Joshua Chapter 4
In April of 1863, in Columbus, Mississippi an elderly
woman was bringing flowers to a cemetery After decorating the graves of her two
sons who served during the Civil War as Confederate soldiers, she also decorated
two mounds at the corner of the cemetery. An observer asked, "What are you doing? Those are the graves of
two Union soldiers." The reply, "I know. I also know
that somewhere in the North, a mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do
for ours." That little band of ladies set in motion what became
Memorial Day. Memorial Day is set aside each year to remember those who
gave their lives in the armed forces. We commemorate their actions by honoring
them in ceremonies across the land.
Many of the Memorials that we have – like the Vietnam
Memorial / like Memorial day – are meant to help us remember the Tragedy of War
A)But in our
text today we see a time in the History of Israel where God instructed his
people to set up a Memorial to remember the Power of God READ V.1-18
B) Picture this scene We saw in Chapter 3 how the Children of Israel
crossed the Jordan river – Emotions high { Total Rush
1) Temptation to just keep
right on going – Lets Conquer the land –
But God has them stop – and Build 2 Memorials
C) Today as we consider this
special MEMORIAL – consider 3 things
1st PURPOSE OF THE
MEMORIAL
2ND THE 2 TYPES OF
MEMORIALS that they were to build
3RD OUR MEMORIAL IN CHRIST
1ST THE PURPOSE OF THE MEMORIAL – 4 Reason
A) Reason #1 : Stimulate Remembrance : See God knows how easy it is for us
to forget – { Football story -
B) We forget
where we are going
B) We forget what we are doing: Office to front office –
stopped – why did I come here ? Not Getting old
Two elderly women in a church were discussing the problems of growing
older. One commented, "The worst
thing is when your memory starts to go. I've known
you all my life, and I can't think of your name. What is it?"
The second lady thought for a
moment and said, "Do you need an answer right
now?"
C)
True we can forget where going / We forget who we are – Child of God !!! We forget what we TAKE IN
Here’s a startling fact we forget
92% of the information we take in during our life time .
A) And during our lifetime the
average brain takes in 10 times the information found in the U.S. Library of
congress
B) There are 17 million volumes
in the U.S. Library of Congress & our brains take in 10 times that ! /
That’s a lot of info / but we forget 92%
1) Sad but true we are forgetful
C) Forget where going / Forget
who we are / We forget what we take in – And worst of all we can forget what
God has Done
1) And since the Lord knows that to be the case – He
has his people stop and build a memorial
D)The Lord instructs Joshua to
select 12 men one from each tribe to go down into the river & each one was
to pull out a stone
These Stones were to
make a monument of REMEMBRANCE /
A)Every time that they came to Gilgal they
were to see this stack of stones & it was to be a memorial of God’s Power
& Provision
B) Celebration of God’s
Faithfulness -
So
Reason #1 was to stimulate their Remembrance – Reason #2 To Strengthen their
Faith
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.
A)Gilgal would be the place they would keep coming back to – It would be their camp
B)God COMMANDED them to STOP AT & camp at GILGAL and build a place of remembrance because with the blessings of Canaan would come the BATTLES.
C) They are on the other side of Jordan./ In front of them lies Jericho.
War is about to begin.
1) Blessings and battles go hand in hand for God's people.
D) The abundant life of the believer WILL NOT go unchallenged.
The greater the blessing, the greater the battle.
HUDSON TAYLOR: "When God opens
up the windows of heaven
to bless you, Satan opens up the gates of hell and you're stuck in between."
E) And There are times that we FORGET the greatness of God and can only see the fierceness of our adversary.
1) It is in those times we need to look back & be reminded of those past Victories
F) We are not supposed to live on past Victories – But those past Victories are meant to stimulate New Faith
Jonah 2:7 When
my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD.
Purpose
of Memorial So Reason #1 Stimulate Remembrance/ #2 To Strengthen their Faith #3
– School their Children
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."
A) those stones were to be
there so that when their kids would come & say hey
why these stones ?
1) They could use that as an
opportunity to tell their kids of the mighty things that God had done for
them! .
D)
It
was to be a place of remembrance & a
place of teaching . But note who is doing the teaching . Read v.19-24
1) Always the picture the Bible gives – Father is Saved – He needs to be the Spiritual leader
Recall the Story
in Luke 18 when it says the People were bringing their kids to Jesus to be
blessed & the disciples said Leave
the master alone
A)Jesus rebuked them saying suffer the little Children
to come unto me for such is the kingdom of Heaven.
B) Most people picture mothers bringing
their little ones to Jesus .
1) But In the grk the phrasing
there is indicative that it was actually the Fathers who were bringing the kids
! Dads
C) I think we need more men in
the Church today who will take more seriously the responsibility to teach our Kids about the Lord .
1) Thankful for the men who teach in Children’s ministry
See
Too many kids today look at Christianity as being for women & weak people
because they don’t see dads being expressive about their faith
A) They don’t see dad worshipping the Lord or being excited about the Lord
B) That is one reason why we
need to see in the Church today men who are going to stand up & be visible
& vocal about their faith .
