Joshua 4:1

When all the people had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, "Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" ... And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. (Joshua 4:1–9)

How God commanded a pile of stones so His people would never forget the day He carried them from judgment into blessing.

We Are Prone to Forget

Have you ever struggled with forgetfulness? Having a one-month-old and a two-and-a-half-year-old in the house, I struggle with it often. Recently I asked my wife where I had put my sunglasses because I couldn't find them anywhere. She laughed—they were on my head the whole time. We all struggle with forgetfulness. Whether it's your sunglasses, your wallet, your car keys, or that 10-millimeter socket you can never find, forgetfulness is part of life.

But how often do we forget God? How often do we forget His faithfulness in our lives? It's far too easy. Just as a new headline pushes last week's news out of our minds, we slowly—or suddenly—forget the goodness and faithfulness of God. And it's far too easy to fall into a pattern of treating God like our spare tire, pulled out only in emergencies. Don't do that. We can't use God like a tourniquet, applied only in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding of our broken hearts.

A Story of Faith at the Jordan

There is much to learn from Israel's crossing of the Jordan in Joshua 3 and 4—an impassable river that God miraculously let His people cross from the wilderness, the land of judgment, into the land of promise. Moses had led the people out of bondage in Egypt, but now Moses was dead. The leader they revered was gone, and God had replaced him with Joshua, who in this chapter becomes a great leader in the sight of all Israel because of God's faithfulness to His word.

The previous generation had seen the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. You would think no one could forget such a feat. Yet how often do you and I forget the great things God has done? He answers a prayer—He brings the spouse, the job, the way out. He removes an addiction and parts the waters in your life. We are overjoyed, but over time we forget His faithfulness, because we don't look back and remember enough.

That same generation didn't appreciate God's faithfulness; their complaining and sin kept them out of the promised land, and for forty years they wandered until all that was left of them was gravestones in the wilderness. Now a new generation says, "God, we are willing to be faithful." Moses had recapped the law in Deuteronomy and told them what to do when they crossed the Jordan, and Joshua and the people were ready to obey. Two whole chapters are dedicated to this one scene. When God gives us that much detail on a single event, it is intentional—He wants us to dig in.

God's Timing Is Always Perfect

The first lesson is that God's timing is always perfect. Chapter 3 ends with the people crossing on dry ground; chapter 4 takes us back into the details of that day. Joshua and Israel had to trust the Lord's timing. Earlier, in chapter 2, Joshua had sent two spies into Jericho, where they stayed with Rahab. Through her they learned that all the people of Jericho were terrified of Israel because they had heard what God did at the Red Sea—shockwaves that hadn't faded in forty years. Yet they also felt safe behind the overflowing banks of the Jordan. It's an interesting dichotomy: they were both afraid of Israel's God and confident in the raging river.

You'd think the first thing on Israel's list would be to march straight into Jericho while the enemy was shaking in their boots. Any strategic army would. But God had other plans. Sometimes we get upset with God because He has us moving stones around when we want to be at war. He has you doing what seems menial when you'd rather do something great, and you feel stuck. But be obedient where you are. Listen to the voice of the Lord, and He will bless that. We too easily tell God where we ought to be instead of saying, "God, You have me here—help me be faithful right where I am," even if that means carrying stones out of a riverbed.

God Desires That His People Remember His Faithfulness

The second lesson is that God desires His people to remember His faithfulness. Picture it: at God's command, the priests step into the overflowing Jordan, and the instant their feet touch the water it stops. Upstream a wall of water builds; downstream it recedes, leaving dry land. The priests march to the middle of the riverbed and stand there as all the people, the cattle, the families pass by in haste. Then twelve men come back and gather twelve stones, carrying them out on their shoulders. The priests still don't move. Finally Joshua sets up twelve stones right where the priests stood, in the lowest, most dangerous part of the river.

Why gather the rocks? First, in obedience to God. But God also knew His people would forget. There had to be a physical memorial—something that would make people ask, "Why are those stones there?" Kids are great at asking questions. My two-and-a-half-year-old never stops, and that gives parents an opportunity throughout their children's lives to reveal how God has been faithful. Even after witnessing a whole river standing still, Israel would forget. So God said, "Set up a memorial. When you look at these stones, remember that I parted these waters and brought you from the land of judgment to the land of blessing—and there was no way across except by My power."

