Memorial Stones
Notes
Transcript
Intro: If I were to ask you to name some memorials/monuments in the United States you probably can name some ,but can you tell me their purpose.
Washington Monument- to honor George Washington as first president and commander of the Continental Army in Revolutionary War
Lincoln Memorial- honors the 16th president of holding our country together in its darkest hour in the Civil War
Jefferson Memorial- honors the third president’s ideals of beauty, science, learning, culture, and liberty.
9/11 National Memorial and Museum- to honor the fallen of the 9/11 terrorist attack
Headstones in cemeteries- remembering loved ones
Memorial- structure, monument established to remind people of a person or event that was significant in their life
Let’s look at two memorials that were set up by the people of Israel to remind them of a significant Person and event in their life.
Text; Joshua 4:1-24
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,
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.”
8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 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.
10 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.
11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.
12 And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.
13 About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,
16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.”
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.”
1. Twelve Stones in Gilgal; 1-8
1. Twelve Stones in Gilgal; 1-8
After crossing the Jordan God reminded Joshua that the 12 men he had previously chosen [3:12] were to take 12 stones from the Jordan and set up as a memorial where they would camp that night.
Gilgal was about two miles from Jericho and was the first territory in Canaan claimed by Israel for their inheritance.
[6-7] The 12 stones represented the 12 tribes of Israel. It would be a testimony to the faithfulness of God for generations to come.
We need to set up memorials in our life to the faithfulness of God and use them as reminders to ourselves and as a witness to others. [Mine is a financial obstacle memorial coming into ministry]
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
We are to be a strong witness to God’s faithfulness and our faith in Him!
2. Twelve Stones in the Jordan; 9
2. Twelve Stones in the Jordan; 9
Joshua himself set up 12 stones in the Jordan where the priests stood.
Why would he do that? This memorial is a witness to the faith of the people.
They had an obstacle in the way of them obtaining what God had promised, and by faith they stepped into the midst of that obstacle/trial through faith in God.
No one could see that memorial but God. But they knew it was there. Not everybody knows what’s going on in your life [personal trials] but God knows your heart and you know what God has done. The next trial that comes along, you’ll remember what He’s done before and He can do it again!
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
3. Symbolism of the Memorial Stones;
3. Symbolism of the Memorial Stones;
The stones in the river remind us of the death of Christ, being buried and hidden. The stones on the outside of the river speak of His resurrection.
11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.
It’s a picture of spiritual baptism.
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
It’s symbolic of a new life
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Close;
The spiritual lesson out of this passage is, that God is faithful and the Gospel is a memorial of His faithfulness. And the Gospel of Christ is the memorial we use from our life to teach our children and share with others the grace 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.”
How do we know the 12 stones are still in the middle of the Jordan to this day? Faith