WEBVTT 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:13.919 Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible teaching ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:19.359 You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.280 Thank you for listening. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:23.039 Something's happening. 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:24.000 Amen. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:28.559 What a wonderful time we've had in worship this morning. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:30.960 I'm Pastor Dave. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:36.399 I work with the 60 Plus and also with Communications here at the church. 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:44.399 And we're going to continue in the sermon series that Pastor Greg started a couple of weeks ago in the book of Joshua. 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:51.359 So if you've got your Bibles, we're going to be in Joshua chapter 3 and Joshua chapter 4 today. 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.759 If you don't have your Bible, don't worry. 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:57.679 We're going to have all of the verses up on the screen. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:05.359 Today's passage, today's sermon is entitled The Miracle and the Memorial. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:14.079 And when Pastor Greg asked me to come and fill in for him, and I knew it was Memorial Day weekend, I thought, well, let's see. 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:18.959 Memorial Day weekend, and we're going to be in Joshua chapter 3 and chapter 4. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:20.799 That just works out perfectly. 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:22.159 Perfectly. 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:36.640 Jacob has already shared with us the importance of Memorial Day, remembering those men and women who have died in harm's way in order to protect us and to protect our freedoms. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:38.079 Thank you for that, Jacob. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:44.480 You know, memorials are something that perhaps we take for granted, but all of us have memorials, don't we? 00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:49.439 Camera, I'm going to be going down to the floor here for just a moment, then I'm going to come right back up. 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:51.519 We all have memorials in life. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:53.200 Got a memorial right here. 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:54.239 Hang on. 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:55.840 Things heavier. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:58.480 This wasn't as heavy 25 years ago. 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:09.680 This is a rock that, Lord forgive me, I stole from Heber, Arkansas, many years ago on my honeymoon. 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:15.360 And this rock traveled with me back to Memphis after our honeymoon. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:25.360 It traveled with us when we went into West Tennessee where I was pastoring a church, and I brought it with us when we came here to the Fort Smith area. 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:27.280 And it's just a rock. 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:44.800 There's nothing special about it, but it's special to my wife and I because it represents the time right after we got married and trusted the Lord for our marriage to stay strong and to honor Him. 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:51.280 And I've been married now for 26 years, praise God, and still have that rock. 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:52.800 The rock could disappear. 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:55.520 I know it's just a piece of rock. 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:57.120 Nothing special about it. 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:03.199 Other than in our minds, it represents so much. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:05.199 So much. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:08.719 And you probably have things like this in your own home, too. 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:16.560 Little things that mean something to you, not because of what it is, but because of what it represents. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:20.000 In a few weeks, we're going to go to the ballpark. 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:31.759 Some of you will possibly buy a t-shirt or a hat or a coffee mug as a memory, a keepsake of your time there at the ballpark. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:42.879 If I were to visit you in your homes and go through your clothes, I might find a t-shirt or something representing some place that you traveled, somewhere that you went. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:56.400 And I held on to that thing probably far longer than a person should. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:02.879 Because it was a memorial to that accomplishment. 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:05.360 And we all had these things in our lives. 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:24.480 There is something about the way God engineers boys and girls and men and women that we like to associate things with places that we've been, accomplishments that we've achieved, people that we've met, and the list goes on and on. 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:28.240 Today we're talking about the miracle and the memorial. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:31.040 We're in Joshua chapter 3 and 4. 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:35.839 Let me recap a little bit what has happened before we get to chapter 3. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:47.759 Pastor Greg talked about Joshua chapter 1, and he revealed that this was a time when Moses, the leader of the Israelites, had passed away. 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:57.439 And his understudy, the warrior named Joshua, was now placed in charge of the entire people of Israel. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:04:59.439 And they had a mission. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:27.600 Their mission was to go into that land that God had promised and to occupy it and to settle there and to make themselves into a nation different than every other nation on earth, primarily so the world would look at them, and then when Jesus would come, their eyes would already be trained on the promises of God for those people. 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:45.600 Last week we were in Joshua chapter 2 and we had the story of Rahab, and how that story of Rahab was a picture in many ways of God's salvation, an Old Testament picture of New Testament salvation. 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:54.319 Where we are today in Joshua 3 and Joshua 4 also lends itself to a picture of salvation. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:06:05.120 And before we go any further, as we're about to head into God's Word, let's stop and pray and prepare ourselves to hear from the Lord. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:06.879 Bow with me. 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:19.600 Almighty God, we recognize that the words we are about to see, the words of your Bible, have been inspired by the power of your Holy Spirit. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:31.040 Lord, we know that you have protected your word throughout history, through the generations, from people who would wish to destroy it or eliminate it from daily life. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:42.000 Lord, for all of us in this room today who are saved, we know your word promises that that same Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us. 00:06:42.959 --> 00:07:02.399 And so, Lord, as we go to your Spirit-inspired word with lives that have the Spirit dwelling within us, we understand that what we're about to do is not just sitting and listening to a speaker, but rather, Lord, what we're doing is something that is spiritual. 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:04.879 It is something that is supernatural. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:26.560 And so, Lord, we ask you to prepare our minds, prepare our hearts, prepare our very spirits to hear from you, and hearing from you to make whatever changes or adjustments we need to make in life, so that we can become more like your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:33.199 May He receive the honor and the glory, and it's in His name that we pray, and God's people said, Amen. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:39.759 We're going to begin reading in Joshua chapter 3 and verse 1. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:42.560 I'm reading from the Christian Standard Bible. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:46.480 There's not too much difference between this and the other translations out there. 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:55.199 Verse 1, Joshua started early the next morning and left the Akasha grove with all the Israelites. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:08:00.639 They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:15.279 After three days, the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the Levitical priests, you are to break camp and follow it. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:17.519 Let's stay here for just a minute. 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:24.720 Okay, in verse 1 and 2, we see that Joshua and the Israelites are in a place called the Akasha Grove. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:34.480 If you look earlier in your Bibles to the story of the Exodus, you would see that this was a place that the Israelites had visited before. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:43.519 And as a matter of fact, the last time they were there, one of the last times they were there, they committed a grievous sin against God. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:51.440 And so the Israelites are in a place geographically where it's a place of failure. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:57.440 It's a place where they have succumbed to the temptations of the world. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:07.279 And so they are there at this area of the Akasha Grove, and they go as far as the Jordan, the Jordan River, the mighty Jordan River. 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:09.519 We're going to read in a few verses. 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:15.440 At this stage in the calendar year, the Jordan River is overflowing. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:21.440 Now, I wasn't here for the flood a few years ago, but many of you were. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:29.600 And you know how worrying and frightening a body of water can be when it is going over its banks. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:35.840 At this point in the calendar year, routinely, the Jordan would begin to overflow. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:43.919 And so the banks said that the Jordan looks larger than it looks at any other point in the calendar year. 00:09:44.639 --> 00:10:02.960 And so they're there, they are there for three days, and for three days, they are thinking to themselves, well, I know that God says we're going to go over there, but the water is higher than it is at any other point of the year. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:11.840 God wants us to go there, but He's brought us here at the most challenging time to do something like this. 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:14.320 What are we going to do? 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:18.720 And for three days they sit and think. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:24.000 Now, the number three in the Bible means a lot of things. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:29.840 If you read your Old Testament and your New Testament, you can see that we have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:36.559 We have Jesus in the tomb for three days, something happening over there in Jerusalem, as the song says. 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:44.159 You know, three days they sat there and they waited, and they were wondering what's going to happen. 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:52.799 Well, verse 2 tells us after three days Joshua's officers went through the camp and they made sure that every family heard the announcement. