SCRIPTURE: Joshua 4:15-24
OBSERVATION:
1. The ark (the symbol of “God with us”) is at the center of this story. Where it goes, the people go. Where it goes, the waters part. When it leaves, the waters flow. The people are to keep a reverent distance from the ark. The memory stones are taken from where the ark is, in the center of the riverbed.
2. The message is not only for their children (descendants), but also for “all the peoples of the earth” (v.24). Keeping in mind God’s intention to bless all people through the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-13), this miracle was another evidence that God was in control. God is not trying to scare people, but to make them appreciate how greast and powerful He is, so that they may respect (worship, fear, reverence) Him.
3. The miracle was also to be a reminder for the Israelites as well, that they might always recognize Him as greater than all other gods (v.24). Unfortunately they forgot, and soon their were honouring and worshiping Baal (and sacrificing their children to Moloch at Tophet).
APPLICATION:
1. Our lives are directed by that which we focus on. If we focus on “God with us” (for us, that is Jesus) and all that He has done, is doing, then we will move in that direction and benefit from that focus. But if we focus on our circumstances (the scary waters of the Jordan, the big walls of Jericho, the size of the Canaanite armies, etc.), or if we are distracted by lesser pleasures, fears, ‘gods’, we will move in those directions, and soon be overwhelmed by them. Think of Peter, as long as he focused on Jesus, he was walking on the water. As soon as he started focusing on the waves, he started to sink.
2. How quickly I forget to focus on God, on what He has done for me, on how great He is (bigger than my circumstances). Even though I begin my day focusing on God, I quickly am distracted by the details and challenges of my day, and proceed to deal with them on my own (like crossing the Jordan at flood stage by myself). I need to be intentional (maybe I need to carry a memory stone)!
3. What has the Lord done for me? He has forgiven me, He has changed (and is still changing) me from the inside, He has used me to bless and help others, he has used my efforts to change lives, churches, communities. This is not boasting, because my efforts were not that impressive on their own, but with His help He has expanded their impact!
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for making me think about what You have done in my life, and for reminding me of the things that You have done in/through me. This focus is uplifting and encouraging, and reminds me that You can still do so much more in/through me, if I am willing. Here I am, Lord, Amen.
My comment is not specifically on today’s reading but more on all of the past week’s readings from Josuha. (I would write comments more often but my typing is poke and punch with one finger and takes quite long compared to you speed typers)
I have enjoyed this segment of devotions immensly ….never before have these readings from Joshua ignited my imagination like this time. Why?
1. God tells Jushua that Moses is dead and that now he is in charge. (imagine Joshua’s thought process as he thinks about trying to fill those big shoes of Moses)
2. God tells him that everything that he promised Israel thru Moses will be the same (try remembering all the great things he promised to Moses)
3. God tells Joshua to be strong and of good courage at least 3 times. (if God says it 3 times like that, maybe he means it and its key to the future ….)
4. He gets the backing of the people at the end of chapter 1. (he gets a verbal commitment from the people but the action in reality he still needs to see)
5. In chapter 2 (can you imagine being asked to be one of the 2 guys given the mission of spying out the land and especially the city of Jericho?And then of all places you end up going to the home of a prostitute? And then of all things….2 brave spys being saved by a hooker and even landing up making a deal with her about saving her and her family ….talk about making wild promises just to save your brave butt!)
6. Then in chapter 3, the incredible thought of crossing the Jordan river. (Imagine being an adventuresome teenager in the camp when the officers came and gave your family their instructions for when they saw the ark start to move ….talk about not being able to sleep because of the anticipation of the events you were going to see and be a part of…)
7. The twelve men taken from the tribes of Israel. (Imagine being one of those 12 guys chosen to watch the priests bear the ark of God into the water and actually seeing the water being cut off and standing as a heap….and then watching all your friends and family walk by safely through the river bed……the awesome sight that must have been)
8. Taking the stones from the middle of the mighty river. (imagine being one of the persons carrying a stone to be placed on the shore and having the reasons for doing so entrusted to you ….the responsibilty of passing on the legacy of what God did there on that day)
9. Verse 14 of chapter 4 ….God exalting Joshua in the sight of all Israel. (Imagine being affirmed by God in the calling that he has given you ….oh..goose bumps everywhere.)
10. And we haven’t even gotten to the part about Jericho yet …….