Joshua 4
Pastor Mark Hudson
You can tell we are mid-stream (I couldn’t help it) in this section that covers chapters 3-7. In chapter 8, we read of the fall of Ai. So in our chapter, we read of a number of words that are repeated. After reading this chapter you noticed those words: 12, ark, stones, Jordan, memorial, priests, commanded, passed over, dry ground, Joshua, and Moses. This narration picks up as the nation of Israel had already passed over the Jordan (3:17).
Chapter 4 tells the story of why there are 12 stone taken out of the Jordan and why there are 12 stones placed in the Jordan. The purpose is to remember “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” There is a two-fold purpose: one for unbelievers (peoples of the earth) or the people of Canaan to know that God will defeat them. In fact sometimes that defeat is merely by shouting and blowing horns as the people of Jericho find out. Other times, the victory God gives them is by military conquest.
The second purpose is for God’s own people. In v. 24 again, “that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Fearing God is a beautiful attribute of believing faith. Respect, awe, reverence, are all synonyms of fear. This is a desire to obey and an abhorrence of disobeying this great God. Fearing God is living your life Coram Deo, before the face of God. It must be that we are prone to forget. We have a tendency to take what is holy, over time, and contort it to something common and of no significance. The weightiness of God can lay far too lightly on all of us.
Believers need external reminders. In our chapter, God is using rocks. Rocks. God intended for sons and daughter to ask their parents an obvious question, “Why is there a pile of rocks here?” The parent were to instruct them not on a pile of rocks but how God stopped the Jordan river when it was at flood stage. The parents were not just to give them a pat answer but to relate how great God is by stopping a flowing river and then drying up the river bed so everyone could walk on dry ground (3:17). These rocks gave the adults a chance to extol God and to invite their children to see the glory of God, His strength, His power, His covenant faithfulness, and His deep love and concern.
Those who asked the question were supposed to be lost in wonder, awe, and praise upon hearing the answer.
Remembering is a big theme in the Bible. God remembers. In Genesis 9:15, “I will remember my covenant that is between Me and you. . . when the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember.” One of my favorite verses is Ex 2:23-25 where Moses writes, “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” This does not mean that where He once forgot, now, all of a sudden, He remembered. His remembering means He is concerned. He notices His people and will act on their behalf for His glory. In Exodus 13:3, “Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt . . . for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place.” In Deuteronomy 8:2, “. . . you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you . . . .”
Even in the 10 commandments, we are commanded to remember. “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there . . . .” Do not forget, remember are repeated throughout the Bible.
Possibly one of the more important things we do as Christians is to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We are told to eat and drink “in remembrance of Me.” As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, part of our worship is to remember. In fact, as we take the Lord’s supper, we are remembering what happened in the past. But we don’t merely remember. We embrace the past looking to Christ for our present grace and future grace. Central to our worship is remembering. Just as Joshua’s contemporaries were not just remembering we are not merely remembering either. We are rejoicing, repenting, receiving His grace and drinking in His loveliness. Remember to us may mean, don’t forget something. Here in the Bible, the meaning is much deeper, more rich, and more satisfying. We linger in this grace, soak in the riches of His forgiveness, and are held hostage by his eternal love never wanting to leave His presence.
Do you cherish the gospel? Do you sincerely love the Lord? Do you ever just spend time thinking about heaven? Do you allow the majestic beauty of God to overwhelm you? You shouldn’t be too busy to worship in areas like meditation, prayer, and private worship. Do you find deep, satisfying, joy as you long for more of Christ?
Our dear, loving, heavenly Father, draw us into Your presence so we may feast on Christ. Our parched souls need to drink in more of Your eternal and never ending grace. Our famished souls need to feast on the love of Christ as we find Him in the gospel in the Bible. We want and need more of Christ. Everything we need and all we want is Christ. He is everything we need. We will never exhaust the unfathomable riches of Christ. No sin can even block His forgiveness. We glory in His eternal worth. We pray this is Christ most beautiful name. Amen.