SCRIPTURE: JOSHUA 4
BIBLE VERSES:
“For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” (Joshua 4:23-24)
The Lord told Joshua to choose 12 men from among the 12 tribes and take up 12 stones for the middle of the Jordan River. Theses stones were to serve as a sign and a memorial of Jordan River being cut off before the ark of the Covenant of the Lord when they crossed it. As soon as they had crossed over, the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the priests carrying the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the jOrdan. As soon as they set their feet on the dry ground, the Jordan River returned to its place and ran at foot stage as before.
On the 10th day of the first month, the people went up from the JOrdan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. Joshua set up the 12 stones and told the Israelites to tell their descendants that the Lord dried up the Jordan for them to cross over so that all the people of the earth will know that the hand of the lord is powerful and that they must always fear the Lord.
THOUGHTS:
Crossing the Jordan teaches us the lesson of death to the old self-life and identified with Christ in resurrection power.
The stones served as a memorial fo rthe people in the next generation to bury their old life and walk in the newness of life. May we also set up a memorial of living by telling your children the story of how God had answered your prayers, supplied your needs and forgave your sins. Help your children to keep memories of God’s faithfulness, mercy and goodness so that they may obey His Word and trust Him for the future.
There are 2 pile of stones being built. One by the 12 chosen men on the bank of the river and one by Joshua hidden in the midst of the river. These two piles of stones pictures Christ death and burial (the hidden stones) and resurrection (the stones on the banks). Today, the church has two memorials of this great truth: Baptism minds us that the Spirit eo God has baptized us into Christ and the Lord’s supper points back to His death and resurrection.
The Israelites went through Jordan to get victory in Canaan. Christians today has to die to self and allow the Spirit to give them resurrection power in overcoming spiritual foes.