Joshua 4:1-24 (NKJV)



Stones of remembrance

►►Israel is finally there. Knocking on the door of the promised land. They had been there before, and they faltered. Imagine, after 40 some years, many trials and difficulties. Much intervention by God. Standing looking across the Jordan River.

This time there was no hesitation. They were ready.

But God had some last minute instructions.

►►Joshua 4:1-24 (NKJV)

1  And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying:

2  "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,

3  and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.' "

4  Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;

5  and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,

►►The priests were to carry the ark into the Jordan river, in flood stage. They were to stand in the middle of the river while the children of Israel crossed over. And these 12 men, I am sure quite strong ones, were to stop where the priests were and pick up 12 stones, and carry them to the place where Israel would be camping that night.

►►Now the Bible has a lot to say about stones. There was no lack of them in much of the Middle East. Jacob used a stone for a pillow, then turned it upright into a pillar after his dream.

►►Daniel describes the coming of Jesus as a stone. Jesus called Peter a pebble, and referred to the declaration of his lordship as the great stone upon which his church would be established.

►►Abraham made altars of stones to worship God, and they were left behind as a remembrance that a Jehovah worshipper had been in that place.

►►Stoning was a method of capital punishment. Jesus referred to this when the woman was thrown down before him. He said, he who is without sin let him cast the first stone.

►►The High Priests' ephod had precious stones on it. Lucifer walked among the stones of fire.

►►Now, the children of Israel were instructed to bring stones from the river to make a monument of commemoration. An altar of remembrance.

►►Joshua 4:5..."Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,

6  that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'

7  Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

Stones make a durable reminder of events. We buy head stones for our loved one's gravesites. We build monuments from stone to help us remember.

God wanted Israel to remember.

But what did he want them to remember?

►►First, He wanted them to remember his mighty works in bringing them from Egypt.

The crossing of the Red Sea.

►►Water from the rocks.

►►Miraculous healing of the water at Marah.

►►The manna provided daily for over 40 years.

T►►he pillar of fire by night and cloud by day.

►►The ten commandments that were written on stone.

Those wonderful things that God had done for them day by day.

But that was not all.

He wanted them to remember other things too. Things Paul says were recorded for our admonition.

The worship of the golden calf.

The rebellions against Moses and Aaron.

The murmuring about food and the quail that made them sick.

►►The serpents in the wilderness that required God's intervention.

The rebellion at the borders of Canaan that resulted in the nation being cursed.

►►And now having crossed the Jordan River in the flood stage, they are instructed to gather 12 stones to set up a monument of remembrance in Gilgal. They were also to set up a monument of 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River as a similar reminder.

18  And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

19  Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

20  And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

21  Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'

22  then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land';

23  for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over,

24  that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever."

One characteristic of human beings is a tendency to forgetfulness.

►►

The things that I love and hold dear to my heart

Are just borrowed they're not mine at all

Jesus only let me use them to brighten my light

So remind, me remind me dear Lord

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then

Show me where you brought me from

And where I could have been

Remember I'm human, and humans forget

So remind me, remind me dear Lord

Nothing good have I done to deserve God's own Son

I'm not worthy of the scars in his hands

Yet he chose the road to Calvary to die in my stead

Why he loved me I can't understand

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then

Show me where you brought me from

And where I could have been

Remember I'm human, and humans forget

So remind me, remind me dear Lord

So remind me, remind me dear Lord

That is what thanksgiving is all about. Remembering. Contemplating. Giving thanks.

There is something that many Christians do not realize.

►►Leviticus 22:29 (NKJV)

29  And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will.

►►Psalm 107:22 (NKJV)

22  Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing.

►►Psalm 116:17 (NKJV)

17  I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD.

►►Psalm 69:30-31 (NKJV)

30  I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

31  This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull, Which has horns and hooves.

►►Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)

4  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

►►In these passages, we get the message that praise is thanksgiving, and praise and thanksgiving are pleasing sacrifices to the Lord.

But too often we do it generic way. In other words, we are not specific. I know people who are very blessed, but you would not know it to talk to them.

I know others who seem to be under the special onslaught of the devil himself, who are calm, peaceful, and thankful.

And one of the differences is the fact that the ones who appreciate what they have are able to state very specific instances of blessings in their lives.

So today, we are going to have our own stones of remembrance. I am sure all of you remembered to bring your rock to church. And today, right up here, we are going to make our own monument of remembrance and thanksgiving.

First you are going to receive a piece of paper you can use as a bookmark. I would like for you to write several things for which you are thankful. Keep that for a marker.

When you have done that, I want you to bring up your stone to the front, and together let's make a pile of remembrance stones. I am going to ask that these be left here until Christmas to remind you of the things that you are thankful.

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