Just as Israel
faced challenges in Canaan, obstacles to overcome, enemies to vanquish, lands
to conquer - we as the church also face obstacles, enemies, and conquer those
things that would hold us back from spiritual advancement. Remember, what was
written before in the Old Testament was recorded for our example, to learn from
Israel’s successes as well as their failures (ROM 15:4)
JOSHUA 4:1-3
1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the
Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 "Take for yourselves
twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 "and command them,
saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the
Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them
over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.'"
Note: “…when
all the people had completely crossed over…”
It wasn’t
enough that many or most completely crossed over or that all of the people
almost completely crossed over. No: ALL of the people COMPLETELY crossed over.
There is spiritual strength when ALL of GOD’s people are united, and that they
are COMPLETELY sanctified unto the LORD.
That’s what we
are seeing here by representation; crossing over from the land of Egypt and
from the wilderness into the land of promise is parallel to the soul who leaves
the world behind, becomes a stranger and pilgrim to this world and enters by
sacred covenant with the YHWH’shua – the LORD our Salvation.
1 PETER
2:9-12
9 But you are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim
the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10
who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained
mercy but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having
your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as
evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the
day of visitation (HEB
11:9-10,13-16).
This same kind
of miracle was seen by the generation that left Egypt as adults (the generation
that crossed the Jordan river was their children): They saw the Red Sea parted,
and it could be that some that followed Joshua were perhaps old enough to
remember that (a rather difficult thing to forget I’d say!). But it seems that most
of this second generation, if not all, were not witnesses of the ten miracles
in Egypt (DEUT 11:2-6).
This would be
the LORD’s way of proving to the people (and to Joshua as well) that just as He
was with Moses faithfully, so He will be with Joshua faithfully!
The people of
Israel had received instructions previously from Moses concerning the crossing
over of the river Jordan:
DEUTERONOMY
27:1-8
1 Now Moses, with the elders of Israel,
commanded the people, saying: "Keep all the commandments which I command
you today. 2 "And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the
Jordan to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, that you shall
set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. 3
"You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have
crossed over, that you may enter the land which the LORD your God is giving
you, 'a land flowing with milk and honey,' just as the LORD God of your fathers
promised you. 4 "Therefore it shall be, when you have crossed over the
Jordan, that on Mount Ebal you shall set up these stones, which I command you
today, and you shall whitewash them with lime. 5 "And there you shall
build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones; you shall not use an
iron tool on them. 6 "You shall build with whole stones the altar of
the LORD your God and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God. 7
"You shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there, and rejoice before
the LORD your God. 8 "And you shall write very plainly on the stones all
the words of this law."
Now that the
miraculous had been seen, Joshua instructs them to get these necessary stones
from out of the river Jordan and set them up on the other side. From
Deuteronomy we learn that they would be set down in Mt. Ebal and whitewashed.
These stones being placed there are in the place of cursing, as opposed to Mt.
Gerizim, which was the place of blessing (DEUT 11:26-30; 27:13). Why then would
the LORD direct His people to place these stones at Ebal?
“Four of
these are children of the bond-woman, to shew that the curse belongs to those
of servile and disingenuous spirits.
With these are joined Reuben, who by his shameful sin fell from his
dignity, and Zebulun, the youngest of Leah's children, that the numbers might
be equal.”
~ John Wesley’s Notes on the Old and New Testaments.
JOSHUA 4:4-5
Then Joshua called the twelve men whom
he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and
Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into
the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder,
according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
Apparently,
these stones were to be a witness to all of Israel, not just for those tribes
that stood on the “mountain of cursing” i.e., Mt. Ebal. No doubt a warning to
all the tribes to remain faithful to the LORD, not just to those who actually
fell into sin.
Stones as
witnesses is not something tied exclusively to the Old Testament Scripture
either; when the LORD Jesus presented Himself as the Messiah, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the stones were prepared to
cry out:
LUKE 19:30-40
30 saying, "Go into the village
opposite you, whereas you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has
ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 "And if anyone asks you, 'Why are
you letting it lose?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of
it.'" 32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had
said to them. 33 But as they were letting loose the colt, the owners of it said
to them, "Why are you letting loose the colt?" 34 And they said,
"The Lord has need of him." 35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And
they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.
36 And as He went, many spread their clothes
on the road. 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of
Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God
with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying:" 'Blessed
is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in
the highest!" 39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the
crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." 40 But He answered and said
to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would
immediately cry out."