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:11:03.200 Hey, everybody, when you see the Ark of the Covenant of God being carried by the priests of Levi, you need to break your camp and follow that. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.000 In other words, get ready to move, people. 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:11.039 Something is happening here at the bank of the Jordan River. 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:13.519 You need to be ready to move. 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:15.600 Let's go on to verse 4. 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:25.279 Joshua says in verse 4, keep a distance of about a thousand yards between yourselves and the Ark of the Covenant. 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:33.200 Don't go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven't traveled this way before. 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:40.799 Joshua told the people, Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:43.120 Let's stay here for a few moments. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:47.120 A thousand yards between yourself and the ark. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:12:00.159 The ark represented the throne seat of God, that large golden box with the cherubim extending their wings in each direction over the top of the box. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:04.080 That box represented the holy throne seat of God. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:15.679 And so Joshua tells the people, look for the ark, follow the ark, but recognize that the ark is holy. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:22.320 Keep distance between yourselves and the ark of about a thousand yards. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:29.440 There's lots of different translations for that amount of distance, but roughly a thousand yards captures it rather well. 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:33.679 Don't go near it, but see which way to go. 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:34.720 Follow it. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:38.879 And then in verse 5, Joshua says, consecrate yourselves. 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:40.399 What does that mean? 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:44.320 It's not a word we use very much in everyday conversation. 00:12:44.799 --> 00:13:03.120 The act of consecration in the Old Testament was a combination of physical cleansing as well as taking time to sit and meditate and pray and confess sin that had been committed by you to Almighty God. 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:04.960 And so it was a mixture. 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:23.840 You were recognizing that God was holy, you were recognizing that you were not holy, you were recognizing that you needed to take steps to prepare yourself if you were going to be in the presence of God's holy throne, the Ark of the Covenant. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:26.320 Spiritual and physical cleanliness. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:31.919 It was a way of reminding a person that they are not holy and that God is holy. 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:47.919 Now, imagine, if you will, before we go to the next verses, Pastor Greg told us last week that the people of Jericho and the other surrounding areas, that they had people watching what Israel was doing. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:53.039 They were worried about this massive group of people, probably a million or so people. 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:56.159 They were worried about what that group of people was going to do. 00:13:56.399 --> 00:14:00.159 They had the river Jordan separating them, but they were worried what happens? 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:05.039 What if they decide to build boats and come across to the Jordan? 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:26.000 So imagine you're a spy from Jericho or one of the people groups, and you see that suddenly everyone is folding up their tents, getting ready to move, and there's people pouring lots of water and they're washing things and people are praying and people are putting on white linen. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:30.240 They're getting dressed in clothes they wouldn't normally wear, they're consecrating themselves. 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:34.320 And you have to go and report back to the king of Jericho. 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:38.080 And the king of Jericho says, Well, what's happening with those Israelites? 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:39.679 I'm really worried about them. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:41.200 Got a million people over there. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.519 If they come over here, we're in big trouble. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:57.200 Said, Well, uh, sire, they're folding up their tents and they're washing and getting clean. 00:14:57.679 --> 00:14:59.519 They're cleaning themselves, sir. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:00.639 They're what? 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:07.039 They're not sharpening their swords, they're they're not getting their shields, they're not building weapons of warfare? 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:10.240 Uh no, sir, they're they're taking a bath. 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:13.360 They're getting all clean. 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:15.200 Well, I don't understand that. 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:16.960 Well, let's keep on reading. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:19.600 Let's move on to verse six. 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:27.120 Then Joshua said to the priests, carry the ark of the covenant, go on ahead of the people. 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:30.879 So they carried the ark of the covenant and went on ahead of them. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:46.639 Verse 7: The Lord spoke to Joshua, Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:48.399 Let's go to verse 8. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:57.279 Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, when you reach the edge of the water, stand in the Jordan. