Never Forget

Memorials have a purpose, to keep us from forgetting, whether it be a terrible tragedy or a joyous event. They especially have a purpose in the life of God’s people. Chapter four of the book of Joshua teaches God’s people the importance of lasting memorials.

In chapter one God commissions Joshua to lead the people to the promise land and the people commit to follow Joshua. In chapter two God confirms the promises that he made to Joshua and the people. Chapters three and four God begins to fulfill those promises. The first promise he fulfilled was enabling the Israelites to cross over the Jordan river. It was a miracle. Chapter four shows us what God had Joshua and the people do so that they would not forget this experience.

Chapter four breaks down into two parts. The first part is verses one through fourteen, and the second is from verse fifteen of chapter four to verse one of chapter five. The first part tells us the effect that the miracle of crossing over had on the Israelites. The second part tells us the effect that the miracle of crossing the Jordan had on the inhabitants of the promise land.

It was paramount for Joshua and the Israelites not to forget this miracle, and for good reason. God’s people have a tendency to have spiritual amnesia. Anyone who has studied the history of Israel in the Old Testament knows that they had a problem with remembering their past experiences with God. What we remember about our past experiences with God will effect how we move forward in our Christian experience. The fourth chapter of Joshua teaches at least three reasons why we should never forget our past experiences with God. First, moving forward in your Christian experience is rooted in your ability to remember past experiences with God.

1. Moving forward in your Christian experience is rooted in your ability to remember past experiences with God.

Let’s pick up the story in verse one, “When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,

and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”

The Lord gave Joshua specific commands about the twelve stone. Therefore, Joshua then turns and instructs the people in verse four, “Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel.” Twelve stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel. Each tribe was to gather a stone to show the unity among God’s people.

These twelve stones would serve as a historical marker of God’s work in the past. In fact, Joshua says in verse six, “that this may be a sign among you.” The stones were a sign of God’s work.

1) Signs of God’s work.

The Hebrew word translated sign is usually used to describe an awe-inspiring event. This word was used for the observance of the passover. Each year when the Israelites where suppose to observe the passover it served as a great reminder of God’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage.

God gave Noah the sign of the rainbow as a reminder of his great love. He gave Abraham and the Jewish people circumcision as a sign of the covennt. The temple was a sign of God’s dwelling with his people. The ark of the Covenant was a sign of God’s presence, power, and provision.

Under the New Covenant we have our signs as well. We have baptism to remind us that we have been freed from condemnation and have new life through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have the Lord’s supper that takes us back to the atoning work of Jesus on the cross, while at the same time looking forward when we will eat with Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Signs are great reminders to God’s people, but they mean nothing if they have not made a significant difference in the lives of individuals.

2) Significance of God work

The significance of God’s work must be personal. Notice what the verse six says, “that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ What do those stones mean to you?

For each Israelite that passed over on dry ground into the promise land it had a significant impact. They experienced the presence of God, the power of God, and the faithfulness of God in this miraculous event. Therefore, God had them place the twelve stones in the place they were lodging, which was called Gilgal.

For those who profess to be God’s people under the New Covenant the signs of baptism and the Lord’s Supper need to have personal significance. Observing baptism and the Lord’s Supper is more than religious ritual. It is a declaration of a significant work of God in the life of those who partake in baptism and the Lord’s supper.

Every time you witness baptism, or partake of the Lord’s Supper it should take you back to the life-changing event of your salvation. But baptism and and the Lord’s Supper are not the only signs you should have in your life.

There are places that can serve as spiritual Gilgal’s in our lives. There is a two-bedroom apartment off of La Prada Drive in Dallas, Texas that serves as a Gilgal in my life. It was in that two bedroom apartment that I met Jesus Christ for the first time after reading the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter five.

Every morning I spend at least an hour with The Lord, that is my spiritual Gilgal.

There are people who can serve as spiritual Gilgal’s in our lives. God has put people in my lives at different times, and when I remember their impact on my life it enables me to move forward in my Christian experience. One such person, Marty Ketcham had the greatest impact on my life. He has gone to be with The Lord, but I think of him often, and I can still hear his voice encouraging me in my walk with The Lord.

