Sermon Tone Analysis

Joshua 4:1-24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 1999

Anzac Day Holiday

 

Every year we celebrate a number of public holidays.

One of them is Anzac Day.

The government of Australia instituted this holiday so that we would not forget the men who died on our behalf.

They gave their lives so that the world would remain free from tyranny.

We have special services to honour these men who fought for king and country.

By doing this we keep alive their heroic deeds.

In fact the words/ " Lest We Forget "/ are repeated every year so that we won't forget them.

The 11 th of November is Remembrance Day and has a similar purpose.

The minute's silence encourages us to remember those who died in the Great War.

I am sure that without such holidays we would soon forget the sacrifices these brave men.

Introduction

 

Last Sunday we saw that God goes before His people.

He commanded the children of Israel to follow Him.

We observed how they were to be fully committed to the Lord and exercise faith in Him.

Because they obeyed God, He worked mightily on their behalf and the Jordan River stopped flowing allowing them to cross over on dry land.

Today the writer of Joshua continues to describe the crossing, adding important details not mentioned previously.

He does not describe the events in chronological order, but emphasises one main point as he goes.

God wanted them to remember what He had done for them.

People so easily forget God's past goodness to them.

*/So Joshua told Israel to, " Remember The Lord! "/*

 

There are three main points that come from this passage:

 

I.

The Miracle - History Of Israel's Salvation

II.

The Monuments - For Israel's Future Generation

III.

The Message - Israel's Continuous Declaration

 

Chronological Order Of The Crossing

 

1.

The priests carrying the ark of the covenant stepped into the edge of the Jordan River.

2.      The waters of the Jordan were cut off at the city of Adam, some 16 miles upstream.

3.      The priests with the ark of the covenant stayed in the river bed till all Israel crosses.

4.      The 40, 000 armed soldiers from Reuben, Gad and Manasseh went over before Israel.

5.      All Israel passed over the Jordan River next.

6.

The 12 men, one from each tribe went last carrying a stone from the river bed.

7.

Joshua set up a memorial of twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan River.

8.      Joshua commanded the priests carrying the ark to come up out of the River.

9.      The River began to flow as soon as the priests feet touch the dry land.

10.

They set up camp for the first night at Gilgal.

11.  Joshua set up the second memorial of twelve stones at Gilgal.

12.  Joshua instructed the people of their significance

*/ /*

*/Firstly we observe  /*I.

The Miracle - History Of Israel's Salvation

*Joshua 3:17 says:*/ Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

/

 

We saw how God acted mightily to meet the needs of His people.

They were unable to enter the land of Canaan because the Jordan River was flooded.

In this chapter the writer covers much of the same material but with a totally different purpose.

Chapter 3 emphasised the fact that God would go before them and lead them into victory.

Chapter 4 highlights that God went before them and miraculously met their need.

This chapter commands Israel to remember this*/ miracle /*of God's salvation and faithfulness.

Much of what is written shows the fulfilment of previous promises made by God and the 2 1~/2 tribes of the Transjordan.

I would like to draw out some important points the author of Joshua reveals in these verses.

Two things stand out, /1.

The Crossing Order, 2. The Crossing Over./

 

a.

The Crossing Order  -  /The order of the people crossing over is very significant.

/

 

*Firstly* the */ark of the covenant/* went into the Jordan River.

As we noted last week God led them across the Jordan into enemy territory.

God went before them and they were to follow Him.

Primarily the battle for Canaan was a spiritual one and God would drive out the enemy.

*Secondly *the */priests/* carrying the ark lead the way as God had commanded them to.

This further highlights the fact that the battle for Canaan was primarily spiritual.

The priests were the spiritual leaders of the nation, and they stepped out in faith before all the people.

*Third* to cross were */forty thousand soldiers/* prepared for battle.

We read this in *Joshua 4:12-13: */And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over *armed *before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.

About forty thousand *prepared for war* crossed over before the LORD *for battle*, to the plains of Jericho.

/Israel was lead across by forty thousand men armed for battle.

We should not miss this point.

They were prepared to protect the people if the enemy should attack.

This was in obedience to the command given by Moses and confirmed by Joshua [Joshua 1:14].

They also showed the inhabitants of the land their intention to conquer them.

/ /

 

*Fourth,* */all the people/* crossed over in orderly file, probably in their clans and tribes.

*Joshua 4:11 says: * /Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.

/

 

The *last *group to cross over were */12 chosen men/*, one from each tribe to take a stone from the middle of the Jordan River.

*Joshua 4:1-5* says this: /And it came to pass, when all the people were completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: /

In *Joshua 3:12* we read that Joshua chose these men, but we were not told about their task at that time.

These 12 men representing the 12 tribes collected stones to erect a memorial for the all of Israel.

Their task was important, so they preceded the people.

/ /

After all the people were across the Jordan River God commanded that the priests come up out of the river bed.

*Joshua 4:15-19 says:*/ Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, " Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan."

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up from the Jordan."

And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

/ 

 

b.

The Crossing Over -  /Israel entered into new life in Canaan./

Because God /miraculously/ cut off the Jordan River the Children of Israel were able to cross over and begin a new life in the land of Canaan.

God had /saved/ them out of bondage in Egypt and lead them through the Red Sea to the borders of Canaan.

He never intended that they should wander in the wilderness for forty years.

He desired that they immediately /enter into a life of faith/.

But they would not and rebelled against Him through unbelief.

Now at last they had crossed over from their/ old life in the flesh/ into a /new life of faith/ in Canaan.

God 's miracle had made it possible for them to cross over into new life.

There could be no going back to their old life now.

The Jordan River returned to its previous position of overflowing its banks.

They must depend on God now and go forward by faith.

Illustration - He Paid The Toll

 

The story is told of a family who were about to cross Mackinac Bridge into Michigan's Upper Peninsula when a wild storm hit.