These twelve
stones were to be bleached white with lime before they would have inscriptions
written upon them of the Law of GOD. Are we not as New Testament saints “living
stones” (1 PET 2:5)? And are we not called to live holy, righteous lives (1 PET
1:16; REV 19:8)? And as GOD’s saints, we are in a very real sense, “living
epistles” having the Spirit of GOD write upon us His Gospel Truth (2 COR
3:2-3).
Then we have
these other stones, with which an altar was built – according to the Law of
GOD, any stones used to erect an altar were to not be hewn stone (carved and
shaped by any tools; EXOD 20:25). Why?
Because for one, carvings could become more and more ornate, and eventually
even have images incorporated into them – which would also be a violation of
the Law of GOD (EXOD 20:4). The beauty of the altar could replace the intent of
worship and sacrifice in its importance.
But also, these
stones represent the Stone of stones, the Rock of our salvation whereupon the
greatest of sacrifices was offered up! The LORD Jesus Christ is the eternal,
immutable, never changing, ever faithful Savior. Liberal theologians and
pop-culture pastors of modernity are busily chipping away at the biblical Jesus
in order that they might worship “another Jesus” (2 COR 11:4) that fits their
own agendas, perspectives and affinities.
But saints, we
are not to change the ROCK of our salvation but yield to Him that we call LORD
and allow Him to change us into His likeness (ROM 6:13, 19; 8:29), not change
His likeness into ours!
We have then
these two piles of stone: the first represent the holiness of GOD that is
inscribed into our very beings through Christ and stand as a witness and
testimony to the LORD Who has called us out of this dark world and into His
marvelous kingdom of light (1 PET 2:9; COL 1:13)!
The second
represents how we are to be living sacrifices unto GOD, offering up not just
the praises of our lips, but the devotion of our hearts as well as the essence
of our every day lives, expressing our thanks to the LORD by all that we do for
His Name’s sake!
JOSHUA 4:6-9
6 "that this may be a sign among
you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean
to you?' 7 "Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were
cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the
Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a
memorial to the children of Israel forever." 8 And the children of Israel
did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the
Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes
of the children of Israel and carried them over with them to the place where
they lodged and laid them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the
midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the
ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.
When in the
history of Israel did the nation begin to drift away from the LORD and
eventually apostatize (fall away from the faith)?
It was when
everyone began to do what was right in their own eyes. And when parents failed
to teach their children the ways of the LORD (JUDGES 2:10-13; 17:6).
What are we
seeing in our own nation – even in the church?
The idea that
there is no such thing as absolute, objective morality and truth. I can recall
a time on a public bus I was having a discussion with a fellow believer about
how relativism is overtaking our country (this was back in the early 80’s) and
that we need to show people that there is an absolute, moral, objective truth
in our reality. Then someone from the back of the bus shouted out, “There is no
such thing as absolute truth!!" And I fired back, “Is that absolutely
true?” They shut up after that.
And parents
seemed to have surrendered the teaching of their own children to the church, to
Sunday School teachers and youth pastors.
Please don’t
misunderstand me: I’ve been a Sunday School teacher for many, many years and
have been blessed to participate in that ministry in different churches. And I
know of some awesome youth pastors who really, truly love and care for our
youth.
But both of
these ministries are supplemental, or add-ons to the primary teachers of
children: their parents! GOD isn’t going to hold Sunday School teachers and
youth pastors accountable to the same degree as He will for parents that He has
gifted with children.
Parents: you
are stewards of these precious souls; they truly belong to GOD and in His
giving them to you, He is asking, “Will you take care of these lives for Me –
physically, mentally, emotionally and most of all, spiritually?”
You might say,
“But I don’t even know enough Scripture for myself, let alone my kids! And I’m
not a gifted teacher!”
If the LORD has
given you children, then you need to step up and learn the Word and ask GOD to
provide you with all that’s needed in order to pour into the lives of your
children. As the saying goes, “Where GOD guides, GOD provides” and it works the
other way around too: “Where GOD provides [your children born into your
family]. GOD guides [in furnishing you with gifts that enable you to minister
to them effectively]”.
To educate your
youngin’s on objective truth and other biblical beliefs there are a number of apologetic resources like CARM and others available, and a wonderful,
biblical book that can establish a firm foundation in the lives of your
children is a work I have used at our church for Sunday School: Frank Turek’s handbook called LET’S GET REAL: EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE FOR GOD –Teacher’s Guide.
It’s a true
statement: “He who has the youth, has the future”. The future of our nation is
dependent on the next generation, and it’s up to godly parents to prepare their
children for their calling and place in this world.
JOSHUA 4:10-11
10 So the priests who bore the ark stood
in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had
commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had
commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed
over. 11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed
over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of
the people.
