Sermon Tone Analysis

Thanksgiving

Thank my pastor.

Thank the congregation for faithful attendance.

it is an honor to be here.Thank my pastor.Thank my wife.

Time that was consumed in preparation, so I can stand before you this evening.Thank you (the congregation) for faithful attendance.

And I would like to thank Keurig, for many cups of coffee made this message possible.Before

I begin, I’ve asked my wife to minister to us this evening in song.

Please worship with us.Please remain standing and turn with me to and then we’ll jump down to .

Please remain standing and turn with me to and then we’ll jump down to .

​ KJV 19004 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: 5 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: 6 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?

7 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.

​ KJV 190020 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

21 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?

22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

23 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: 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.

This morning, I will be speaking, for just a short time, on “Possessing the Promise Through the Building of Memorial Stones”.

#prayer

You may be seated.

Reference Point

Before we go any further, allow me to give you a reference point for the scripture we just read.

Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt; they wander in the desert for forty years; reach the borders of the promised land and Moses dies; and then there is a transition of leadership as the torch passes on to Joshua.

In speaking directly with Joshua (as He did Moses), God appoints him as the new Moses by commanding him to possess the promise, given to Israel.

says “for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.”

Usage of stones

For the most part, the word stone used throughout the bible means simply that, a stone, there is no ancient text that suggest otherwise.

Most of the scriptures I’ll reference tonight suggests these stones come from the Hebrew word meaning to build or a building stone.

I’m going to read a few scriptures that capture the various use of stones throughout scripture.

Altar stones

​ KJV 190025 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

Moses climbs Mount Sinai and receives the 10 commandments, Israel witnesses a manifestation of God and Him because of the lightening and thunder; God commanded Israel to make an altar from the earth, but the altar must not be cut or carved otherwise they would desecrate their altar which was used for sacrificing burnt and peace offerings.

Memorial stones

​ KJV 190018 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

The word tables here (H3871) simply means a slab of stone suitable for inscription.

refers to them as “Tables of Testimony” and it is on these tables of testimony that God inscribes with His own finger, the covenant between Him and man.

These tables of stone were a work of God, which Moses, in a fit of rage, smashed on the ground after coming down from Mount Sinai seeing Israel in sin.

Moses destroys the calf and makes Isreal drink the ashes; Moses pleads for Israel not to be destroyed; the camp is purged from about 3000 people who chose not to follow God; Israel continues their journey to the promised land; Moses asks to see the glory of God, and is eventually instructed to hew (cut, carve, shave) new stones identical to the first; God again writes His covenant on these tablets.

The word testimony in simply means bearing witness.

The tables of stone, if you will, was a written contract in how Gods people were to conduct themselves.

This covenant was written down, on stone, as a memorial and served as a reminder.

Memorial stones

​ KJV 19007 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.

The Hebrew word for memorial here (H2146) comes from the root word Zakar, meaning “to remember”.

To remember, is used in the same context as when God remembered Noah after the flood (), not that God ever forgot Noah, for Noah was a righteous man in a sinful world.

It is also used in the sense of divine intervention such as Lot () being allowed to escape Sodom and Gomorrah before destruction.

It is used when God remembered Rachel () who was barren, and was finally given child after ten other boys had been born unto Jacob.

And God remembered Israel in Egypt () when they cried out because of their oppression while living in slavery and bondage.

So when we read that Joshua set up memorial stones, it’s to establish that God remembered the promise or the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So these memorial stones served as a purpose; that Israel was to never forget what God had done for them!

Stones were used to commemorate victory

​ KJV 190012 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

Israel was slaughtered in battle and the Philistines captured the Ark of the covenant.

This meant the glory of the Lord has departed from Israel.

But the Ark caused trouble for the Philistines, for when they were in the presence of the Hebrew God, their gods fell, and became dismembered; they then took the Ark from city to city beginning at Gath and then to Ekron, which were also afflicted; and after seven months of being in the presence of this Hebrew God, they finally return the Ark to Israel, and Eleazar (the son of Abinadab) is given custody of the Ark; but it took 20 years before Israel came to repentance and put away false gods.

Samuel assembles all of Israel at Mizpeh, with the intent to repent, and he judges them there.