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:05.919 Then Joshua told the Israelites, Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:09.200 Let's stay here for just a minute. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:19.840 So Joshua brings the priests and says, You're to carry the Ark of the Covenant, you're to carry it to the Jordan, and when you get to the Jordan, keep on going. 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:25.200 I can't help but wonder if one of the priests said, Excuse me, how is it? 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:32.080 You know, we're carrying this holy Ark of the Covenant, the throne seat of God, and you want us to walk into the Jordan? 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:33.840 Don't put too much on that. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:34.960 That's not in Scripture. 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.360 That's just my imagination running there. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:40.879 But that was Joshua's command. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:45.120 When you reach the edge of the water, stand in the Jordan. 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.200 Then we see verse 9. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:48.480 I love verse 9. 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:51.679 For some reason, there's not a lot of writing about verse 9. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:57.600 But in verse 9, Joshua says to the Israelites, come closer. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:00.879 Some of your Bibles might have, come hither. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:05.359 Or, listen, listen with both ears open. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:06.160 Come here. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:10.559 Listen to the words of the Lord your God. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:18.640 That's a wonderful thing to imagine that the leader of the Israelites, he was barking out orders left and right. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:21.119 He had to do this in order to command the people. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:32.559 But when it came to sharing the word of God, you begin to see a little bit of Joshua's heart, and he says, Listen, come close, listen to the words of the Lord your God. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:34.559 Let's move on to verse 10. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:51.119 Joshua said, You will know that the living God is among you, and that he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hephites, Hivites, Perizites, Gergeshites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:56.319 As a Baptist preacher, I am obligated to say it's a wonder it doesn't say termites. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:58.079 Okay, we got that out of the way. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:17:59.039 All right. 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:07.839 So God has made this promise to Joshua, and Joshua can't wait to share it with the people. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:11.359 He's like, come closer, listen, listen to what God has said. 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:17.599 He's going to drive away the nations, those seven nations, that seven nations in their armies. 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:22.240 He's going to drive them away so that you can possess the land. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:24.640 They are going to dispossess the land. 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:27.680 You are going to possess the land. 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:29.279 Verse 11. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:30.720 When's this going to happen? 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:39.920 Verse 11, when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of the whole earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan. 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:50.880 It's pretty rare in the Old Testament, in a setting like this, for you to see words where it says, the Lord of the whole earth. 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:56.160 What you would normally see is the Lord of Israel, the mighty God of Israel. 00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:11.759 But here what we see is that Joshua is making it clear to the Israelites, these people don't have a choice about whether to stay or whether to go, because the Almighty God is the God of the whole earth. 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:17.200 We forget that sometimes, I think, in Christian circles. 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:19.440 We serve the Lord. 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:24.960 We are living in victory, hopefully, with the promises that God has given us. 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:31.519 And we think that God's promises only apply to us, they don't apply to unbelievers. 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:38.240 Or they don't apply to people who don't worship the one true God who are working, so worshiping some other God. 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:48.160 Ladies and gentlemen, if God says something's going to happen, it's going to happen regardless as to whether people believe in Him or not, because He's the Lord of the whole earth. 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:53.440 If there were people living on Mars, it'd say the Lord of outer space. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:08.079 All men, all women, all boys, all girls, all animals, all plants, you name it, if God says it, it applies. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:13.200 That's a whole separate sermon. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:14.400 Let's just keep going. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:15.279 All right. 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:16.799 Verse 12. 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:25.119 Joshua says in verse 12, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:35.920 When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, come to rest in the Jordan's water, its water will be cut off. 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:41.759 The water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass. 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.880 Let's stop here for just a few minutes. