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Howdy, everyone. If you would turn in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 4, we're going to be looking at verses 19 through 24. If you were to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City today, you'd come across a painting that is 21 feet in width and 12 feet in height.

People are often shocked by its imposing size, but more so by its brilliant portrayal of a very famous moment in history. In this painting, you would find your eye directed to the central subject of this composition. It is one of a uniformed man standing in a small vessel, who is clearly depicted in this painting as the valiant and brave, courageous leader of a young nation.

The painter really brings to life the scene before the beholder's eyes by his use of dramatic lighting and contrasting colors and his use of perspective to add depth. Following this man's vote, or many others, they seem to blur together as they disappear into the horizon. The scene is that of a river crossing.

At first glance, it seems to be an accurate portrayal of a very cold and icy night when a group of soldiers are crossing, but upon closer examination, we find some rather unfitting characters in the scene. You see, the painter took the liberty to add some non-military figures in the scene.

Man's vessel to really capture the magnitude of this event. For this uniformed man was not simply leading a military force, but the future of a nation, the future of a people. Well, you may have guessed it by now. I'm talking about the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. It's an event well known to many of us, and it's a painting that's in just about every U.S.

history book. The painting depicts one of three crossings that were part of a surprise attack on Haitian forces stationed at Trenton, New Jersey. Washington led the Continental Army across that freezing river Christmas night amidst the harsh realities of an army weakened by illness, a lack of confidence in Washington, and a lack of loyalty by some.

The plan was brave and brilliant. This Battle of Trenton would not only provide the Patriots with their first victory, but it would seal the confidence of the Patriots in Washington. This Battle of Trenton would not, or Emmanuel Lutz, the artist behind this great painting. He created this work of art in order to really crystallize Washington's commendable leadership and to create a sense of unity among future admirers.

And to this day, the painting still captivates Americans and foreigners alike and gives them the opportunity to ponder the rich history of this great nation. Well, our text in Joshua today is in some ways similar to this account. But it really differs in that the reality presented to us in this historical account of Israel.

Is far more glorious in imposing on the lives of those within the account and upon us as partakers of God's word. I chose verses 19 through 21 because it really encapsulates and concludes the whole narrative of the Jordan River crossing, and it gives us the why and the how of this great miracle.

So please follow along as I read the word of God, beginning in verse 19. The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho, and those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.

And he said to the people of Israel, When your children ask their fathers in times to come, what do these stones mean? Then you shall let your children know, Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground, for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.

Verse 19 really gives us the context for what is going on in verses 20 through 24. So before we jump in, I want to give you a brief recap on the events leading up to this in order that you may understand the gravity of what God is doing in the nation of Israel.

We need to go back to the time of Abraham, to Genesis 13, verses 14 through 15. The Lord tells Abraham, listen to the Lord. Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.

God in later chapters makes this covenant with Abraham, and in chapters after that, he lays out those specific boundaries of the promised land. In Genesis 45, verse 5, we see God purposely send Joseph before Israel into Egypt in order to preserve the life of his people. Move into Exodus, and we see God deliver his people from Egypt and the harsh reign of Pharaoh with the use of Moses, his chosen instrument.

We see the firstborn of all Egypt killed at the first Passover. In the mass Exodus, God put his power on display before the Egyptian armies and the Israelite peoples at the Red Sea. After that dramatic and terrifying display of both judgment and salvation, Israel begins their wilderness journeys.

And it takes no more than three days' journey from the Red Sea for Israel to begin grumbling against Moses and ultimately against God. And for the next three consecutive chapters, we see the different instances of Israel's grumblings. Fast forward through 40 years of God displaying perfect holiness, patience, wrath, and love, and teaching his servant Moses and thus his people.

And we find ourselves at the tenth day of the first month. Exactly 40 years to the day of the selection of the first Passover lamb. Ladies and gentlemen, this day was on God's divine calendar, and he saw to it that Israel crossed the Jordan into the promised land, just as he told Abraham, Moses, and Joshua.

So, first, so today I want to give you three aspects of a biblical memorial. If there's one thing that God wants us to take away from this passage of Scripture, it's that we should remember him. It is not a suggestion, it is a command that we remember him.

So, three aspects of a biblical memorial so that you may remember your Lord. These aspects will really help firm up in our minds what God is here telling us. These three aspects are the institution, the inculcation, and the intention. The institution, the inculcation, and the intention. First, let's look at the institution.

Verses 20 through 22, read along with me in your Bibles. And those 12 stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, When your children ask their fathers in times to come, what do these stones mean?

Then you shall let your children know. We'll stop there for now. Here God uses Joshua to establish a memorial and gives a command to his people, the establishment and the command. Let me read some of what has already occurred in this chapter. Starting in verse 1, he says, When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place, from the very place where the priest's feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.

Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God, into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, that this may be a sign among you.

So the nation of Israel has already passed over the Jordan, and they are now at Gilgal. And Gilgal is a small town. It's just east of Jordan. And Israel's encamped there, and they've crossed from the plains of Moab east over the Jordan. And so here we see the Lord command Joshua to tell the people of Israel to collect and set up these stones.

So I ask you, who instituted this memorial? Was it Joshua? Was it the twelve men? No, of course not. It was God. God instituted this memorial. This was not man's idea. And due to our fallen nature, God knows how fickle us creates. Human beings can be, and so gives us means by which to remember him, because he knows we'll forget.