The Philistines try to capitalize on all of Israel being in one place and go up to war with them, but in the middle of Samuels sacrifice to the Lord, the Philistines are crushed by God and Israel finally has peace.

So we read in v12 that Samuel takes a stone, and commemorates the victory.

Battle

Of course, we’re familiar with the story of a small shepherd boy, David, who slays a giant with just his sling and a stone.

​ KJV 190040 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

​ KJV 190049 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Pillar (last one)

​ KJV 190011 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

​ KJV 190018 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

After Jacob has a dream of God imparting the promise of his fathers, Abraham and Isaac (that land would be given to him, to be inherited by his seed which cannot be numbered).

He then took his stone, which he used as a pillow; set it up for a pillar, and he anointed it.

#PillowToPillar: Some of us are like Jacob, we have a “God experience”, but we’re still laying on our pillow, when we need to get up and trade in our pillow for a pillar.

The Hebrew word for pillar (matstsebah) is mats·tsā·vä'; essentially means “a personal memorial with an altar”.

Jacob took that stone and he consecrated that place and he named it Beth-el, meaning House of God.

​

20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

After having his God moment, Jacob makes a vow, a promise.

As long as God keeps His end of the bargain, He will be his God; and on top of it, he is going to pay his tithes.

#FaithfulnessAndObedience.

​ KJV 190014 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Beth-el.

God calls Jacob to return to Beth-el, to the place where Jacob had his first experience with God.

Jacob commands all his house to put away their strange Gods and earrings (which is symbolic to cult and pagan worship).

He arrives at Beth-el, builds an altar and then calls that place El Beth-el (v7) ; God appears to Jacob and changes his name to Israel, and God reaffirms His promise for the second time, that Israel is to be fruitful and multiply.

There is something significant that transpires here, a transformation at the House of God.

You see, the first time Jacob was at Beth-el, he had a relationship with that place because of his encounter with God, but when he returns and acknowledges that he is now at El Beth-el, meaning the God of the House of God, he now has a relationship with Him.

You can walk into this church and have an experience with God, but if you want a real transformation, then you need to have a relationship with God.

Jacob built a more meaningful pillar the second time around.

#repentance and choosing to sincerely serve God.

​ KJV 190024 And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.

27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

After crossing the river Jordan, Joshua begins his conquests throughout the land, and inheritances are divided among the tribes; and in , we read that God was faithful, honored His word, and all came to pass.

Israel was now in possession of their promise.

Joshua brings all the tribes together and the elders stand before God, and Joshua reminds Israel of all God had done for them; beginning with their rich heritage of Abraham, to sending Moses and Aaron to lead Israel out of Egypt and how the Red Sea was split wide open for all of Israel to escape on dry land; to preserving a murmuring people in the wilderness; to defeating the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, Jebusites, ALL of the enemies of Israel; the downfall of Jericho; and how God did not require weapons of man to drive out the remaining inhabitants, because He sent hornets.

Israel inherited a land in which they did not labor, cities they did not build, and fruit of the land which they did not plant.

After Joshua recounts Israels history, they must make a choice on whom they will serve, and after choosing the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob over the strange gods and idols of their ancestors, they make a covenant with God, and as we read in v27, this great stone shall be a witness; a witness stone.

The tables of testimony was a witness stone; this stone has as much significance as the ten commandments; this great stone was their memorial stone.

And the scripture says that Israel was faithful all the days of Joshua and the elders that not only outlived Joshua, but also experienced the miraculous acts of protection and deliverance of God in favor of Israel.

How is it that Israel remained so faithful after the death of their appointed leader?

It was because of the memorial stones left behind for the next generation to witness.

If you look at the elders in this church, there is a reason they’re still standing , and if I were a betting man, I’d be willing to bet they’ve seen a thing or two and have experienced God’s grace and mercy, and have a powerful testimony because of what God has done for them.

No, you may not have knocked on the same doors as they have, or spent double services for twelve nights straight in an old fashioned Pentecostal tent revival, or even cried out the same prayers toward heaven; but if you begin to slip up, just take a look at these Apostolic pillars and know that if God can do it for them, then He can do it for you.

If we want to remain steadfast in the Apostles doctrine, then maybe we need to take a moment and appreciate these memorial stones that have been laid before us.