8/19/2009 8:33 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: 12 Stones
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Joshua 4:1-24
Message of the verses: “1
¶ Now when all the nation had finished
crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 "Take for yourselves twelve men from the
people, one man from each tribe, 3 and
command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of
the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing
firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where
you will lodge tonight.’" 4 So
Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one
man from each tribe; 5 and Joshua said
to them, "Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of
the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the
number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 6
"Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask
later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them, ‘Because the
waters of the Jordan were
cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut
off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel
forever." 8 Thus the sons of Israel
did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the
Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes
of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging
place and put them down there. 9 Then
Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet
of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are
there to this day.”
Dr. Wiersbe
states in his commentary on this chapter of Joshua that because of the way that
verse nine is worded in the NASB that there were two piles of stones that were
placed by the children of Israel. One of these piles of stones was placed at
Gilgal, which is where the children of Israel
would camp that night, and the other pile of stones was placed where the feet
of the priest who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan River. “Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the
middle of the Jordan
at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant
were standing, and they are there to this day.”
Why would there be two piles of stones?
“The monument at Gilgal reminded the Jews that God had opened the Jordan River and brought them safely across into the
Promised Land. They had made a break
with the past and were never to think of going back. The monument in the depts. Of the river
reminded them that their old life was buried and they were now to ‘walk in
newness of life’ (Rom.
6:1-4). (When we study Josh. 5, we will see the spiritual significance for the
Christian today of the establishing of this monument and the circumcising of
the new generation.)” (Quoted from “Be
Strong”)
In the rest
of this chapter God is seen to be working in Joshua similar to the way He
worked in the life of Moses. It is also
seen that the men whom were chosen in chapter three carried the stones to
Gilgal and Joshua told the children of Israel that these stones were to be a
reminder to the next generations of the children of Israel that the Lord had
piled up the Jordan River during flood stage so that this generation of the
children of Israel could cross over on dry ground.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It is good to have reminders of how the Lord
has worked in my life in the past in order that my faith will be increased, and
then when I am facing a difficult time in my life I can remember how the Lord
worked things out before and this will increase my faith to believe that the
Lord will again work in my life to bring good to me and honor and glory to Him.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
- Romans 12:1-2
- Phil. 4:11
- Psalm 139:23-24
- Proverbs 3:5-6
- Ephesians 6:14-18
8/19/2009 9:25 AM
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