Title: To Build a Monument? Why?
Contents
You want to build a monument? Why?
2007. 9. 16. / Jeon Hyo-sik
Text: Joshua 4:19-24
Introduction
1. Crossing the Jordan River
The Israelites stayed in front of the Jordan River to enter the land of Canaan. However, the time the Israelites stayed in the Jordan River was the time of harvesting barley and wheat, so the water level was high. So it was impossible for over two million Israelites to cross the river safely. But God performed a miracle that made it possible to cross the Jordan River. God told the disciples to carry the ark of the covenant and to dip their feet in the Jordan River. Then the Jordan River stopped in the distance. The floor gradually dried up, and the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood in the middle of the Jordan River. The Israelites were amazed by God's miracles and crossed the Jordan River, praising God.
When crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites crossed in an orderly manner. Originally, the Israelites did not mix in disorder when they walked through the wilderness. Based on the tabernacle, the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali were in order to the north, the tribes of Gad, Simeon, and Reuben to the south, the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon to the east, and the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin to the west in that order. is hitting They moved in this shape, and camped in this shape. However, there were two changes when crossing the Jordan River. One is that the Ark of the Covenant in the middle took the lead first, and the other was that the men who could participate in the war among the half tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh took the lead next to the Ark of the Covenant with armed men. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were the tribes that had already occupied the land east of the Jordan River and promised to take the lead in fighting when they conquered the land west of the Jordan River. That is why it took the lead after the ark of the covenant.
Main subject
2. Bring the stones
After all the people had crossed over, God gave Joshua a command. The command was to select one man from each of the 12 tribes and bring a large stone to the place where the priest stood. He said that he would put the stone in a place where they would encamp. So Joshua chose a man from each tribe to bring a stone. The people from each tribe searched for stones in the middle of the Jordan River that were long and that could be put on the ground. Those who found such stones carried them over their shoulders and climbed across the Jordan River. Then he placed the stone in the center of each tribe's camp.
Meanwhile, Joshua erected another 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River, where the priests were carrying the Ark of the Covenant. And Joshua told the priests to come out of the river. Then the priests came out of the river, and as soon as they stepped on the dry land by the river, the river overflowed again as before they had crossed it. After this series of events, all the people of Israel greatly admired Joshua, and came to respect Joshua as they did Moses.
3. Why Bring Stones and Build Monuments
However, we find something questionable here. Why on earth did God tell him to bring 12 stones from the Jordan River, and why did he put 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River? Let's read v21 together. “Joshua said to the Israelites, ‘In the future, your children will ask their father, ‘What are these stones? If you ask me,” next verse 24. “The Lord has done this so that all the peoples on the earth may know that the Lord is foresight with great power. And so that you will always serve Jehovah God.” It is said.
That's right. The most fundamental reason for erecting these stones to create a monument is to make the people of Israel always fear God. The purpose of this monument is to make the descendants of Israel remember who God is and to fear God in the end. Through the monument, it is to remind us that God has great power, so that we can always fear God. However, in the easy Bible we have, v24 says “to serve God”, but the original text says “to fear God”. So, what does it mean to fear God? What kind of attitude do we have toward God to fear God?
4. What does it mean to fear God?
The word awe appears a lot in the Bible. However, when expressing fear in English, it is expressed as fear. So, does reverence mean to fear God? That's right. To fear is to fear. But what if we fear God? What if we fear God? We will not come before God. They will be reluctant to meet God because they are afraid of God. God really wants us to come to Him. But God wants us to fear Him. If we want to come to God and we want to fear Him, then God is a bit harsh. Who would be willing to approach a terrifying, dreadful God?
Those who do not fear God will never obey God. Because I think I am high. But those who fear God have no choice but to obey God. Because they think that only God is high. Therefore, to fear God is to exalt only God and humble ourselves and fear that our position will change. And God-fearing people can obey God and pray, and He opens the way for those who cling to God and pours out a lot of grace.
conclusion
In medieval European monasteries, they tried to make disciples. The first gateway was 'planting cabbage'. However, the abbot ordered the cabbage roots to be planted facing the sky. Wouldn't it be common sense for the plant to grow well by burying its roots in the ground? But the abbot had ordered the ideal. Anyway, two young men who wanted to become disciples went to the field. One young man planted the cabbage with the roots facing the sky as the abbot said, and the other young man planted the cabbage roots with the ground facing the opposite direction. The abbot looked at the cabbage planted and called the second young man to say, "A smart man like a young man should live alone. You may be qualified as a teacher, but not as a disciple." Then the abbot said to the second man: “Obedience is the first condition to be a disciple. ”