Remember What He Has Done
Joshua 4:1-9
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. It is observed every year on the last Monday of May and originated following the Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died during that dreadful war that claimed more than 498,000 lives. Today Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.
Pastor Craig M. Watts of Royal Palm Christian Church in Coral Springs concerning Memorial Day, "On this occasion we are called upon to remember and respect those who have died, those whose days are gone. It is no surprise to us that many people do not reflect upon the past during this holiday any more than they do on any other day. In our age of ever-accelerating change, we don't tend to look to the past to find our wisdom. We view what "has been" as largely irrelevant to what is now. The ancients are not our models. We place little value in traditions and inherited customs. And so when Memorial Day rolls around, our thoughts do not automatically turn to the past and to the departed." - Watts, Memorial Day: Hopeful Memory
Two elderly ladies had been friends since their 30s. Now in their 80s, they still got together a couple of times a week to play cards. One day they were playing gin rummy and one of them said, “You know, we’ve been friends for many years and, please don’t get mad, but for the life of me, I can’t remember your name. Please tell me what it is.” Her friend glared at her. She continued to glare and stare at her for at least three minutes. Finally, she said, “How soon do you need to know?”
All of us have lapses of memories. I was relieved to find out that I'm not the only one who forgets things. Everyone does at one time or another, according to Karen Bolla, a Johns Hopkins researcher. These are the things people most often forget:
• names 83%
• where something is 60%
• telephone numbers 57%
• words 53%
• what was said 49%
• faces 42%
• whether or not you've just done something 38%.
Sometimes our forgetful is simply the result of neglectfulness and inattention to that which has been done for us by those who have preceded us. When it comes to our spiritual lives it is important for us to never neglect that which God has given to us or forget that which He has done for us.
In our passage, God instructs Joshua to have the people build two pillars, each built from 12 stones from the riverbed of the Jordan River. God knows human nature and that as time passes, memories would fade. The stones would be a memorial to remind their children about what God had done for them in the past. A memorial is something that keeps remembrance alive. As we look at Israel's memorial stones we too should be reminded of what God has done for us.
Romans 15:4 states " For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." While looking at these stones we will see in addition to what they spoke to Israel about they should remind us of what He has done for us and of our identification with Christ.
I. The Stones in Gilgal on the banks of Jordan
A. Joshua 4:1-3, 7 " And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 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... And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”’”
B. Joshua 4:20-24 " And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; 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, 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.”
C. Upon crossing through the Jordan Riverbed dry-shod, several things tool place:
1. First, there at Gilgal all of the males of the family of the Israel were circumcised identifying them as God's chosen and separated ones who had been delivered from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.
2. Joshua 5:9 " The LORD then said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you." Therefore, that place has been called Gilgal to this day." You were slaves. You were subjects of Pharaoh, but now you are to be a free people unto the Lord God who reigns in heaven.
3. Second, the Israelites celebrated the Passover which in itself was a commemoration of God's deliverance by the shedding of the blood of a sacrificial lamb that would allow those who applied the blood of the lamb to be passed over from death unto life.
4. Third, upon observing the Passover, we read in Joshua 5:11-12 "The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year."
5. Manna sustained Israel for 40 years. It literally was the source their life while traveling through the wilderness. The Manna was God's way of promising Israel a better life in the promised land. When they arrived in the land of victory, their desert diet ceased. They no longer needed the Manna because they could now feast on the bounty of Canaan.
D. All three are beautiful pictures of what He has done and does for us.
1. Circumcision was a picture of consecration to the Lord. All those men who were born during the 40 years of wilderness wandering had not been circumcised. Before this generation of men could claim their part of Canaan and enjoy the covenant promises of God, or expect God to fight their battles, they needed to be circumcised in obedience to God's command to all Israel given to Abraham in Genesis 17:11-14.
2. It was a picture of their separation from their past in Egypt that they were to leave behind.
3. Just as Israel was required to remove from their bodies a piece of flesh as a sign that they had put off the sins of Egypt along with their past. God had given them new life and they were separated unto the Lord; as believers we must remove from our lives anything that stands between total surrender and us to the Lord past or present.
4. 1 Corinthians 6:16b-19 " For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'" "Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate", says the Lord. "Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the LORD Almighty."
5. Passover is a vivid picture of the cost, the price of blood, the blood of the Lamb of God that would be shed to purchase of salvation and provide us with newness of life the moment we put our faith and trust in Christ and by grace have the Holy Spirit apply the blood of the Savior to our lives.
6. 1 Corinthians 5:7 " Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:"
7. The Manna ceased. Manna was a provision of God’s grace to His people. Like the Manna that sustained the Israelites in the wilderness, the Lord Jesus sustains those who come to Him by faith.
8. But having come to Christ in the new life we cannot be content with the first food but we must desire the sincere milk of the Word to grow and then to mature from the milk to the fruit and meat.
9. Hebrews 6:1 "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection.."
10. Hebrews 5:12-14 " For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
E. The Stones set up on the banks of the Jordan speak of the Israelites' having died to the past and that they no longer are to enslaved by Egypt. 1 John 3:1 tells us that we are NOW the children of God and no longer should live according to the dictates of this world.
II. The Stones in the River
A. Joshua 4:9-10 " Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.
B. In chapter 3 we are told that the priests carrying the ark go down into the waters of Jordan. The moment their feet touch the waters the waters part.
C. Joshua 3:17 " the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
D. This typified our Lord Jesus Christ going down into the waters of death for us opening the way to a resurrected life. By His death on the Cross He annulled him that had the power of death, that is the devil and the stronghold of sin.
E. Just as the priests stood "until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan", Jesus Christ finished the work He started. He remained on the cross until the price of our redemption was paid in full.
F. The last word that Christ shouted in victory before He died on the cross was "tetelestai" - “It is finished!" —“complete,” “consummated”—the work of redemption was finished for all those who by grace place their trust in Him.
G. Hebrews 7:25 " Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him..."
H. In passing through the waters the Israelites were dying to their old life to receive new life from God.
I. Joshua himself goes down into the river alone, stands in front of these priests who have been steadfastly standing with the ark throughout the long hours until all of Israel completely passes safely. There Joshua sets up twelve stones in the very middle of the riverbed of the Jordan
J. Apparently, this is Joshua's own memorial. Many might be wondering why he did this. I believe it was Joshua's way of saying he was no longer a runaway slave from Egypt. That man is dead. He died in the river and a new man has ascended freed by God.
K. That is what the twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan tell us. They are a personal declaration, " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20
L. I have died with Christ; I no longer belong to the world that crucified Him; I no longer enslaved by its appetites and desires. I now live by His grace.” Christ died for us and now we are dead to the world and all its sin.
Two memorials one under water hidden from the eyes of men the other a visible witness to what He (God) has done. Do you have two memorials in your life, one written on tablets of your heart that are constant reminder of your co-death, co-burial, and co-resurrection with Christ? Is the other there for others to see and read. Someone wrote this amazing prayer - is it your prayer?
Father I worship and praise you today. I thank you Lord for all your goodness and all your mercy and all your grace to me today. I praise you Lord Jesus! I will open my mouth and declare your goodness to all that will listen today. I will speak of your greatness and of the blessings you have poured out on my life. Not to boast Father, but to share your grace to others. I will sing songs to you Lord. I will keep a melody of praise to you Father in my heart and on my lips today. I will to lift you up. I will to exalt you. I will to honor you this day dear Lord. I thank you for your love Lord. I love you Lord. My life is truly in your hands, lead and guide my footsteps today help me Lord to walk right before you, allow my life to be a testimony of your greatness. I bless you Lord, I bless your holy name. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
