INTRODUCTION

1.    Last Wednesday we found that when the priests feet touched the water

a.    God parted the Jordan River

b.    The priests then stood in the river bed on dry land

c.    Holding the ark as more than 2 million Israelites passed through

d.    That dry river bed was once a raging river

2.    Our lives may seem like we are in the midst of a raging river

a.    But if we are in the center of God’s will we can claim this promise

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

3.    Chapter 4 tells us about a memorial

a.    Memorials are reminders of the past that encourage us today

b.    And give us hope for the future

4.    Joshua erected  memorial of this miracle of the crossing of the Jordan River

FIRST: YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN

1.    God had just finished the miracle of having the Jordan stand up in a heap

a.    When they finished crossing the Jordan God spoke to Joshua

Joshua 4:2-3 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 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.

b.    Joshua did as commanded and tells the people

Joshua 4:7 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.

c.    The memorial is built

Joshua 4:9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

2.    God wants us to have memorials to remind us of great things He has done in our lives

a.    To give us faith and hope for the future

b.    God gave the ark of the covenant to carry with them everywhere they went

                                          i.    Remember what was inside the ark

Hebrews 9:4  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

c.    The two tablets of stone contained the Ten Commandments

                                          i.    They were a reminder of God’s Word at Mt. Sinai

d.     The jar of manna was to remind them of how God fed them in the wilderness

e.    Aaron’s staff was to remind them that God Himself chose the priestly tribe

3.    We cannot live the in the past

a.    But we must never forget the victories of the past if we are to have faith in the present

b.    How quickly we forget those for fought the battles that gave us our victories today

c.    Jesus too spoke of the importance of memorials

Luke 22:19-21 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

4.    When the Israelites returned to Gilgal they would be reminded of the power and faithfulness of their God

a.    Interesting; Saul, their first King was crowned at Gilgal

b.    Elijah and Elisha had their seminary for the prophets at Gilgal

5.    In the days ahead such miracles would be rare

a.    You find them during the Exodus

b.    You find them during the taking of the Promised Land

c.    You find them among some of the prophets

                                          i.    Thou most prophets never performed a single miracle

d.    You find them during the life of Christ

e.    You also find them during the time of the Apostles

6.    They all have a common theme

a.    To authenticate God’s servant during a particular critical time

7.    Miracles are the exception in the Bible

a.    Centuries passed without a single miracle

b.    Even John the Baptist never performed a miracle

John 10:41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.

c.    Contrary to the TV miracle working evangelists

                                          i.    None of those in the Bible ever profited from working miracles

                                        ii.    Matter of fact most of them suffered

8.    Not all of Israel crossed the Jordan

a.    Numbers 26:2, 5-34 tells us they have an army of 140,000

b.    Yet 40,000 plus the 2 ½ tribes remained to protect their homes and cities

SECOND: THE PURPOSE OF THE MEMORIALS  4:15-24

Joshua 4:15-16 And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.

1.    Up to this point, Joshua was content to be a number two

a.    Working in the shadow of Moses

                                          i.    But now all this has changed

b.    Joshua is now the Moses’ to the people

                                          i.    Joshua has not changed though

                                        ii.    He is still the humble servant of God

Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

2.    After everyone had crossed over God told Joshua to have the priests come up out of the river

a.    These priests that carried the ark where the first ones into the river and the last ones out

                                          i.    As soon as they stepped out

                                        ii.    The Jordan river was back to flood stage

Joshua 4:18 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.

3.    The miracle lasted long enough for the Israelites to cross over

a.    Image what it must have looked like to see the river back to flood stage

                                          i.    Covering their footsteps

                                        ii.    Covering their memorial

                                       iii.    Covering everything

b.    There was no returning now

                                          i.    Behind them were the dead bodies of their parents, their grandparents, even their beloved leader Moses

1.    All where left in the wilderness

                                        ii.    Even though Moses is dead

1.    God is not

2.    That same God that was with them before will be with them tomorrow

4.    There comes a time in all our lives when we cannot return to the past

a.    When you moved to a new city

b.    When you took a new job

c.    When your children leave home

d.    When you lose a loved one

                                          i.    The Israelites watched as the river returned to its former state

1.    Knowing they could never return

                                        ii.    We too cannot return to the past but we can remember the God who has been with us in the past will be with us in the future

5.    So Joshua led the people

Joshua 4:19 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.

a.    Set up camp at Gilgal

                                          i.    There he built a memorial of 12 stones taken out of the Jordan

Joshua 4:20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

b.    And Joshua said to the people

Joshua 4:21-23 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:

                                          i.    Dry ground = reminds the people of the miracle of the crossing

                                        ii.    Skeptics may deny the stopping of the water

1.    Saying a landslide may have taken place

2.    Or some natural occurrence

3.    But how do you explain the muddy river bed immediately becoming dry ground

c.    The Israelite parents had the solemn responsibility of telling their children what God had done

Deut. 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

                                          i.    Command has not changed

Ephes. 6:4  … but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

                                        ii.    We are to teach our children about God

1.    We teach by word and by example

6.    The memorial stones serve another purpose

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.

a.    Image what these Israelites thought the first night in the Promise Land

b.    Certainly they were fearful

                                          i.    So these 12 stones from the midst of the Jordan River remind them of God’s faithfulness

                                        ii.    That same God will take care of them tomorrow

7.    Another purpose was that all the people might know of God’s power

a.    It was this miracle that caused Rahab to trust God – 2:10-11

b.    It was now Israel’s job to share this powerful God will all people

Genesis 26:4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

CONCLUSION

1.    God gives us memorials so we might be encouraged

a.    That we might use them as tools to teach our children

2.    God gives us memorials to show the whole world that He is the one and only God

a.    He is the one who protects His people

3.    God has given us the Bible

4.    God has given us the Cross to remind us Christ died for us

a.    May we never forget