Remember God's Wonders

Reading: Joshua 4

Welcome and Prayer (Ps. 111)

Sermon

Before we get into the text this morning I want to ask a question and I want y’all to take a minute to think about it. Why do we have memorials? Think about every statue or plaque or obelisk that is scattered around the country, I know the first one that comes to my mind is the eternal flame at the WWI Memorial in downtown KC. At the very root of every one of these memorials is the same basic idea, the need to remember something for multiple lifetimes. But, something that has to come with the physical reminder or memorial is some way to pass on the history or reason why the memorial is there. That is why there is a museum at the WWI memorial; that is why there are usually plaques on statues, that is why there are often books written about so many of these things meant to evoke some kind of remembrance in the minds of any who see them. That is where our narrative is moving this week as we study chapter 4. Last week we worked our way through Joshua 3 and saw how the Lord provided for Israel to cross the Jordan. In that narrative, we learned that the author was highlighting a few key themes about the character of the Lord and of the nation of Israel. First, Joshua and Israel displayed a willingness to obey the Lord without specific guidance on how to proceed forward. In that obedience, they had to rely on the promises of the Lord to his people and on the record of his faithfulness recorded in the books of the Law. Through the narrative we also saw that God chose to bring Israel across the Jordan at a time when they would have to rely on Him to provide the means to cross. In both of these elements, we saw ways that we can apply the lessons taught through narrative to our own Christian walk, meditating on the words of the scripture so we can do the Lord’s will even without His direct intervention and remaining faithful to the Lord even when he seems to be taking us through a trial that feels beyond our own abilities. In the continued narrative in Joshua 4, the author takes the opportunity to zoom in on a small detail that was left unfinished in the previous chapter. Maybe you remember or maybe you don’t, in 3:12 Joshua appointed 12 men to represent the tribes of Israel when they were preparing to cross the Jordan, then the chapter says nothing else about those 12 men. Well, in this chapter the author continues the narrative by picking up after the Israelites finish crossing and we find out that Joshua didn’t just appoint those men for fun. Instead, after receiving instruction from the Lord, the twelve men each took a stone out of the river and set all of them together as a memorial of the wonders that God did to bring Israel into the Land of Canaan. The end of the chapter makes clear that, while the memorial was primarily to remember the crossing of the Jordan, it also served to call the minds of the people back to all the things that God had done to bring them this far. From the exodus through the Red Sea to the crossing of the Jordan river and everything in between, the stones were to remind the people of God’s faithfulness to His people.

God was faithful to his word and brought Israel across the Jordan and into the promised land.

Language in the passage is drawing the reader’s mind to the Exodus even before it is directly mentioned.

The two “crossings on dry ground” book end God’s provision for Israel in the wilderness

This crossing through the water in both of these instances serves as a picture or shadow pointing toward the way that believers go through the waters of baptism into a new life. (1 Cor. 10:1-2, 6a)

The direct reference to the Red Sea crossing is meant to remind the people that God promised entry to the promised land all those years ago.

Through the Miracle, Joshua was exalted

Exalted through no effort of his own

Firmly established as the leader of the Lord’s people

Important because Joshua needed to lead them in military campaign through all Canaan

It put him in the same position of authority that Moses had

Direct relationship with God

God spoke to Joshua then Joshua spoke to the people

Power and Authority to command the people, even in the face of difficulties

In just this chapter, Joshua gives commands to the nation, to the twelve representatives, and the priests

These characteristics provide a glimpse of the future savior

The name Joshua is the Hebrew version of Jesus

While Joshua provides some direct communication with YHWH, Christ will provide constant communication between God and His people

While Joshua serves as a vessel for a select number of miracles, Jesus displayed his power as God through the multitude of miracles he performed

Joshua led the armies of God’s people to conquer the promised land, Christ will lead the army of the Lord to conquer the earth and usher in the new heavens and a new earth.

The Memorial was to be a lasting remembrance of God’s faithfulness

Visual reminder

One cairn set up at the camp following the crossing

Constantly reminding any travelers who had to go through the area

Once cairn set up in the river at the point of the crossing

Remained through floods and likely visible during the rest of the year.

Visual reminder only was not enough

Think about how many things you walk by regularly, even every day, and never really notice their existence (give example)

Israelites were just as human as us, even with how important these stones were, they would eventually be forgotten if left as just a visual reminder

Oral reminder

Why oral when they could have written it down?

I’m sure most of you know this but I will say it anyway, most people for most of history were illiterate.

Oral tradition was their way of passing on history for the ordinary individual

Why you see so many Chiasms in scripture, they helped people to remember the scriptures.

To go along with the visual pile of stones, Israel was commanded to tell their descendants the story of the crossing

Ensure proper understanding of God’s faithfulness to his people

Ensure that the descendants know the path to faithfulness

So What?

Trust in the Lord’s faithfulness!

Set up reminders in your life that can be passed on to your children and those around you

Individually driven

Regular attendance at church. (Heb. 10:25) My parents weren’t perfect but they did make it a priority for us to never miss church. I and all my siblings played soccer up until we graduated from high school and we were dedicated to be excellent at the sport if we could but if any practices or games ever conflicted with either Sunday morning or Wednesday evening church, we would be in church. This meant missing several tournament games every season because they would invariably be on Sunday morning but my parents wanted to make sure that their children understood that God always came first. The only times I ever missed church while living with my parents was when I was extremely sick or if the roads were too icy to drive. Becca’s parents had a similar commitment and, though she was and still is a gifted musician, her parents refused to put her in any music groups which would cause her to miss church.

Daily family devotions. (Deut. 6:6-7; Eph. 6:4)

Corporate

Tithes and offerings (1 Cor. 16:1-2a; 2 Cor. 9:6-8)

The Lord’s Supper [which we are taking next week] (1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Baptism (Eph. 4:4-6; Gal. 3:27)

These aren’t intended to be legalistic requirements. I’m not saying you won’t be a believer if you don’t follow the things I just laid out. But, these things, both individual and corporate memorials, are commands of our heavenly Father to his children. They are to serve as a way to saturate our minds and lives with the truth of Scripture and the joy of the gospel.

Invitation

If anyone here has not experienced the freedom that comes with knowing our risen savior, I urge you to accept this invitation today! Christ calls all who would hear and obey to join him in eternal joy. He simply asks that we acknowledge and repent of our sins, believe that He died for our sins and confess him as Lord, continue living your life in obedience to his call! Additionally, if there is anyone here who is not a member of this church and you feel the Lord calling you to membership here I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about membership.

Any questions or need of prayer, I will be up here ready to pray with you this morning. Or, if you aren’t comfortable coming up this morning, you can stop by my office or call/text me and I would be happy to sit down with you.

Benediction

Prayer

2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.