The power of recollection

Joshua Chapter Four

Joshua 3:4

• “However, there shall be between you and it (the Ark of the Covenant) a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

Joshua 3:4

• “However, there shall be between you and it (the Ark of the Covenant) a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

What should these people been busy doing?

• First preparing a memorial pursuant to God’s and Joshua’s instructions

• Secondly it should be a time of inventorying the lives of the people

• Thirdly celebrating who and what their God is

• And finally checking the people’s source of spiritual power

Why Stack Stones

• God directed them to do it• God did not want His people to begin the conquest

of the promised Land, unprepared• He wanted them to focus on Him and remember who

was going to guide them throughout this military campaign

• Just because you are doing “God’s work” doesn’t mean that you don’t need to set aside quiet moments to be close to God and to recollect what He has done

• The memorial was to be a constant reminder of what God had done

Should We Stack Stones?• Effective leaders look for ways to use the successes of

today to empower their followers to face the challenges of tomorrow

• For Joshua the effect of what God had done at the Red Sea was still very real, but for most of his people that was not the case

• Joshua recognized that the miracle of crossing the Jordan would have a strong effect upon those who walked on the dry riverbed themselves

• He also knew that same dimming of memories would occur in relation to the crossing of the Jordan River as the generations passed, and he sought to counteract that

Should We Stack Stones?• To counteract that diminishing effect, he had the

“stones of remembrance” placed in a special location in Gilgal

• These stones worked as “handles” to help the people to grab hold of God’s vision for His nation

• These handles would also help the people pass that vision on to future generations

• During our times of worship, we should include time for recollection of what God has done for us, our family, our church, our community and our nation

This memorial was not just for Israel

• The Canaanites were aware of the memorial and what Israel’s God had done

• This now gave them a reminder that Israel’s God is the only God who should be worshiped, loved and obeyed

These stones were designed to stimulate the teaching of one generation by its predecessor

• Faith in God must be taught• That teaching is part of God’s cultivation

process• Faith generates obedience to God’s

instructions• The power of God and the need to fear God,

must also be taught

Consider Joshua

• Joshua stood for the proposition that doing right is more important than doing well

• That is an earmark of those who practice radical obedience

Final Thoughts• We need to develop handles in our lives so that we

can be reminded of God’s gracious provision, but also so we can tell our children and grandchildren about what He has done

• Verse 8 starts off saying: “and the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua had commanded . . . .”

• This demonstrates for us their commitment to radical obedience

• Immediate, unconditional, complete and consistent

Final Thoughts• What would you think of planing a

family gathering time, either soon, or maybe waiting until Thanksgiving, and asking each family member to bring a list of 3, 5 or 7 things that God has done in your family to bless it, protect it or to provide for it, that should always be remembered and then shared with future family members