I have been to the Jordan River and even been baptized in it. Where I was, it might be 75 feet across—more of a stream than a river. But at the place most agree Israel crossed, the normal width was about 100 feet, and at flood stage, with the springtime rains overflowing the banks, it would have been about a mile wide. Imagine that—a 156-mile river stopped, a mile-wide flood crossed on dry ground. It was an impassable feat without the power of God. A raging river means death. I've gone whitewater rafting on the Nile in Africa, and outside the raft, without a life vest, it's deadly. For Israel the river truly represented death—until the priests dipped their toes and it stopped.

What was the purpose of the stones? To remind Israel and the generations to follow that they had not crossed by their own might, strategy, wisdom, or ability. No floaties, no boats—only the miracle-working power of God. The wonderful works God does are worthy to be treasured in our memories and passed from generation to generation. The Bible is the most significant book that ever has been or ever will be; it has endured generations and changed the world. We have an obligation at Cross Connection Church to faithfully preach it from generation to generation.

A physical monument catches your attention and begs for explanation. Why do we have Arlington National Cemetery? To remember fallen soldiers and to never want such a war again. Why Mount Rushmore? Because those men did significant things worthy to be remembered. Here it's the same, except it's God we remember—His power displayed in twelve stones, representing the unity and completeness of the twelve tribes.

Built in Obedience to the Word

The stones were set up in obedience to Moses' commands. In Deuteronomy 27:2–8 Moses told the people:

When you cross the Jordan River and enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write this whole body of instruction on them... When you cross the Jordan, set up these stones at Mount Ebal, and coat them with plaster, as I am commanding you today.

The people did all that Moses had told them. Joshua was completely obedient. Joshua 4 continues:

For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua... The people passed over in haste... About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle to the plains of Jericho. On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses... And as soon as the priests... came up out of the riverbed, the waters of the Jordan returned and overflowed its banks as before.

The people were obedient to follow everything Moses had commanded, because Moses' commands came from God. They were being faithful to God through Moses.

Blessing Requires Obedience and Remembrance

The third lesson, a vital one, is that stepping into the fullness of God's blessing requires obedience and remembrance. When we remember the crossing, we must also remember the obedience of those who crossed. They didn't just cross and feel relieved; they realized they needed to do everything God told them, down to the period at the end. If your heart today is to be obedient to God, He will bless that.

Look at two groups. The priests did not move from the center of the Jordan the entire time, waiting as hundreds of thousands passed before them. It's a beautiful picture of standing in the gap, in the most dangerous, lowest place—where if the water came down, they'd be first to go. They didn't act on their own impulses but waited patiently for God's timing. Their faithfulness challenged me deeply as I studied this.

Then there are the people, who crossed in haste. The ark, symbolizing God's presence, was in the middle of the river holding the waters back, so they crossed quickly—and understandably anxiously—with a wall of water building on one side. They weren't looking for treasures under the water; they got to the other side. And they did it in obedience. Hebrews 3:15 says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." This new generation listened and obeyed.

And if you think crossing the river and gathering stones was the hard part, wait until next week, when we'll see what God tests them with in chapter 5—right before battle, He commands something that would weaken them. They passed this test; they saw God's power displayed and they obeyed.

Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me." No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. There is a remembering and there is an obeying—actually walking through the Jordan with your feet. That's the hard place to be obedient: trusting God into the unknown, fully reliant on Him, on a path made by God alone. If you believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and His Spirit dwells in you, listen to His voice, remember it, and then walk in it. The Holy Spirit empowers us to walk in obedience today.

Our Stones of Remembrance Today

What are some stones of remembrance we have today? I can think of two ordinances we practice that serve like Joshua's stones. The first is baptism. Baptism represents that we were all dead in our trespasses and sins but have been made alive in Christ—we went into the depths of that Jordan, into death, and came out alive, just as Israel walked into the river of death and came out alive. It's significant that the Jordan is where Jesus Himself was baptized, where the Spirit descended like a dove, and where John the Baptist baptized—probably very close to where Israel crossed. John even told the Pharisees that God could make stones come alive, perhaps echoing these very stones of remembrance.

