7.24.26 – The Book of Joshua, Chapter 4

 We continue our studies in Joshua, Joshua chapter 4. One of the misconceptions that we have within evangelical Christianity today is that what we call the Old Testament is old and the New Testament is new, when in actuality, Yeshua Himself said that not one jot or one tittle would pass away from the law until everything was fulfilled. If we were to do a good examination of the Torah and the prophets—literally known as the Tanakh, the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim, the first five books, the prophets, and all the writings—we find that there are still so many prophecies, up to 500 prophecies, that still need to take place before the return of the Messiah.

So it's very difficult for us to make the statement, "That was old, and this is new." But yet, the reality is, what we call the new is constantly referencing us back. The Apostle Paul, when he speaks about the race that we run in 1 Corinthians 9, beginning in verse 24 and going through chapter 10, verse 12, is all likened to the journey of the children of Israel, with a warning that we would not fall short of the Promised Land, as the children of Israel, the first generation, did. In 1 Corinthians 10, verse 6, and 1 Corinthians 10, verse 11—the warning not to fall short of that. Hebrews gives us seven warnings that tells us, be careful that you don't fall short of the land of your inheritance—the land that was promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And through the Messiah, Yeshua, being Abraham's seed, if anybody is in Christ, Galatians 3, verse 29, then they are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. God promised Abraham back in Genesis chapter 12, chapter 15, chapter 17, and chapter 22. He promised a land, a land of inheritance. This is what the book of Joshua is about.

The first five books of the Torah give us the instructions on how to journey through the wilderness while we're in exile outside of the land. The Book of Joshua transitions. It moves away from the open miracles to now greater participation. Participation that means there's a land to fight for. There's a concept that we need to keep in our minds, and that concept is there's work to be done. It doesn't come from the simplicity of just saying, "I accept Jesus into my heart." The inheritance is much more than that. And as we journey through the Book of Joshua, I hope that you will have truths unveiled to you that will give you practical examples of how to put on the armor of God.

Because you see, the armor of God wasn't necessary during the wilderness because they weren't fighting for the land. They had the protection, the cloud, the water, bread that came from heaven, Moses, clothes not wearing out, people not being sick—all of the benefits, all the miraculous signs that they had, were literally the creature comforts of the Comforter being provided for them to take them to their destiny according to Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 23. The reason why God took us out of Egypt was to take us into the land of our inheritance, the Promised Land. Today, we have very little attention given to the truths of the Promised Land. But the book of Joshua, the book of Judges, the books of Samuel, the book of the Kings, the Chronicles, etc., will give us more insight into those as we continue to keep moving forward.

In chapter 4, the miracles of moving through the river have now come to a close. In chapter 4, we find that there's a command that is given. The command is that they are to take 12 stones out of the river and they're to place them on the dry land as a memorial. After the miracles, there is a responsibility. And that responsibility is to set up something that will be a memorial, something that will remind us of this great event. Just as God dried up the Sea of Reeds, commonly known as the Red Sea, and they went across as on dry ground, so too the River Jordan has parted, the waters have built up like a heap. And Joshua wants to make sure, through the command of the Lord, that they won't forget this destiny back into the Promised Land.

From Egypt into the wilderness is a picture of exile. From the wilderness into the Promised Land—this is a return from exile into the Promised Land, the land of the inheritance, the land that is promised, the land that has to be fought for. So when Joshua chapter 4 continues to go on, he tells us in verses 6 and 7, the reason why I want you to take these stones is because we need to make sure that this is a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, "What do you mean by these stones?" Then you shall answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. When it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.

We live in a time when questions are encouraged, but deep questions that test our faith, that question the belief systems we've often had passed down—the children asking the fathers and mothers difficult questions beyond denominational lines of thinking—are almost unheard of. It's just, "Do what you're told and everything will be fine because we are doing what's right." Well, that's a mindset that's rampant around the world. Just do what's culturally acceptable, do what everybody else does, and that'll be fine. The Baptists look like the Baptists, the Methodists look like the Methodists, the Church of Christ look like the Church of Christ, the Assemblies of God, the Pentecostals, the Nazarenes, the Catholics—everybody looks like their specific division, their specific group. And of course, they are correct. Ironically, the majority of groups in Evangelical Christianity miss the whole point of Scripture: it is not to die to go to heaven. That's never emphasized in the Word of God. And when I say never, I mean never. And when the land of inheritance is spoken of, that's very seldom ever dealt with. We kind of just insert the word "heaven" for the land of our inheritance. But Abraham was never promised heaven. He was promised a land. I didn't say there's not a heaven. I just said that's not the destination. If we want to spend an eternity with the Messiah, Yeshua, as His bride, He's going to be ruling and reigning from Jerusalem. It's probably good for us to ask questions, to increase our faith.

You know, redemption is built on memory. It's important to know where you've come from. If you preserve your memory, you will preserve your identity. Now, what's interesting is these 12 stones that were taken from the River Jordan and placed on the land—there was a command that Joshua gives that God didn't give. In verse 9, "And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bear the Ark of the Covenant stood, and they are there to this day." It wasn't commanded. And so why would Joshua do that? I think there's a significant truth. And the truth is not everything that's done has to be visible. Some things are hidden because once the children of Israel crossed the River Jordan, then the waters went back and they covered everything. And those 12 stones which were taken from the land, they were never to be seen again. Interesting, isn't it?

On that day when Joshua had that done, verse 14: "On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life." So after the children of Israel went through the Sea of Reeds, also known as the Red Sea, they feared Moses, and they believed in Moses from Exodus chapter 14, verse 31. Now, the crossing of the River Jordan—the new deliverer, the Messiah figure, Joshua, Yehoshua—now he is feared as Moses was all the days of his life. And so the people came out of the River Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. And the reason why God had them do this was for a significant reason. Verse 24: "that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you might fear the Lord your God forever." See, a lot of Scripture focuses on that the children of Israel would know or the Egyptians would know. But this happened so that all the world would know. Have you crossed the River Jordan? It's not dying. It's actually living and going to fight for the land so that all the world may know that there's only one God. 

Shalom, 
Alan