Joshua 4

Preparation, Witness and Faithfulness

Chapter 4 continues to describe Israel’s entrance into Canaan, focusing on the commemoration of this event. The Israelites erect a permanent memorial for the succeeding generations to remember the spectacular stoppage of the Jordan River. Going over this chapter, there are three things we need to focus on: preparation to cross. The Witness and memorial of God’s wonder, and Our faithfulness in following what he commands us to do.

Are we preparing ourselves to be a witness?

Joshua 4:3–5 “And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:”

The men were picked and prepared for what they needed to do.

Joshua 4:4 “Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:”

Joshua 3:12 “Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.”

Deuteronomy 27:2 “And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister:”

These men where already assigned the task before hand and knew what they needed to do to accomplish what they needed to do.

Theses were Men that were selected by Joshua himself to represent the tribes before God to show the people’s obedience to God.

They were prepared the move when the time had come.

Your Witness is a continuation of the God’s Revelation.

Joshua 4:6–7 “That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.”

Joshua 4:21–24 “And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.”

Exodus 12:26–27 “And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.”

Joshua 4:21–22 “And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.”

Deuteronomy 6:20–24 “And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: And the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.”

Exodus 10:2 “And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord.”

We are called to be a witness. We are to witness to out family and friends to our children and to anyone who will listen.

It is our responsibility to answer the question that the people will have for us.

Our life experiences our some of our best tools when it comes to witnessing to those around us.

My Faithfulness to obey God’s word is rewarded by later in life.

Joshua 4:13–20 “About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before. And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.”

Joshua’s faithfulness was on display long before this book.

When he was a spy for Moses

When he walked with Moses to Mount Sini

Ministering to Moses long before God declared him to be the next Man to lead the nation.

Joshua’s faithfulness brought respect to him from those around him.

The people feared him. that fear was more of a sign of respect and of awe.

He’s focus was always to honor God and not himself.

He placed a second pillar of Stones in where the priest stood in the water. This pillar would only be visible during low tide. and so he was preparing to have a permanent reminder in the water for all to see once the people leave that area.

Conclusion

Now I should have some impactful final message to really tie this all together at the end but I don’t. But what I have is what the Bible says. We are to tell those around of who God is. Whether that be but our actions or by the words we speak. We are called to be a witness of the Lord’s Mercy and Power.

And the best way we can be that witness is to prepared to do whatever the Lord calls you to do. Being faithful in your walk with him. Read his word, fellowship with other likeminded christians. Be ready to answer question that will arise as live this life He gave you. Because the end Goal of our Christian walk is Joshua 4:24 “That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.”