Exodus part 5

Stones of Remembrance

Recap : We've gone through the plagues of Egypt, crossing the Red sea, and the journey through the wilderness all the while being guided and provided for by God. Now they are standing at the border of the promised land, separated by an overflowing Jordan river.

Text: Joshua 3:10–13 “And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.”

This generation was born in the wilderness their forefathers had died in the wilderness due to unbelief, and now the younger generation is at the brink of the river Jordan ready to cross over into the promised land.

If we were to read on into chapter 4 we will see God commands to take stones out of the river bed as memorials for future generations

Before moving on several things to point out here :

1. Moses is dead and Joshua is now Israel's covenant leader and God's appointed spokesman

2. Joshua announces Yahweh as the ( Lord of all the earth )

3. God is moving the covenant forward He made with Abraham

4. God is present with them

5. God goes before them

6. There will be opposition

7. The Israelites are about to cross into enemy territory

8. God is ( re-claiming ) Territory from Hostile powers

Now lets take a look at the Ark

Here we see that the God who was with His people in the wilderness is the same God who goes before them into enemy territory. His presence did not end at the Jordan—it led them through it.

The Ark represented God's throne on earth—the place of His covenant presence among His people. Once again we see God's desire to dwell with His people. Joshua tells the priests to take the Ark and step into the overflowing Jordan and stand in the midst of the river while all Israel crosses over. As the Ark goes before Israel into the Jordan, God Himself goes before His people.

Point : The waters did not part until the priest bearing the Ark stepped into the water, (we are called to trust and obey) sometimes God asks us to obey before we see Him act.

The Picture is clear God goes before His people, not only leading but confronting the opposition head on Himself

A Man from each tribe

Then a man from each tribe was to take a stone from the middle of the river where the priest stood and stack them on the other side where they camped at the crossing site.

Just like the Israelites were to be God’s representatives, Peter calls believers "living stones" (1 Peter 2). While Joshua's stones testified to what God had done, our lives are to testify to what Christ has done.

Stones of remembrance

The memorial stones were designed so that future generations would ask, "What do these stones mean?" Notice that God didn't tell them to build a monument for themselves. He told them to build one for their children. Faith is always one generation away from being forgotten.

When asked, every generation would then hear about God's faithfulness. God wasn't merely interested in getting Israel across the river. He wanted every generation after them to remember His mighty acts.

What stones of remembrance are we leaving behind?

Just as people passing by would ask what these stones ment, we too erect monuments to draw attention too and in recognition of for our loved ones who have passed, historical events, famous people, major sporting events, ect. Some are in the form of statues, plaques, pictures, paintings, even songs and poems.

No matter the memorial probably the most influential is a testimony!

A couple of people I would like to draw our attention to now is Joshua and Yahweh. Joshua's Hebrew name (Yehoshua, or the shortened form Yeshua) is the very name from which we get the name Jesus. Both mean, "Yahweh saves.

The Spies

When Moses sent the ten spies to spy out the promised land they came back with a evil report that there were giants in the land and they themselves looked like grasshoppers compared to the giants, that was everyone except Joshua and Caleb.

Joshua and Caleb ( stilled / calmed ) the people saying that God was able to deliver them and they could go in and possess the land.

Now lets look at testimonies :

Joshua leads the people through the Jordan

Jesus leads His people through death into eternal life

Joshua brings people into an earthly inheritance

Jesus brings people into an heavenly inheritance

Joshua defeated earthly enemies

Jesus defeated sin, death, Satan, along with all the rebellious powers of the unseen realm.

Joshua erected stones as a testimony

Jesus left an empty tomb as an eternal testimony

Just as Israel followed the Ark into the waters of the Jordan believers follow Christ

Reflection :

Who in your life has been a living stone or faithful testimony ?

Closing

In closing I would like to put us in remembrance to Hebrews 12:1–2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Knowing that the focus isn't the Promised land but our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ !

The stones at Gilgal still testify that God was faithful to Israel.

But today there is an even greater testimony.

There is an empty tomb.

Joshua's stones declared that Israel crossed a river.

The empty tomb declares that Christ conquered death.

Joshua led God's people into an earthly inheritance.

Jesus is leading His people into an eternal inheritance.

So the greatest Stone of Remembrance is not standing beside the Jordan River.

It is an empty tomb outside Jerusalem that forever proclaims,

'He is not here, for He is risen.'"