Queen Elizabeth the second will be remembered for centuries to come. She has already been memorialized in stamps, coins, paintings, and statues, not to mention the countless mugs, plates, and tea towels! I’m sure a new statue or two will be commissioned as further memorials. She will be written about in the history books. What will she be remembered for? Her record long 70-year reign, her stability, her Christmas messages, her poise, humour, smile, her sacrifice, and I hope her unswerving Christian faith.
It is important to remember significant people and events in our lives.
If you were to look at my left hand, what does the gold band tell you about me? It’s a symbol of my marriage to Michael. And if you look at his hand you will see the same symbol, a reminder that he is married to me! It’s symbolic of a commitment, of promises made to one another. A promise of faithfulness.
If you were to walk up to the Domain and the Cenotaph – what would you see? A memorial reminding us of those who gave their lives in wars gone by. A reminder of sacrifice and hope for freedom. And we have special days to help us remember like Anzac Day.
As you look at a cross and as we partake in bread and wine at communion – what are we reminded of? Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we remember all he has done in his death and resurrection, saving us from slavery to sin and reconciling us to God our Father.
In today’s readings from Joshua 3 and 4, we see the importance of symbols of remembrance, reminding us of the powerfulness, greatness, goodness, faithfulness, and mercy of God.
God had spoken to Joshua, telling him to get ready to cross the Jordan River, he told him to be strong and courageous, that just like he had been with Moses he was going to be with him, he was not to be afraid.
Joshua had sent 2 spies over to suss out the situation and they had returned saying that the people of Jericho were “melting in fear of the Israelites”, they had heard the amazing things their God had done, including how the Lord had dried up the water of the Red Sea as they escaped Egypt.
After 40 years of wandering in the desert, the time had now come to cross the Jordan into the promised land. This is a climactic event to be remembered!
To the human eye this crossing may have appeared an impossible task as it was Springtime, and the Jordan was in flood…it would have been impassable for thousands of people to cross over with all their possessions.
But nothing is impassable/impossible for God! so now came the test of faith…
Joshua doesn’t delay any longer, after hearing the report from the spies we are told that; Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.
Officers went to everyone in the camps over 3 days making sure they were getting their possessions ready to cross and that they all given the same instructions. They were to follow the Levitical priests who would be carrying the ark of the covenant of God, that would be their guide as they crossed over, as they had never been this way before.
There is such rich symbolism in this. God had instructed Moses to build a tabernacle where the ark of the covenant was placed, this was God’s dwelling place, we read in Exodus how his glory filled the tabernacle. (We know, as did Moses, that God was not contained to a tent or a box, but his presence did fill the tent) Inside the ark, the tablets of the covenant law were placed, the ten commandments.
God told Joshua that the Levitical priests were to carry the ark into the Jordan River as a guide to the Israelites. God’s presence had always guided them on their journey from Egypt. A cloud by day and fire by night. After the building of the tabernacle whenever the cloud lifted from the tent, the Israelites would set out to travel, but if it did not lift, they did not set out. (Exodus 40)
God’s glory was once again going to lead their final journey into the promised land. His presence was their guide. He goes ahead of them to prepare the way. God travels ahead and with them, it is he who makes the passing possible.
Inside the ark are the ten commandments, another symbol of how they are to follow God and be guided by him. The Israelites were to be obedient to God’s law. This they failed time and time again, but with the ark of the covenant leading the way to the promised land they are reminded that they are to follow in God’s footsteps and keep his commands.
In Joshua one, God tells Joshua, along with the repetition of being strong and courageous, that he was to obey his law. From 1: verse 7…
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
In preparation for the crossing Joshua also tells the people to “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
More important than packing and organizing possessions, was the spiritual preparation. Their holy God, called his people to be holy like him, they needed to devote themselves to God as they prepared to follow him.
What did this consecration look like? Joshua doesn’t give us any specifics, but in Exodus 19 we read God telling Moses to consecrate the people before he descended on Mount Sinai in powerful glory. They were to wash their clothes, (and I imagine themselves!) and Moses told them to abstain from sexual relations. Once they were consecrated, God showed up in a mighty way.
God was about to do something amazing, and his people were to be spiritually ready, to be clean and focused on God alone. They were to dedicate themselves to him.
God wants us to be fully devoted to him also, so that we can see his glory, follow his commands, and be guided by his presence.
Joshua was fully committed to the Lord, clearly following the instructions he was being given. God tells Joshua that he will be exalted, just like Moses was as the people see what God is about to do. Joshua was close to God just like Moses and God spoke to him…
“Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant; ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’ waters, go and stand in the river.’”