1) Men who really Know the Lord
– Passion for the Lord
C) So they were to set up a
Memorial – in order to Stimulate Remembrance / Strengthen faith /
1)
And
to give the Fathers an opportunity to
School their Kids – teach them about the Faithfulness & Power of God
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."
A) God had them place these
stones there by the Banks at Gilgal so that That the nations would come & see the stones they would be
reminded of the power of the God of
Israel
B) 12 Stones because there were 12 Tribes
1)
Those
12 stones would be a sign of the Children of Israel being fit together as one monument / 12 tribes being fit together
as one nation.
C) A people Being Joined together in Strength –
under the Leadership of their God
D) This reminded me of
something Peter said about Believers / about the Church – 1 Peter 2:5 Living Stones – Built together into a
spiritual house
1) Peter says that we as individuals are living
stones that are being fit together as one building . - As one man the church
Catch the
Significance of this picture . Just as the 12 stones which represented the
nation of Israel Joined together as one were a sign to the nations
A)So too we as the Church being Joined together as
Living stones are a symbol to the world of Gods Grace & forgiveness.
B) His ability to take people from different back grounds …….
Make us One
Family
C) So that was the Purpose of the Memorial / Remembrance / Faith
School kids –
Sign to the nations
1) Memorials
are Good things to have
SO DOES THAT MEAN WE SHOULD SET UP A PILE OF ROCKS IN THE
BACKYARD – IT COULD
A)Consider some of Diff. Ways to do this . one is Journaling ./ Explain
B) It is in my Journal that I find myself writing
down the awesome things that God is
doing / done
1) Miracles
that have happened – scriptures that He showed me
C)I go back & reflect on those things I am
reminded of His goodness !
1) Reminded of the Lord’s FAITHFULNESS IN MY LIFE
D) Reminded in those special
times when God met me & met my need or ministered to my heart in those
situations – see me thru
I remember a time a few yrs back really struggling w/ some things that were
happening here in the Church
A)I Didn’t
understand what the Lord was doing { Down at the beach
B) As I sat there having this
Conversation w/ the Lord I a looking at the
ocean -
the tide coming in & going out -
1) thought I don’t understand
how & why the water doesn’t just keep coming. THE LORD SAYS IT IS ME!!!!
C) Then I thought
about how an airplane gets off the ground & actually flies
1)
I
don’t fully understand how that happens
- yet I go & get on an airplane w/ out even thinking about it &
fly to the other side of the world.
I thought about as I sat
there on that beach & looked at all that sand - and remembered that
in God’s word He says His thoughts for me out number the sand
A) I surely don’t understand
that but I want to rest in that – God said to me Rob Rest – trust – I have it
under control
B) Sometimes that is what God
says to us - Don’t
try to figure it out in your finite brain - Just believe it - trust me
C) Paul said that when we do that he gives us a peace that surpasses understanding .
1) So often we seek a peace
that is w/ understanding - yet God brings a Peace that surpasses understanding
And
after some time – saw what God did – I wrote that down too
A)When I was traveling I started carrying my journal
– reading on plane
B) A couple of yrs later – going thru another trial – where I was
wondering what on earth are you doing Lord
1) On a trip reading my journal I came to that entry
– from a few yrs back – Reminded & Refreshed & renewed again
C) So Journaling is a good way to set up a Memorial
1)Abe Planted
a tree / built an altar / Musician – write a song
D)Pick
something to remind you of God’s Faithfulness in your life in those situations
– Celebrate / Stimulate your faith / Teach your kids
1) Testimony
to your Neighbors
Two more quick things I want us to see before we go
A)We see in vs. 8 & 9 there were two memorials v. 8 One on the Banks at Gilgal – v.9 Joshua set one up in the River
B) Catch the
significance of this .One was public
/ the other was private / One was
for all the people to see & to use as a tool to teach their kids
1) The other was between Joshua
& the Lord because when the waters returned those stones were covered up
crossing & not seen !
B) It was between Joshua & the Lord .
1) I believe there are to be
memorials in our lives that are public / we can say to the world - this is what God did !
C) Also those that are Private
/ just between you and the Lord where he did some awesome work in your life or
dwelt w/ you in some area !
1) Between you & Him! Where God has said this is what I am going
to do in your life .
D) I have had times in my life
when the Lord has showed me something or done something – given promise / a
confirmation
1)
Hold
on to that – not something anyone else needed to know
E) SO two memorials one Public / one Private – Which leads us to consider
our 4th main point – Our Public Memorial –
1)The Cross
& the empty Tomb -
The Lord instructed the people to camp at Gilgal – place
they were to always come back to: We also have a place we need to camp at
-Calvary
A)Gigal was their place of
remembrance / ours is Calvary it is the Cross
B)When the world sees us united together in unity /
where are we united ? At Calvary / Calvary the cross is our Gilgal our place of
remembrance .
1) Come together as sinners
saved by grace !
C) At Calvary we
are reminded of our Lords Provision died to pay the price for our sins to set
us free from guilt / cleanse us . Give us life !
D) We are reminded at Calvary that we are right w/
God – accepted in the Beloved – because of the finished work of Christ !
F) At the Empty tomb – we are
reminded of why – Jesus in the way –
A)Celebrate God’s Love & Salvation