There are experiences that we have that can serve as a spiritual Gilgal. I’ll never forget an experience I had while pastoring in Oklahoma. I was a Sunday morning, and I was preparing to preach. I had been fasting for about two weeks, and was at a place in my fast that opened me up to God’s presence. I remember God’s Spirit overwhelming me with God’s love to the point I asked God to stop because it hurt so good. I thought I would die. When I preached that particular morning I was consciously aware of God’s anointing on me and I felt that I was preaching with my feet not touching the ground.

Why is remembering your spiritual Gilgal’s so important? Remembering past experiences with God gives purpose to your present.

2.Remembering past experiences with God gives purpose to your present.

Notice verse seven, “then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” The stones were a reminder of God’s past work. They served a three fold purpose. First, they were meant to be used to instruct future generations of the work of God amongst his people.

1) Instruction

Twice, the next generation is mentioned. In verse six, “that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’” and again in verse twenty-one, “And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’”

Every parent should be able to share significant moments of God’s work in their lives, especially salvation, but not limited to salvation. Your children should see first hand the work of God in your life as a parent and the work of God in the life of your family. But it’s not just parents who should be instructing future generations.

Each generation should be declaring to the next generation the mighty works of God. If you are allowed to die in old age then there should be younger generations at your funeral that have been instructed by the work of God in your life. God gives us the past experiences to instruct younger generations now. Furthermore, remembering the past experiences of God’s work enable us to witness now to the world around us.

2) Witness

The powerful work of God had a purpose for witnessing. Notice verse twenty-three and twenty-four, “For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” The power of God was demonstrated so that the whole world may know The Lord.

He saved you so that you can witness with your changed life and your mouth the wonderful grace of God revealed in Christ Jesus. Your past experience with God gives you purpose, and that purpose is to make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Also, remembering your past experiences of God work in your life help you with your walk with The Lord.

3) Walk

The last part of verse twenty-four says, “That you may fear The Lord your God forever.” In other words, remember what God has done in your life keeps you walking forward with him. Many Christian lose their way because the forget where they came from. Your past experiences with God are the soil in which you deepen your roots enabling you to live out God’s purpose for your life, a purpose of instruction, witness, and walk. Past experiences with God instruct you to live out God’s purpose in the present, which equips you with confidence for the future

3. Past experiences with God instruct you to live out God’s purpose in the present, which equips you with confidence for the future.

Notice what verse eighteen says, “And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.” They are now stuck between the Jordan river at flood stage and the city of Jericho. They had no where to go but forward. And six miles in front of them was Jericho. At any moment the armies of Jericho could have come out and attacked. But they had hope! They had confidence. All they had to do was look at those stones and remember God’s power, his presence, and his faithfulness.

The same God who gave brought them through the Jordan is the same God who would give them victory over Jericho. We see this in the effect the Jordan miracle had on Joshua. Notice verse fourteen, “On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.” Now turn back to chapter three and notice verse seven, “The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” God did exactly what he said he would do.

Now look at verse one of chapter five, “As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.” Now turn to chapter three and verse ten, “And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.” God is fulfilling his promise.

God gives his people promises for the future that sustain us in the present, which are supported by the past.

This picture is a sign for my family. It is a Thomas Kincaid picture called “Clearing Storm.” This picture represents a place, a people, and an experience in our lives that we will never forget, and this picture is our reminder.

It was given to us when we left the church that split to pastor in Oklahoma. It was a very trying and painful season. But it was a season where God revealed his presence, power, protection, and provision is such a miraculous way. When I look at that picture it gives me hope for the future because the same God who got me through that season is the same God who will get me through any season. When I look at that picture it instructs me to patiently wait and trust in God now knowing that he is faithful to his promises.

God doesn’t give us past experiences to go backwards, but to move forward. Where are you at today? Are you experiencing some spiritual amnesia? Do you need to go back to the foot of the cross and remember the day that you met Jesus for the first time? Do you need to remember that you have identified with Christ and now your suppose to live for Christ?