Just as the
priests led the way across Jordan, with the authority of GOD’s ark upon their
shoulders, so too must we as saints, who are by GOD’s order a “kingdom of
priests” lead, not just our families, but any and all who are searching for and
wanting the truth. This is particularly relevant for pastors, elders, overseers
of GOD’s flock.
We are to lead
GOD’s sheep, not drive them (sheep are led, goats are driven). We can’t lead
them from the back! We can’t tell them, “Go ahead of me!” but rather, “Come and
follow!” The LORD led by His flawless example; while we can’t measure up to His
perfection, we are to lead in faithfulness and with GOD-ordained purpose (EPH
1:11; 3:11).
We are all
given biblical mandates from the Scriptures, and the authority for our conduct
is based on GOD’s Word. This holy revelation directs us in our place in life,
instructing us as spouses, as parents, as children, pastors, teachers, prayer
warriors, church members, etc. (2 PET 2:10-11).
It’s important
that we in our respective callings don’t overstep the bounds of our GOD-given
authority, because any such action is a violation against the Word of GOD and
we are accountable before the LORD for such!
And as we all
march to the beat of the LORD’s drum, being obedient in all that He has
ordained for us in our respective callings, He makes a way for us, enabling us
to overcome any obstacles just as the children of Israel were provided the
means to cross this vastly swollen river. Something else caught my eye in these
verses:
“…the people
hurried and crossed over…”. The KJV says “hastily”. Too often we walk ahead of
the LORD, or we are lagging behind. I’m always praying for a sense of divine
punctuality (ever notice the LORD Jesus was never late with His itinerary?).
When GOD says “hurry!” I want to hurry, and when He says “slow down” or “hold
up” then that’s what I want to do!
And this is
besides the fact that if I’m ever walking through a river that’s being held up
by the power of GOD, I don’t want to stroll across – you can bet I’ll be in a
hurry to get to the other side!
Time is a
resource that is non-elastic; in other words, we can’t really buy more time.
The LORD has numbered our days and while Hezekiah by his tearful petitions was
granted fifteen more years, most of us can’t count on such an extension: we
have just so much time to do all that GOD wills, and no more. This is why we
want to “redeem the time because the days are evil” (EPH 5:16) – in other
words, make the most of your time and let it count for the Kingdom of GOD,
being productive in the body of Christ where He has placed you.
JOSHUA 4:12-14
12 And the men of Reuben, the men of
Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of
Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13 About forty thousand prepared for war
crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that
day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as
they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
These three
tribes (Manasseh being divided, with half siding with Reuben and Gad) were true
to their word in that just as they promised to join the other tribes in the
warfare of Canaan land, they were ready and “crossed over armed”.
In NUMBERS
32:1-15 Moses lectures these tribes because they don’t want to cross over
Jordan with their brethren. And why not? Because they were herdsmen, and the
land just east of the Jordan river was ideal for livestock (vs. 1-5). But Moses
thinks that these men will be derelict in duty. He suspects that when the call
of arms comes, they’ll be resting easy on the other side of Jordan, while their
brethren wage war on the inhabitants. However, these three tribes assures Moses
that this wouldn’t be the case!
NUMBERS 32:16-22
16 Then they came near to him [Moses] and said: "We will build
sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 "but
we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we
have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the
fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 "We will not
return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his
inheritance. 19 "For we will not inherit with them on the other side of
the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern
side of the Jordan." 20 Then Moses said to them: "If you do this
thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, 21 "and all your
armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His
enemies from before Him, 22 "and the land is subdued before the LORD, then
afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel;
and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
In our own
battles as Christians, we must be ever vigilant, ever ready, always expecting
our enemies to assault us (those being this world system, Satan or our own sin
nature). We shouldn’t be any more surprised or taken off guard when attacks
come upon us, any more than the children of Israel weren’t when the various
tribes of Canaan rose up in their efforts of defiance and destruction of the
people of Israel.
We must also
take our words seriously – that is, when we say, “Yes” we mean YES, and when we
say “No” we mean NO (MATT 5:37). As people of truth, vows and oaths (“I swear
to GOD that it’s true!”) should never be necessary. But if we do make any vow
(such as those in matrimony, in court, and in other valid situations), we must
realize that we are duty bound to carry it out, even if unanticipated
consequences hurt us in the process (PSA 15:4).
Samson was a Judge of Israel, and he was also
a Nazarite – a Hebrew who takes a special vow of consecration and dedication to
YHWH. A vow that he broke not once, not twice, but three times!