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:54.880 So Joshua, following God's instructions, God has said, choose one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:56.160 Twelve men. 00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:10.799 When Jesus had the twelve apostles, they were not necessarily from each tribe of Israel, but the people who were following Jesus knew that those twelve men following him represented the twelve tribes of Israel. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:16.240 And so we see that Joshua is to pick one man from each tribe. 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:27.440 And in verse 13, when the feet of the priests who carry the ark, the Lord of the whole earth, come to rest in the Jordan's water, its water will be cut off. 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:34.160 The water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass. 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:37.440 So this is the prophecy. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:39.519 This is the prediction. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:42.799 Now let's look at the actual miracle. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:44.240 Let's go to the next slide. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:45.359 The miracle. 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:57.839 Joshua chapter 3, verse 14. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:05.440 When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the people. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:10.079 Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:20.799 But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:22.240 Let's keep going. 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:36.079 And the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarathan. 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:46.799 The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:48.480 Stop here. 00:22:49.039 --> 00:23:09.200 So what happened was, as soon as those priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant came and stepped foot into the Jordan, all of the waters of the Jordan receded and stood up in a giant mass at this city, this town called Adam. 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:16.960 Adam was roughly 18 miles north of Jericho, where this crossing is taking place. 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:19.440 All the water stood up. 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:21.680 I don't know how tall it was. 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:29.440 I am sure that it was huge. 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:32.160 All of that water standing up. 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:35.359 It reminds us of another miracle. 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:36.799 We'll get to that in just a minute. 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:38.400 Let's go to verse 17. 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:57.839 The priests carrying the Ark of the Lord's covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan. 00:23:58.400 --> 00:23:59.440 Stop there. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:19.119 One person says, well, God caused an earthquake to happen, and a giant chasm opened in the earth, and all of the water went into the giant chasm. 00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:24.559 Well, that doesn't explain what the Bible says about all of the water standing up in a heap. 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:33.839 Others said that, well, even during flood stage, the Jordan can go down a little bit, and people waited until that happened and they crossed. 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:37.599 Well, going down is not the same as walking on dry ground. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:45.039 And if the ancients had not walked across on dry ground, they would have simply said, we cross the Jordan. 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:52.400 They would not have included anything about dry ground unless they crossed on dry ground. 00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:01.440 And this reminds us, let's go to the next slide, this reminds us of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:03.599 You can't help but think about it. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:07.759 Crossing the Jordan, there's a lot that is similar to crossing the Red Sea. 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:09.359 Let's refresh our memories. 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:15.200 Moses is leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. 00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:17.920 They go out into the wilderness. 00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:27.839 They come to the shore of the Red Sea when Pharaoh changes his mind and sends his army out to wipe out the Israelites. 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:31.920 The Israelites are frightened, they're scared, they're fearful. 00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:41.359 They turn to Moses and they say, Better that we had died in Egypt than to die out here in the wilderness from the army of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:44.559 And Moses cries out to the Lord. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:48.799 God tells Moses, I'm going to deliver them. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:56.240 And God causes a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud to block the advance of the Egyptian army. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:02.640 A wind blows over the surface of the Red Sea for an entire night. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:11.440 And then Moses lifts up the rod of the Lord, and the Red Sea parts, and the Israelites cross over on dry land. 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:14.799 Similar but different. 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:27.279 One of the main differences is crossing the Red Sea was something that Israel did scared, fearful, that they were going to be killed by the Egyptian army. 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:39.200 In this case, they are crossing the Jordan, not fearful, but rather the people on the other side of the Jordan are the ones that are worried and fearful. 