We begin to see Joshua’s great faith and trust in God as he passes on these instructions, and the faith of the priests who obey him.
We are told that the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest, which is the time of the year they were crossing. Was it just a very deep full river, or perhaps swirling waters like the picture I have on the screen? Whatever it looked like, it was not just a little creek bed, or shallow stream.
It would have taken great faith for those priests to step into the waters. But they do it! And what happens when they step out in faith? We are told that…
As soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away…
God was doing his “amazing things” as the priests put their toes in the water. I wonder how they felt as they walked toward the edge, did they think Joshua was crazy, or did they hold on to the promises of God and remember the stories and songs that would have been told to them repeatedly by their parents, how God had parted the waters in another place many years ago.
Did they sing Moses and Miriam’s song to encourage their faith as they moved toward the river?
From Exodus 15, translated to this song I remember from my youth…
I will sing unto the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously, the horse and rider thrown into the sea…The Lord is God, and I will praise him, my father’s God and I will exalt him!!
Their faith must have soared as they stepped into the river and the waters banked up…you can imagine their voices exclaiming praise to Almighty God.
His presence was indeed with them, he was doing an amazing thing again, just like he had with Moses…
God is the Lord of all creation and commands the waters.
In the gospel story from Luke 8 today we heard how Jesus calms the wind and waves. The disciples in the boat were scared, and he asks them Where is your faith? Hopefully much increased after their experience!
Where is our faith?
Do we know that whatever is going on, no matter how scary, Jesus is in the boat with us?
If we hear him calling us into a new venture, perhaps to share our faith with a neighbour or friend, will we step forward and put our toes in the water, remembering that he has gone ahead and prepared the way?
Are we strong and courageous and bold in our faith, do we truly believe that God has chosen us to show the way of life, to be his ambassadors as Scott reminded us of last week from 2 Corinthians 5.
Queen Elizabeth was not shy about sharing her faith. Every Christmas message referenced Jesus and the Christian faith. Here is a quote from her 2016 speech… “Billions of people now follow Christ’s teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them because Christ’s example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love.”
And her last words in her final Christmas message 2021 were these… “Jesus whose teachings have been handed down from generation to generation, have been the bedrock of my faith. His birth marked a new beginning. As the carol says, ‘the hope and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight’.”
The Israelites were hopeless at remembering or trusting in God’s promises as we saw time and again in Exodus, even making an idol of a golden calf while Moses was up on the mountain with the Lord. So, it not surprising that God instructs Joshua to build a memorial to remember the miraculous crossing of the Jordan, bringing the Israelites over to the promised land.
Twelve men are asked to collect a stone each to build a memorial at the place where they camped on their first night. They were told to put the stones on their shoulders, so I think these were decent sized rocks or boulders to build an impressive memorial.
Twice in chapter 4 Joshua explains the reason for building the memorial. The 12 stones represent the 12 tribes, even those who decided to settle on the west side of the Jordan. God’s promises are for all people.
The stones, like the symbols of the Passover meal are a reminder to tell the stories of our great and merciful God to the generations to come. Joshua says this to the people after setting up the stones…
“In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”
Queen Elizabeth shared the story of the Christian faith and leaves an amazing legacy of faith and fortitude, grace, and service. She knew that she was under God’s reign and pointed people to Jesus, that they too may come to fear him.
What story are we sharing in our lives? When people look at us do they see God’s glory and likeness displayed in our faces? Do we tell the stories and share the good news of Jesus with our children and children’s children? Do we tell them the story of Jesus’ sacrifice, how he rescued us, so that through faith in him we can enter the eternal promised land and be with him forever?
When we partake of the bread and wine at communion, do we truly pause and remember what Jesus has done for us, so that it makes a difference in our lives?
As my wedding ring reminds me and tells others of my commitment to Michael, so may the symbols of our Christian faith remind us of Christ’s sacrifice and commitment to us and our commitment to him.
Let’s pray:
Lord God, we praise and thank you for your faithfulness, for fulfilling your promises to the Israelites as they crossed the Jordan River. Thank you for the promise we have in Jesus, thank you that we can celebrate what he has done for us in the breaking of bread and drinking of wine. I thank you that Jesus has gone ahead of us and made a way for us to enter into your presence and the eternal promised land. I pray that our lives will be a memorial to you, that like Queen Elizabeth we may witness to your grace and love and serve you in our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.