Joshua 4:4-7 (NIV)
4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had
appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to
them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of
the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according
to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among
you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones
mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before
the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the
waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to
the people of Israel forever.”
Setting up memorial stones was a common Old Testament
practice.
Many times when a significant event occurred in the life of
the people of Israel, they would use stones to mark the place where an event
occurred. The Israelites had left Egypt, wandered for 40 years, and now were at
the dawn of a new day as they entered the Promised Land. The Lord wanted them
to remember that God had been with them from their departure from Egypt to the
parting of the Red Sea; from their wanderings in the desert to the edge of the
Jordan River. He had supplied them with food and with shoes that never wore
out. Although the Israelites grumbled and complained, He never forsook them.
Their idolatry denied one generation of Israelites entrance into the Promised
Land, but their descendants crossed over. Joshua had seen how quickly the
Israelites forgot their God both in good times and in difficult times. Joshua
wanted them to remember what God had done. He wanted their children to know
what the stones signified. Today, we use memory markers such as pictures,
souvenirs, or gifts to remind us of special events that are especially
meaningful. I often write down in my journal answered prayers so that I can remember
the faithfulness of God. Memorials help us to remember God’s blessings and
encourage us to go forward in our journey of faith.
Can you recall a time when the Lord opened up a river of
blessings for you? After the Jordan River parted and the Israelites crossed
over, the memorial stones were a reminder that God had delivered them from the
bondage of Egypt into the Promised Land. God’s promises in His Word are true
for us today. He parts the rivers in our lives and asks us to enter into His
promises. In order to grow in our faith, we must trust God to part the sea and
remember to thank the Lord for what He has done.
Thought for today:
How do you remind yourself of your blessings ?
No comments:
Post a Comment