00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:48.079 We're going to see here in a few moments that as Israel was crossing over into the land, you can read about this in chapter 4, verses 12 and 13. 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:57.519 Also in chapter 5, verse 1, Israel actually sent out an advance army to start the crossing of the Jordan. 00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:01.759 These were not fearful people scared of Egypt. 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:10.079 This was an advancing army seeking victory, crossing over into the Promised Land. 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:16.799 These were victorious conquerors, not frightened people who had been slaves. 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:22.559 If anyone was feeling frightened, it was the people on the other side of the Jordan. 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:25.599 They were the ones that were fearful. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:33.920 Another thing is that that wind that blew all night to make the Red Sea go down, that took all night. 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:43.599 Here, the Ark of the Covenant arrives, the priests put their foot in the Jordan, and all of the water turns up in a heap. 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:51.839 So if anything, it's a wonder that we don't know more about the crossing of the Jordan than we know about the crossing of the Red Sea. 00:27:52.079 --> 00:28:00.960 Because in a lot of ways, this is the more powerful, the more dramatic, the more hand of God is present of the two miracles. 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:03.680 But I can't go back and change human history. 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:10.319 So, you know, we're probably always going to remember the Red Sea as being more dramatic than the Jordan. 00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:23.759 But for my money, this is the miracle where we really see the hand of God at work scooping out the water of the Jordan, pushing it 18 miles to the north and making it stand up on end. 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:25.599 Let's keep reading. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:27.119 Let's go to the second part. 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:28.880 We've talked about the miracle. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:31.599 Now let's talk about the memorial. 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:33.279 The memorial. 00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:39.119 Now there's a reason why I brought this rock today. 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:51.359 This is a it's a pretty heavy rock, but it is not as large as the rocks that you're going to be reading about in a few verses. 00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:56.799 I think those rocks were probably more akin to small boulders. 00:28:57.039 --> 00:28:59.119 Well, I'm kind of getting ahead of myself. 00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:02.480 Let's go ahead and get into the reading. 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:07.200 We begin in Joshua chapter 4 and verse 1. 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:20.079 After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, choose twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe. 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:21.440 Let's go to verse 3. 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:34.960 Command them, take twelve stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan, where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night. 00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:36.799 Let's park here for a minute. 00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:43.759 So understand, one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel was given a task. 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:58.240 There in the Jordan, where the priests are carrying the Ark of the Covenant, go there and pick up a large stone from the river. 00:29:58.720 --> 00:30:08.160 Now, one thing about river stones, they tend to be more smooth and more rounded than stones that you find elsewhere. 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:15.680 The water crushes over them, the water erodes them, the water gives them that smooth surface. 00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:23.039 Each man was to carry a large boulder to the place where they were going to spend the night. 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:29.839 Let's move on to our second set, which is in Joshua chapter 4, beginning in verse 20. 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:36.160 Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:44.960 And he said to the Israelites, In the future, when your children ask their fathers, what's the meaning of these stones? 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:51.680 You should tell your children, Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground. 00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:52.880 Verse 23. 00:30:53.359 --> 00:31:10.319 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over. 00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:23.440 Verse 24, this is so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord's hand is strong, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God. 00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:24.880 Let's pause here. 00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:48.400 So each man, probably a strong man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, brought a giant river rock with them to Gilgal, where they made camp that night, and they arranged those twelve stones in such a way that you could see them from a distance. 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:54.559 They placed them there, and they placed them there with a purpose. 00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:57.920 They placed them there for a reason. 00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:06.880 They weren't just placing them there in order to remind them, well, this is the spot where we cross the river. 00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:11.279 No, it goes much, much more important, much deeper than that. 00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:19.920 Instead, we see that what they were doing was they were making a memorial to what God had done. 