuries

The short answer

Calvin says Joshua gave the people freedom of choice so they could not later plead compulsion, and that those who embraced the doctrine of Moses chose life, which does not exclude the grace of Christ. Wesley says Joshua did not leave them at liberty whether to serve God or idols, since the law of Moses obliged them to worship God only, and Henry says Joshua puts them to their choice not as if they were at liberty to refuse God's service. Henry, Watson, and Espin treat the choice as a deliberate act of the will and heart, and Henry says Joshua resolved to serve the Lord whatever others did. Maclaren says the alternatives of life and death in Deuteronomy 30 are before every man who hears and it is for him to choose, and Edwards says God sets life and death before us and those who neglect to choose act unreasonably. Finney says that in 'Ye cannot serve the Lord' Joshua did not mean a natural or any proper impossibility but that with wicked hearts they could not render acceptable service, and Calvin says Joshua used the harsh statement to rouse a sluggish people.

Joshua 24:14-24

18 passages · 10 writers · 1500s to 1900s

Calvin says Joshua gave the people freedom of choice so they could not later plead compulsion, and Spurgeon says Joshua pushed them to a present choice between the true God and the idols. Watson says choosing the Lord is the act of the will after the judgment approves him, and Henry says it is the will of God that we make religion our serious and deliberate choice. Henry says the people answered with a free, rational, and intelligent declaration for the God of Israel, giving as reasons what God had done for them and his covenant with them.

1564 · John Calvin, Commentary on Joshua 24.15

With this design, Joshua, by way of probation, emancipates the Jews, making them, as it were, their own masters, and free to choose what God they are willing to serve, not with the view of withdrawing them from the true religion, as they were already too much inclined to do, but to prevent them from making inconsiderate promises, which they would shortly after violate. For the real object of Joshua was, as we shall see, to renew and confirm the covenant which had already been made with God. Not without cause, therefore, does he give them freedom of choice, that they may not afterwards pretend to have been under compulsion, when they bound themselves by their own consent.

1708 · Matthew Henry, Commentary on Joshua 24.15-28

] He refers it to themselves: "Choose you whom you will serve, choose this day, now that the matter is laid thus plainly before you, speedily bring it to a head, and do not stand hesitating." Elijah, long after this, referred the decision of the controversy between Jehovah and Baal to the consciences of those with whom he was treating, 1 Kings xviii. 21. Joshua's putting the matter here to this issue plainly intimates two things:—First, That it is the will of God we should every one of us make religion our serious and deliberate choice.

1708 · Matthew Henry, Commentary on Joshua 24.15-28

Would it be any obligation upon them if they made the service of God their choice?—he here puts them to their choice, not as if it were antecedently indifferent whether they served God or not, or as if they were at liberty to refuse his service, but because it would have a great influence upon their perseverance in religion if they embraced it with the reason of men and with the resolution of men. These two things he here brings them to. 1. He brings them to embrace their religion rationally and intelligently, for it is a reasonable service. The will of man is apt to glory in its native liberty, and, in a jealousy for the honour of this, adheres with most pleasure to that which is its own choice and is not imposed upon it; therefore it is God's will that this service should be, not our chance, or a force upon us, but our choice.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20

9 passages · 7 writers · 100s to 1900s

Clement of Alexandria says God set before man death and life that he may choose life, and that God said He set both, not made both, for the comparison of choice. Calvin says Moses commands us to choose life without excluding the grace of Christ, and Tillotson says the comparison between the inconveniences of a sinful course and the advantages of a holy life is a plain direction which of the two to choose. Henry says those who come short of life must thank themselves, Maclaren says we must exercise our will to choose life, and Wesley says God will not force men to accept salvation but sets before them life and death.

1563 · John Calvin, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony, part 3 Deut.30.15

A solemn injunction, similar to the foregoing ones, that the Israelites should consider how inestimable a blessing it was that God should have condescended to deposit His Law with them; and that if they did not receive it with reverence, the punishments for such foul ingratitude would be by no means light. For, in order to deprive them of the pretext of error, He separates them from the heathen nations, which through ignorance of the right way vacillated, as in uncertainty, between life and death. He says, therefore, that He has set before their eyes life, and that indeed connected with true and complete happiness; and likewise death with its consequences. Now, there is no one who, under the guidance of nature, would not seek for life and recoil from death; and thence Moses reproaches them with being more than senseless if they should plunge voluntarily into all miseries. Meanwhile, he signifies that he is not addressing to them mere idle menaces, but that his doctrine is armed with the power of God, so that whosoever should embrace it would find salvation in it, whilst none would despise it with impunity. The distribution of the two clauses then follows, viz., that the love of God and the keeping of His Law is prescribed that they may live; but if they turn away from it, their destruction is denounced.

1563 · John Calvin, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony, part 3 Deut.30.19

Nevertheless, it is asked how, if the corruption of our nature causes that the Law should engender nothing but death, Moses commands us to “choose life,” which the sinner cannot attain to by it? Thence the Papists uplift their crests, both to extol free-will and to boast of merits; as if Moses did not also testify and proclaim the gratuitous mercy of God, and direct his disciples to Christ in order to seek salvation from Him. When, therefore, he speaks of keeping the Commandments, he does not exclude the two-fold grace of Christ, that believers, being regenerated by the Spirit, should aspire to the obedience of righteousness, and at the same time should be reconciled freely to God through the forgiveness of their sins. And assuredly, since the same covenant is common to us and to the ancient people, it is not to be doubted but that they “chose life” who of old embraced the doctrine of Moses.

1706–1708 · Matthew Henry, Commentary on Deuteronomy 30.15-20

Having thus stated the case, he fairly puts them to their choice, with a direction to them to choose well. He appeals to heaven and earth concerning his fair and faithful dealing with them, v. 19. They could not but own that whatever was the issue he had delivered his soul; therefore, that they might deliver theirs, he bids them choose life, that is, choose to do their duty, which would be their life. Note, 1. Those shall have life that choose it: those that choose the favour of God and communion with him for their felicity, and prosecute their choice as they ought, shall have what they choose. 2. Those that come short of life and happiness must thank themselves; they would have had it if they had chosen it when it was put to their choice: but they die because they will die; that is, because they do not like the life promised upon the terms proposed.