The second ordinance is communion. Communion is not just a cracker and grape juice; it represents the body of Christ broken for us and His blood poured out as the propitiation for all our sins.

The Day That Pointed to the Passover

The timing matters too. Israel crossed on the tenth day of the first month—the day they would begin preparing for the Passover. Four days before the lamb was slaughtered, they were to choose a lamb from the flock, blameless and without blemish, and examine it for four days before sacrificing it. It is significant that the very first thing God had Israel do in the promised land was remember how He delivered them from bondage in Egypt, when His judgment passed over their houses because of the blood of the lamb on their doors. God was saying, "Don't forget where you came from. Don't forget My faithfulness."

When we are first saved, we are so thankful and joyful for freedom from the weight of sin's guilt. But over time we forget the joy of our salvation—how quickly we forget the miracle of being delivered from the land of judgment into the promised land. And ultimately this all points to Jesus. Joshua is a foreshadowing of Christ, who was the sacrificial Lamb—chosen, examined, declared without fault as He went from official to official who said, "I find no blame in him." And yet He was sacrificed on the cross for your sins and mine. One name on His mind as the nails were driven was Garrett Hatch—and I never want to forget that.

Standing in the Gap

As I studied the faithfulness of those priests, I was struck that they didn't budge on their own inclination—when God said go in, they went in; when He said come out, they came out. They stood in the gap between the land of judgment and the land of blessing, beckoning the people across the dry land while they stood firm, because the Lord had made a way.

Pastors today need to be busy proclaiming that God has made a way—from death to life, a way to be reconciled with Almighty God, a way to receive eternal life, a way to become the men and women God created us to be. That way is Jesus Christ and His cross. As I reflected on God's faithfulness in my own life, I realized this week marks my fifth anniversary as an ordained pastor. Five years ago, on March 25th, the pastors and elders of this church laid hands on me and ordained me. Four years before that, in November 2014, a man I had never met prophetically told me I would be a pastor one day. I wrote it down—I encourage you to write these things down—and in 2018 I was ordained. Five years later, the faithfulness of God in my life is just as powerful as ever.

I am still here, more convinced than ever of the significance of standing at the foot of the cross and pointing people to it as the only way to eternal life, the only way to be reconciled with God—the parting of the Jordan, the way from the land of judgment to the land of blessing. I will continue to stand in the gap, as will the other pastors here, on the word of God at the foot of the cross.

Be the Salt and Light

I also believe in the priesthood of all believers—that we are to be the salt and light of the world. The light seems to be dimming as more people embrace atheism, agnosticism, or other religions. The spiritual warfare has picked up like I've never seen; the devil is at work and has infiltrated churches and pastors' lives. We need to be on our knees thanking God that He's made a way and asking Him to fill us with His Spirit, for when we are weak, He is strong.

The identities the world tells you to take on will leave you empty, but the way of the cross leads to eternal life—rivers of living water pouring out of you. Taste and see that the Lord is good. People who have lost their purpose can find new life in Christ. As Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." At the foot of the cross we will continue to stand, and we will not budge.

So think about what God has done in your life—His faithfulness, His answers to prayer—and commit to remember and to share His great works. The same God who parted the Jordan is at work in you and me, and the same kind of miracles are possible today. Don't put Him in a box. Israel was obedient, they remembered, they trusted His timing. If you feel stuck today, perhaps you need to remember the faithfulness of God.

Closing Prayer

Father God, I pray and ask that Your Spirit be poured out among Your people. Lord, as we stand in the gap, beckoning people to come to the cross, the only way they can cross the uncrossable path from death into life is through Jesus Christ. The only way they can be made new is through Jesus Christ. The only way they can become the men and women they're called to be is through Jesus Christ. Help us, Lord, to be the salt and the light of the world. For all who are doubting, for all who need to be reminded of the joy of their salvation, renew that joy. Remind them of the great things You've done, the faithfulness in their lives, that You have been faithful to accomplish what they needed. Lord, don't let us grow weary or lazy in the land of blessing. The first thing the Israelites had to do in the land of blessing was go to war, and Father, there is a spiritual battle over our minds and souls. Help us in that battle. Help us in endurance and strengthen us right now, as we know You are victorious, and there is no God like You. Amen.