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:33.279 How many of us have memorials at home that point to something that God has done in our lives? 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:39.839 Not so that we would worship it, not at all, but just something to remind us. 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:48.160 That is there because it reminds me that God has done something in my life. 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:53.920 This rock up here reminds me that God brought a wife into my life. 00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:59.440 I got married a little bit later, believe me, it was a miracle that my wife came into my life. 00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:00.240 All right? 00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:02.799 But that rock reminds me of that. 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:07.039 I have another rock at home that's bigger than this one. 00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:08.720 That's why I didn't bring it today. 00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:20.799 It's bigger than this one, and it sits, it's a different type of rock, and it reminds me of the process that my wife and I went through when we adopted our little girl. 00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:25.279 And it reminds me that God was faithful in that activity. 00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:31.359 And I've got some other memorials and things like that, but but it's a wonderful thing. 00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:41.440 It's a wonderful thing when you go out of your way to create things to remind you of what God has done. 00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:48.000 I remember when my girl was real, real little, and at one point she noticed that I have this ring on. 00:33:48.319 --> 00:33:50.160 She said, Daddy, what's that ring for? 00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:51.440 That's a wedding ring. 00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:55.279 That's the ring that your mom put on my hand when we got married. 00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:59.440 Any of you with kids, you know that happens eventually, some point in your life. 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:01.920 The child asks, What's the ring for? 00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:03.680 And what's that for? 00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:04.799 And what's that for? 00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:08.239 Children are always asking questions when they're real little. 00:34:08.559 --> 00:34:10.079 Always asking questions. 00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:21.039 Can you imagine when the Israelite children would be out with their parents and they would go along the banks there of the Jordan River and they would see that giant collection of 12 stones. 00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:27.920 Daddy, Daddy, mommy, mommy, what's that, what's that big thing of stones there for? 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:31.519 Ah, let me tell you, let me tell you. 00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:36.320 Your grandfather told me this story, and now I'm gonna tell you. 00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:50.079 That big stack of stones represents the time that God spod the waters of the Jordan River up in a heap so that we could come into this land and we could make our homes here. 00:34:50.880 --> 00:35:00.719 And as a matter of fact, that third rock on the left, that third rock on the left is from the tribe of Judah, and that's the people group that we're from. 00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:15.199 How many of us have opportunities to talk about what God has done with our children and with our grandchildren, and for some of you, our great-grandchildren? 00:35:16.559 --> 00:35:20.079 The Bible doesn't command us to build memorials. 00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:26.639 Please don't take what I'm saying and then go home and think that God tells you you must build a memorial. 00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:47.519 But anything that we can do in this life that can cause us to create opportunities, to have conversations with the next generation about how God has blessed us and how God blessed our forefathers is an activity that's worth considering. 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:58.719 We're in Memorial Day weekend, where we rightfully remember the men and women who put themselves in harm's way and paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:11.199 That's a spot on the calendar that as Americans we observe every year to memorialize, to not forget, to not let it fade into the area of forgotten memory. 00:36:12.320 --> 00:36:15.199 In our lives, God has worked miracles. 00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:18.880 Some of you are saying, Pastor Dave, God's never worked a miracle in my life. 00:36:19.039 --> 00:36:21.920 If you're saved, God worked a miracle in your life. 00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:31.760 If you're saved, God took you as not good as you were, as not good as I was. 00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:42.239 God took you and saved you and has been changing you and continues to change you to be more like Jesus Christ. 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:43.840 That is a miracle. 00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:47.280 That is not something you can do on your own. 00:36:47.519 --> 00:37:00.960 It requires the power of God's Holy Spirit coming into your life and changing you decision by decision, day by day, month by month, year by year. 00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:03.440 That's a miracle. 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:13.519 If there were some way that you could create something to remind yourself of that miracle that would cause a younger person to say, what's that all about? 00:37:13.760 --> 00:37:17.199 you would have an opportunity to share the gospel with them. 00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:20.639 That's what God was doing here. 00:37:20.880 --> 00:37:25.440 He was making a memorial to cause people to remember. 00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:29.039 You see, this story points to our salvation in Jesus. 00:37:29.199 --> 00:37:30.559 Let's move to the next slide. 00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:33.280 It points to our salvation in Jesus. 