I see the grace and tender mercies of the LORD that after three transgressions
(sinning knowingly and deliberately), Samson was captured, blinded and chained
to a grinding wheel like an animal – and yet when he cried out to the LORD, his
prayer was heard!
ISAIAH 59:1
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not
shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
No one is so
far gone that a cry to GOD from a heart of repentance won’t reach the ear of
GOD, and if we turn from “iniquities” and “sins” and “perversity” (ISA 59:2-3),
He will save, just as He did with Samson – well OK, that isn’t the preferred
method of saving (bringing the house down on one’s enemies, and oneself along
with them!) but you get the point.
These tribes of
Israel however, were true to their word!
JOSHUA 4:15-19
15 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua,
saying, 16 "Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come
up from the Jordan." 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying,
"Come up from the Jordan." 18 And it came to pass, when the priests
who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the
Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet touched the dry land, that the
waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as
before. 19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first
month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
“…the tenth day
of the first month…” What other event took place on this day? Back when the
Hebrews were still slaves in Egypt, and the heaviest of GOD’s judgment would
fall upon Pharoah and his people in a matter of days, it was on the 10th
day of the 1st month that Moses instructed the men of Israel to choose
an unblemished lamb for his household, slay it and smear the blood on the door
posts and lintels of their doorways. The houses then were sanctified and would
not endure the curse of their firstborn’s death. The angel of death would Passover
those houses.
Here in Canaan,
the people of Israel were preparing to purge the land of the wicked idolators
that refused to repent of their gross immorality and heinous sins, though the
LORD had given them hundreds of years to do so!
And “…they
camped at Gilgal…” which was at the eastern most border of Jericho, their first
target. It’s a rather fascinating place, Gilgal - it’s root word galgal means “to roll, a wheel, to turn”; it
can even mean “vortex or whirlwind” as is the case with Elijah (2 KINGS 2:1),
however this could be another city of the same name, not related to Gilgal of
Joshua’s day.
And this
whirlwind that took Elijah up was accompanied by fiery hosts of angels and
their chariots – I don’t think it was a tornado that sucked Elijah up through
the atmosphere, but a sort of extra-dimensional vortex or portal of some sort –
because the prophet was translated off Earth and to some compartment of the
heavenlies (and like Enoch, he passed from this world to the next without
seeing death and is likely to visit this world again; REV 11:3).
The “wheels” of
the cherubim spoken of in Ezekiel are also “galgal”. We understand that when these
cherubim (a super-class of angels) appear in our material universe, their
presence has a profound effect on us mortals, and it’s usually not a very good
one (DAN 8:27; 10:5-11).
We also know from
what many reputable scholars have noted that there is a parallel between the
book of Joshua and the book of Revelation where all sorts of spiritually
bizarre things take place.
In the days of
Israel’s conquest the LORD specifically stated that He “…rolled away the reproach
of Egypt from [Israel].” So this would be of primary significance to the place
name, but perhaps not the only one.
The LORD
indicated that it would be at Gilgal that Israel would enter the land (and this
is conjecture on my part), but in addition to the inhabitants of the land, it
might also be that their contentions (and the heavenly host of the LORD?) were
against certain “principalities and powers” that were present in the land (that
entered our domain through a “vortex/portal”), some of which no doubt would be
the same ones that Elijah and his servant encountered in 2 KINGS 6:17.
It would seem
that Gilgal was a base of operations in the early days of Israel’s conquest,
but later a place of defeat (JUDGES 2:1-3), and where idolatry was present
(JUDGES 3:19; HOS 9:15; 12:11).
Circumcision
was performed here, another form of sanctification and consecration
(sanctification has more to do with personal holiness and separation from
worldliness; consecration is about being set apart for special use in ministry);
JOSH 5:8. Passover was also first celebrated in Canaan at Gilgal; JOSH 5:10.
While the
ministry of worship by Israel was transferred from Gilgal to Shiloh, still, it
would seem that Gilgal was still a prominent place of devotion (of the good and
bad kind alternatively). Gilgal was one of three main cities on the prophet Samuel’s
circuit (1 SAM 7:16).
JOSHUA 4:20-24
20 And those twelve stones which they
took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21 Then he spoke to the
children of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time
to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' 22 "then you shall let your
children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land'; 23
"for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until
you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried
up before us until we had crossed over, 24 "that all the peoples of the
earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the
LORD your God forever."
Israel, like the church is to bear witness to and exalt in the glory, the power, the truth and grace of GOD – and so may we faithfully bear witness of the LORD to this lost and dying world!
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