I Raise An Ebenezer

Introduction

The Lord Will Lead His People.

Importance of the ark — God’s presence among His people.

Importance of following at a distance — to perceive God’s hand at work.

They must be in a place to physically see His providence, so they see the ark from afar.

They must be in a place to spiritually see God’s providence, so they must be set apart.

Importance of the Lord’s sovereignty:

Faithfulness to confirm Joshua — the Lord provides a leader

Happens as God says it will

Happens in God’s timing

As the Lord Leads, His People Must Obey.

If there is no obedience, there is no crossing the Jordan. It is a miraculous event.

The Lord calls for step-by-step obedience. He does not disclose all at once (this also underscores God’s sovereignty — He knows more about the situation than the Israelites do.)

As God’s People Obey, Future Generations Hear.

Joshua anticipates questions from future generations.

Harkens back to Deut.4 — the family unit is the first mission field.

As Future Generations Hear, God’s Glory Spreads.

Verse 24 is the climax.

Two instructive words for God’s glory being revealed:

It is to be a testimony to the entire world.

It is to be a reminder of God’s faithfulness to Israel.

We remember as well…and both point to the gospel!

Lord’s Supper

Baptism

Fellowship and testimony

Our testimony is the affirmation of truth about God, His Word, His Gospel, His Goodness — verbal affirmation of the veracity of God and His working. See Rev.12:11.

Because God is faithful, we should continue to gather together in order to spur one another to love and good deeds — fellowship at its finest. See Heb.10:23-25.

In A Nutshell

God is Lord of Heaven and earth, time, eternity, elements, and the events of history. YHWH’s sovereignty is exercised in faithfulness to His promises, promises that are rooted in His purposes. His sovereignty and faithfulness and divine purpose gives His people the confidence they need to live as God commands us, and that means ethically, morally, and daily.

Sometimes we will be called to mundane moments of faithful obedience — a kind gesture, a word of grace, or a meal for a neighbor.

Sometimes, there will be a call of a different kind, a more imposing call on our life — to embrace being ostracized for taking a moral stance at the office or making sacrifices to be at a church event with your family rather than at the ballfield with friends.

And then sometimes we are called to do really difficult things — sacrifice comfort for the sake of the kingdom, give up wealth for the work of Christ, move to a dangerous and difficult place because they need to hear the truth of the gospel, give up friendships because you simply cannot follow Christ well and maintain some of the friendships you have.

Second, we tend to be a forgetful lot. The grander truths that anchor our souls in such busy, short, and burdened lives simply slip our mind. One of the reasons we have a written and closed record of God’s activity throughout salvation history is so that we can return to it often! We tend to become enamored with the new and novel things in Christianity — an awesome new devotional, a great new Bible study, an emotionally-charged new song of praise, or the amazing new “IT” preacher. But, I want you to consider this: the two sacraments, our two ebenezers in the NT, our prescribed means of remembering, both point to the gospel: the Lord’s Supper and baptism. Now, don’t get me wrong, we all long for, or we want to long for the meat, but I believe there is a leap forward in our maturity and discipleship when we realize the “milk” of the Gospel is also the meat of our lives. Preach the gospel to yourself every.single.day and see what happens. Do it for a week.