There is a response from the children of Israel in Joshua chapter 1 which is said from the mouth but not from the heart. The scriptures record this by saying, “they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.’” 

The truth of the matter is we know from other scriptures that the majority of these people struggled in doing what God asked them to do through God’s servants, Moses and Joshua. Words became cheap; they were only offering lip service.

Something in scripture has always baffled me. When King Josiah began to rule over Israel, wonderful things were said about him. In 2 Kings 22 it puts it this way, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” He renewed the covenant between God and His people, tore down the idols of worship and brought back the festivals that God had commanded that they observe. He did everything right but yet God allowed this king to be killed in battle and God rejected the Israelites as His people. Their land was taken over by their enemies and they were deported to a foreign land.

This finally made sense to me a few years ago.

Even though the king’s heart was changed, the people’s hearts were not. When King Josiah began to reign and brought about reform it is said that “the people pledged themselves to the covenant”. Again, this was just lip service, their hearts were not in it.

What America needs is good leadership, but more importantly we need the hearts of this nation to change; we need a great awakening that will cause us to desire, more than anything else, lives that will honor God and His Word. Only then can we expect His favor and continued blessings.