00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:37.599 First off, we see that Israel had to consecrate themselves. 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:39.840 All of that bathing, all of that praying. 00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:49.519 Israel had to remind itself that it was falling short in its relationship with Almighty God. 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:57.920 That they had to cleanse themselves spiritually and physically before they could chase the Ark of the Covenant through the Jordan River. 00:37:58.079 --> 00:38:05.920 You know, when a person is coming to Jesus, step one is they have to admit that they're a sinner who's separated from God. 00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:10.880 And so we see in this story that step is represented. 00:38:11.119 --> 00:38:22.559 Next, Israel was to see the ark and they were to follow the ark, but they were to follow the ark at the same time recognizing that the ark was holy. 00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:37.199 And when we are following Jesus, we are to hear about Jesus, understand who Jesus is, we are to follow Jesus, and yet at the same time we need to remember Jesus is the holy Son of God. 00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:42.639 Yes, he's our friend, but he's also our Lord. 00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:48.960 Yes, he is our friend, he is also our Savior. 00:38:49.679 --> 00:38:52.559 We will never be the same as Jesus. 00:38:52.719 --> 00:39:01.039 And anytime we feel the love of Jesus, it's a mercy and it's a blessing in our lives because he is so much more than we will ever be. 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:06.639 Third, Israel had to hear God and believe God. 00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:11.119 Joshua said, Come here, listen to the words of the Lord. 00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:14.960 Israel had to hear that, they had to believe that. 00:39:15.119 --> 00:39:18.639 And then they had to trust in that and obey that. 00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:25.039 Can you imagine crossing the dry Jordan riverbed? 00:39:25.280 --> 00:39:36.719 You're crossing it and the land is dry, and just a little while ago you had spent three days looking at the overflowing banks of that same river. 00:39:37.280 --> 00:39:45.840 They believed God, they trusted God, they obeyed God, and they did indeed cross that Jordan River because of his power. 00:39:46.239 --> 00:39:49.679 We also see that Israel did enter that promised land. 00:39:49.840 --> 00:39:53.840 They did see the promises of God that you're going to inherit that land. 00:39:54.000 --> 00:40:00.800 They did see that promise come true, but they didn't see it come true because of anything they had done. 00:40:01.360 --> 00:40:07.039 They saw it come true because of everything that God had done and that God was doing. 00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:15.440 When Jesus says that he will save you, when he says that he will bring you into eternal life, you don't deserve that. 00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:18.480 But God does it in his power. 00:40:18.800 --> 00:40:19.679 He saves you. 00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:29.199 Your unrighteousness is traded for his full righteousness, and you can enjoy that promise. 00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:31.519 Let's go on to the next slide. 00:40:33.199 --> 00:40:42.719 At one point, Israel was promised that they would have victory over those evil nations that were all there, all of those ites that I mentioned. 00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:46.320 They were promised that they would have victory over those people. 00:40:47.119 --> 00:40:56.559 Likewise, when we are saved by Jesus Christ, he gives us victory over sin and death. 00:40:57.039 --> 00:40:58.320 I want to repeat that. 00:40:58.559 --> 00:41:01.360 We say that so much it's easy to take it for granted. 00:41:03.199 --> 00:41:10.320 When we're saved by Jesus Christ, he says that we will have victory over sin and death. 00:41:11.679 --> 00:41:23.599 I don't think people have a problem believing the second part, victory over death, because they understand that to believe in Jesus Christ is to be made part of the family of God, being brought into the kingdom of God. 00:41:23.679 --> 00:41:26.880 They know heaven awaits them on the day that they die. 00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:38.000 But I see a lot of Christians who stumble and trip themselves up thinking that they can't have victory over recurring sin in their lives. 00:41:39.360 --> 00:41:42.960 Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus will give you victory. 00:41:43.599 --> 00:41:46.320 He may not give you the victory today. 00:41:46.880 --> 00:41:59.679 He may not give you the victory tomorrow, but if you are becoming more and more like Jesus Christ with each passing day, you can't help to come to that place where you will have victory over sin. 00:42:00.719 --> 00:42:14.239 The Bible says that a time is coming in the future where Jesus is going to come again, it gives us new bodies that are like his, bodies that are untouched by sin, bodies that don't even get tempted by sin. 00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:16.159 What a great thing that is, huh? 00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:18.400 Not even be tempted in sin. 00:42:18.719 --> 00:42:25.199 So the day is coming, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, where you will see victory over all sin. 00:42:28.400 --> 00:42:40.880 Finally, we see that after building that memorial of twelve stones, that Israel was commanded to speak of God's delivering power. 00:42:41.119 --> 00:42:48.000 They were commanded you share this story with your children, with your grandchildren, with all the peoples of the earth. 00:42:48.239 --> 00:42:56.239 When we're saved by Jesus Christ, we are also told to share that information with everybody. 00:42:56.480 --> 00:43:04.400 The Great Commission of Matthew 28 says that we are to tell everyone to go and share the good news of the gospel. 00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:06.559 I think I've got one of these here. 00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:07.440 Yeah. 00:43:08.800 --> 00:43:15.840 One of these cards that we distribute here at the church, and on the back, I picked this one up a few minutes ago. 00:43:16.000 --> 00:43:28.159