Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Many people have been remembering the Aberfan disaster this week
• The pulling together of the community
• The fortitude of the people fighting the Coal board (till justice was finally done)
• The garden of peace
•  Chapter 4 is about a memorial
• Joshua sets up 12 stones in Gilgal
• To remind them that the Lord opened the waters of the Red Sea and the River Jordan
• That all walked over on dry ground
• The people did not set up a statue to Moses
• There is none of this in the Bible - we do not idolise people
• There stones were just simple stones piled up
• The people did not remember a man but God
• Overview:
• What do these stones represent?
• Why the need for them?
• What is the significance for us today?

What do these stones represent?

Unity

• A sign of the unity of God's people
• v2, 4-5, 12-13
• Set up on the side and the centre of the river
• It was where the ark was stationed
• It was a reminder of God's covenant with His people - with God at the centre
• It was God who led them through
• United in purpose:
• To inherit the place that God had promised to Abraham
• To the place of rest
• To destroy idolatory
• This teaches us:
• The importance of unity in God's people
• Where there is unity there is blessing
• Think of Pentecost

Faith and Obedience of the People

• A sign of the faith and obedience of God's people
• v10
• God had instructed Moses, Moses had instructed Joshua, Joshua had instructed the people
• The people were not rebellious but
• As the priests feet touched the water - they parted
• As the priests left the water - it returned
• This teaches us:
• That God blesses obedience
• We cannot expect God to lead and guide us if we are not trusting Him or obedient to His word
• God does bless people despite them
• God honours people as they trust and obey
• Prov 3:5-6

A Testimony to the Power of God

• A Testimony to the Power of God
• v6-7, 21-23
• The stones are a memorial to the faithfulness and power of God
• It would even speak to the nations
• Not only to Israel, but the nations around
• It is easy for us to try and rob God of His credit

Why the need for them?

To remind themselves

• Couldn't they just have remembered?
• God understands the deceitfulness of our hearts
• In times of prosperity it is easy to be coming puffed up and self-reliant
• Deut 8:11-13,17
• Be careful of these days
• Samuel sets up a stone for remembrance to what God has done
• The Lord wants us to remember Him
• Joshua set up 3 memorials
• Gilgal - Chapter 4 - the faithfulness of God
• Valley of Achor - Chapter 7 - the Wrath of God
• Shechem - Chapter 24 - a witness to the people (of their pledge to God)
• The memorial a Gilgal was to be forever (v7, 24)
• It points them in an emphatic way to the faithfulness of God

To remind their children

• To remind their children
• v6, 21
• To remind their children of all that God has done

What is the significance for us today?

• Great care in this area
• Always recount what God has done in the past
• Maybe to hold special meetings to remember special occasions
• The 1904 revival
• The reformation
• We need to have books that are written lest we forget
• Our children need to be taught what God has done
• We need teaching on certain subjects
• We need to know what God has done in the past to give us hope for the future
• If the world can remember Aberfan, surely the Church of Jesus Christ needs to remember the mighty acts of God
• We must remember the one who is far greater
• The Lord Jesus Christ
• He has given us a memorial service - simple visual aids of bread and wine
• The greatest Ebenezer we can raise is to remember Christ and thank Him for all He has done
• Not to forget Him (2 Peter 1)
• Remember Christ