Josh (10-05-08)
Oct 5, 2008
“The Remembrance of God” Josh 5:1
God’s people … the Israelites are now on the other side of the Jordan River they have literally .. walked thru the Jordan & into the Promised Land that God gave them & they are now called .. to conquer the land
As we shall find out Gilgal becomes their base of operations a place of “holy ground” so to speak
but it also has become “their place of remembrance”
The remembrances of what God did for them when they crossed .. the Jordan River ( which God parted for them )
We saw that God told Joshua to take 12 stones out of the River & build an alter to Him in Gilgal & also one .. in the middle of the River where they passed on dry ground
& why .. so they could tell their children when they asked .. what are these stones
Joshua 4:21-24
v21 he / Joshua said to the sons of Israel when your children ask their fathers in time to come saying .. what are these stones
v22 then you shall inform your children saying Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground
v23 for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed .. just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea .. which He dried up before us until we had crossed
v24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty so that you may fear the Lord your God forever
& to look at the beginning of Ch 5:1 we see .. that their remembering this event served its purpose
v1 now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west & all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea .. ( note what took place .. when they ) heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed .. ( note ) .. that their hearts melted & there was no spirit in them any longer ( they had great fear ) because of the sons of Israel
When we look at Ch 4 we see a great reminder of what God did for the Jews ( His love & care for them )
& one might ask … but .. what does that have to do with me in my world .. where I live today
& Scripture is here to teach us … it has a great deal to do with us today
All we have to do is search & study scripture & with patience .. we will find the reason for everything that happens in God’s most glorious Word
You see .. the best commentary on the Bible .. ( is what ) .. the Bible itself
To look at N.T. revelation of this O.T. story we shall be brought face to face with the central theme of the whole Bible
& that is .. the death & resurrection of J.C.
The stones were put in Gilgal & the River to symbolize the death & resurrection of their coming Messiah
Did they know that at the time ( I don’t believe so .. I’m not sure ) but as we look back upon this event the revelation is very clearly seen
( you see ) .. when J.C. died upon Calvary’s Cross .. we realized that He accomplished everything that The Father commanded Him to do … as Jesus cried out .. “it is finished”
But Christian .. it is upon Calvary that not only did Jesus die but where all who believe in Him also died
The perfect work for our salvation happened there at the Cross .. once & for all
the cross / grave / resurrection …
With the stone rolled away & Jesus alive the question of sin was settled … ( that is .. for people of faith )
Here is what we noted in Josh 4 we see that not only the priests go down into the River / & thru it but the people went thru the water as well
And the deepest meaning / core of Calvary is just that not only did Jesus die there for our sin but we too .. symbolically died with Him ( like in the Jordan .. we like the Jews walk thru it with Him ) …
listen to Paul’s words about our going thru death with Christ
Gal 2:20
( Paul says ) I have been crucified with Christ & it is no longer I who live .. but Christ lives in me & the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me & gave Himself up for me
2 Cor 5:14-15
14) for the love of Christ controls us having concluded this .. that one died for all therefore .. ( what ) .. we all died
15) & He died for all .. so that they who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who died & rose again on their behalf
Please listen .. I would like to make one of the strongest statements I have ever made to you
Without a true understanding of this truth
( that we died with Christ )
we will never be .. & never live the victorious Christian life that we ought to live … we will always fall short
We must come to grip with the truth of Gal & 2 Cor & Joshua .. ( & that is ) that Christ died & lives for us the Cross & the River are symbols of life & death
( you see ) Jesus was not alone on the cross … like the people who walked thru the Jordan River .. with the priests ( they walked thru the waters with them ) we too were there with J.C. & all who believe in Christ symbolically died with Him
My finest moments as a Christian mostly came when I felt invincible ( that is .. when I felt dead to myself ) therefore I reasoned / what could man do to me they could not embarrass me / hurt me diminish / lessen / weaken / reduce me
because .. I was already dead in Christ
& I have to remind myself .. over & over that nothing can hurt / harm me for I am already dead …
& that didn’t happen just once … but daily I have to remind myself of this truth
You see Christian .. that thought …
( that Christ & we died on the Cross & when He rose from the dead we too rose with Him )
This truth is the only sane / real meaning of a true & real saving faith
God’s best for you & me is to live a life that is dead to ourselves … God’s best for us .. is to die to ourselves & live for Him
You see .. before God takes people up to the heights of victory … He usually has to take us down to the bedrock of The Jordan / the cross ( asking us to die with Him )
John 12:24
truly, truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth & dies it remains alone .. but if it dies .. ( what ) if it dies .. it bears much fruit
Once we die to ourselves & live for Christ Gilgal becomes .. our place of remembrance but Gilgal .. isn’t only a place of death but it is also .. a place of resurrection / life stones both on land in Gilgal & in the Jordan
You see .. Gilgal means “the reproach has been rolled away”
What does that mean to us .. just this
Eph 2:4-10
4) but God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us
5) even when we were dead in our transgressions made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved )
6) & raised us up with Him & seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
7) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus
8) for by grace you have been saved thru faith & that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God
9) not as result of works, so that no one may boast
10) for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them
You see .. we are identified with Christ in His death .. but we are also one with Him in His ascension / eternal life / resurrection
As we go to communion I want us to think of this …
if any of the Israelites had gone back over the Jordan .. back toward Egypt / sin the rocks would have been there in protest
So today .. the Cross & empty tomb of J.C. cries out for us .. to walk in newness of life & not to go back .. to our old life of sin
Gilgal is a place of resurrection “the reproach has been rolled away” the stones / altar is a reminder of what was done for Israel / all of them as they crossed the Jordan on dry ground
& the cross is our place of resurrection as we remember Christ & His life / death & resurrection .. for all of us who believe
Verses:
Gal 2:20
2 Cor 5:14-15
John 12:24
Eph 2:4-10