Stones Of Remembrance

Terry Siverd
07/12/20 - Sun AM

Link to sermon video: Stones Of Remembrance - T Siverd

Link to video: When The Jordan River Stopped For Joshua

STONES OF REMEMBRANCE

Sermon By Terry Siverd / July 12, 2020 / Cortland  Church of Christ

Due to an uptick in the virus, our Sunday AM Worship Gatherings have been suspended throughout the month of July.  While we are hoping for a resumption in August, plans remain tentative and will be reassessed at that time.

- - - - -

The Old Testament book that we call First Samuel tells the story of a time when the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant.  For the nation of Israel, the “ark” represented the glory of God equating with having the presence of Almighty Jehovah God in their midst.  Israel's enemies viewed the “ark” as being an amulet or talisman (a magical object insuring protection and victory).  To harness such would empower the possessor and leave their enemy disarmed.  It was a strategy that backfired on them.  Everywhere they took the Ark misfortune befell them.  cf. 1Sam.5 & 6.

The prophet Samuel spoke candidly to the nation of Israel about their need to return to the Lord.  This appeal demanded the removal of false gods (idols) from their households (1Sam.7:3-4).  How delightful it is to read in vs.8 that the people listened to Samuel and obeyed.  Samuel then called for a meeting of the nation of Israel at Mizpah.  Everyone fasted and prayed.  Meanwhile, the Philistine, having heard of this gathering, plotted an attack upon Israel (Sam.7:7).  The people became afraid and begged Samuel to keep praying to God for their safety.  God heard and answered their prayers, thundering to their rescue (1Sam.7:10).  God brought about the defeat of the Philistines.  Samuel took a stone and set it up...and named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.' (1Sam.7:12).  The above words are found in the hymn, O Thou Fount Of Every Blessing - - “Here I raise my ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I've come.” (2^nd stanza).  Notice, before we leave this story, that this ebenezer stone was a monument erected to remind the children of Israel that GOD was their helper.  Note also that this stone monument brought heartache as well as joy.  Whenever Israel would pass by this region and see this stone of remembrance, it would serve to remind them of two things:  that God was indeed their Helper … but also also that it was their sins that prompted the need for God's special help. 

This story reminds us of another that took place several years earlier.  The nation of Israel was about to cross the Jordan river so as to enter the promised land.  Finally after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness they would take occupancy of Canaan.  Open your Bibles to Joshua chapters 3 & 4.  Moses has died and Joshua is now the leader of the nation of Israel.  God laid out detailed specifications as to how they were to cross the Jordan river.  The Levitical priests were to carry the Ark.  Because the Ark was God in their midst, the people were forewarned to practice “sacred distancing” - - standing back 2,000 cubits (½ mile).  Typically, the Jordan river at this juncture was at most 100' wide & 10' deep (kind of like the Mahoning), but with spring thaws (Josh.3:15) the melting snow from Mount Herman and other mountain ranges caused it banks to overflowed, making it about 1 mile wide and 40' deep.  The priests were told to stand in the rivers' edge and wait, while they trusted God.

Josh.3:16 tells of a great miracle - - the waters of the Jordan ceased flowing.  Twenty or so miles upriver (at Adam near Zarethan) the waters suddenly rose in a heap.  Near Adam the river flowed southward thru a gorge abutted by steep cliffs.  Stephen Miller (see link) theorizes that an earthquake collapsed the cliffs, creating a dam.  This region is noted for earthquakes – the intersection of the African & Arabian Tectonic plates.  Interesting, Adam/Josh.3:16 is near Aenon/Jn.3:23), where John baptized:  because there was much water there.   Thus the river dried up permitting the nation of Israel to cross safely (some 2 million strong).  

Now, to hasten to the gist of our message this morning.

After this miraculous crossing, stones of remembrance were erected (Josh.4:3-5).  Twelve stones - - one representing each of the 12 Tribes of Israel.  Josh.4:6-7 reads - -  Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying,  'What do these stones mean...?'  cf. Josh.4:21 - - You can recite to them the events of this very unusual day.  So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.  These stones of remembrance spoke of happy days for the nation of Israel.  As God had parted the waters of the Red Sea on their release from Egyptian bondage (at the beginning of their journey), now God had provided a way for them to enter the promised land (at the end of their trek)!  Yet to speak of “happy memories” doesn't convey the full story.  The details of the event would have surely included why they were wanting to cross the Jordan in the first place and how long they had traveled to get there.  A full telling of their story would have necessitated that they reflect on their sinful behavior, which turned a not-so-difficult journey into a 40-year long wandering in the wilderness.

Stones of Remembrance can be very helpful in reminding us from whence we have come.  

I have visited Gettysburg.  It is a national historic cemetery filled with scores of statues - - one monument after another - - some for Union soldiers; some for Confederate soldiers.  Gettysburg is a sobering cemetery which reminds us of A BAD CROSSROAD in our nation's history.  As painful as it is to visit, I hope it remains for many generations to come.  Being a history buff, I have been somewhat agitated by numerous efforts to deface, dismantle and/or destroy historical monuments.  Such efforts have become more animated over the last decade, but they have exponentially intensified over the last few months.  A notable portion of these de-construction efforts is the work of indiscriminate mobs.   Just recently, at Wisconsin's state capital, violence erupted.  Two statues were torn down.  One of them, “Forward,” was erected in 1895 as a symbol of Wisconsin's progressive roots.  The other was a statue of Hans Christian Heg, a staunch abolitionist who fought for the Union and died in battle against the Confederacy.

Someone has wisely noted:  Those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it.

LIKE ANCIENT ISRAEL, WE, TOO, CAN BENEFIT GREATLY FROM STONES OF REMEMBRANCE.  Many of these statues and monuments that some want to eradicate remind us our some of our nation's great accomplishments, but they also frequently work to remind us of our sins of the past.  Such reminders are vitally important in helping to continue to shape our future for the better.  A brighter future is not built by tearing down the past.  We must continue to learn from the past.  

Dear Heavenly Father:    As our nation struggles to find peace and unity in the midst of racial strife, help us to soberly remember our past calamities and conflicts so as to learn from these painful lessons of history.  Help us to wisely and humbly look backward so that we might have better days ahead of us.  Through Christ, our Alpha & Omega, we pray.  Amen.