In fact, he says we will forget. If it was man's idea, it would look something like that man had come up with. But it's just the opposite. Notice God's lack of care for ornament or inherent craftsmanship. These are stones from a river. They are not shiny, made of fine metal, or crafted like some statue or painting.

The point of these stones is to merely catch the eye of the bypasser, and more specific to God's purpose is to catch the eye of the children of Israel. He wants them to recognize that these stones have been carved by God and His creation. These stones testify to the tons and tons of water that have been flowing over them for centuries.

Notice the number of stones, 12, one for each tribe, representing all Israel. This alone shows God's faithfulness and that He secured safe passage for every single one of His people. They were to recognize the grouping or stacking of 12 stones that testifies to something other than natural processes, to bring to remembrance their Lord and to pass that on to future generations.

Look at the end of verse 21 in the beginning of 22. When your children ask their fathers in times to come, what do these stones mean? Then you shall let your children know. Notice the word fathers. These fathers are commanded to be faithful and Pass on these precepts to the next generation.

Fathers, are you passing on precepts to your children, to the next generation? They were to teach them diligently, so that their progeny might not fail or fall away into idolatry. That principle applies to all of us as Christians. We should always be seizing those opportunities to bring to remembrance our fellow believers and, more directly related to this passage, our children, the character and mighty deeds of God our Father.

This memorial was to point to God, the God of Israel, not to man. These stones are a simple and humble means of remembrance, but they represent a reality and event that are beyond human comprehension. These are memorials of simple and humble means that are to be unchanged nor distorted by men.

The stones were not crafted by men. The stones have no effectual qualities in and of themselves. The substance is in the memory of our Lord. It is the memory of our Lord and His steadfast love, His faithfulness, His holiness, His omnipotence that is the link between past, present, and future generations of God's people.

And in remembering our Lord and His mighty deeds, we are reminded of the unity and oneness of God's people. So God instituted this memorial in order that there is no distraction. But a directing of men, women, and children's thoughts and memories unto himself. Well, this memorial is also a reminder to the man of God of his duty to recognize and proclaim the truth of God's word.

And that leads us into our next aspect of a biblical memorial: the inculcation. The inculcation. What does that word mean? Webster gives the word the following definition: to teach or impress by frequent repetition or admonition. To teach or impress by frequent admonition or repetition. I'll say it again: to teach and impress by frequent repetition and admonition.

Well, we've seen in the previous aspect that we are commanded to inculcate our children or spiritual offspring for that matter. But with what are we to teach them? And impress upon them the might and imminency of the living God. Look at verse 23. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over.

Did you catch it? It's God's Word, it's the reliable and trustworthy report of God's deeds, which are found in no other place but God's word. Men. Your children, or other people for that matter, if they give you the opportunity to share the things of God with them, our confidence in God and His Word should shine forth like a light that drives out any darkness of doubt, any doubt of God's goodness and holiness.

We should not waver in our confidence or shy from the opportunity to exalt God by His Word. So the Israelites are commanded to tell of God's deeds, and in this particular situation, the deeds are the drying up of the Jordan River and the Red Sea. Here the Holy Spirit directs the writer to link the Red Sea and the Jordan River.

These are the bookends of a very long and harsh yet defining time in Israel's history. Both are beginnings and both are endings. Both point to the living God. In the crossing of the Red Sea, God ended the 430-year captivity of his chosen people and began the period of separation of the Hebrew people unto himself.

In the crossing of the Jordan River, God ended Israel's 40 years of wandering and began their conquest of the Promised Land. At the crossing of the Red Sea, God exalted Moses in the sight of all Israel. At the crossing of the Jordan River, God exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel.

Both events display God's power over nature, his judgment, and his salvation. Now not a single person would doubt the miraculous nature and necessity of the crossing of the Red Sea, but there are some that do doubt the necessity and the magnitude of the crossing of the Jordan River.

One of my hobbies is fly fishing. Granted, I don't get to do it often living in college station now, but whenever I have the opportunity to go to Colorado or New Mexico and fish a river such as the Rio Grande, I take it. And there are some areas where crossing is manageable, but there are other areas where it's worth a man's life to cross.

And there are many challenges, whether it be sinking mud, a swift current, or too deep of water, or large rocks. But unlike my situation as a lone fisherman, the crossing of the Jordan is very different. Some say, well, maybe without divine help, Israel could have perhaps crossed. Maybe it would have taken a few months to build vessels or bridges for crossing and wait for the proper season to cross.

But oh wait, by the way, there are seven hostile nations waiting for them on the other side. It's pretty difficult to hide 601,730 men of war, their families, their wives, their children. Not to mention the transport of the tabernacle, its framing, curtains and the sanctuary furnishings, would have been quite an undertaking.

No, God in his perfect wisdom saw to it that his people cross in one swift trek across a swollen Jordan River in the time of harvest, just as Joshua 3.15 tells us. Now the Jordan River, it runs between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea to the south.

It's the eastern boundary of Israel, which is very interesting because it still is the eastern boundary of Israel today. And the river itself is speculated to get up to a mile wide by historians during the time of harvest in the past. And the Jordan River Valley widens from about two miles to 11 miles just before it enters into the Dead Sea.

This area west of the Jordan is called the Plains of Moab. And God had them wait there three days before crossing. I think he wanted them to sweat it. I don't know if any of you have ever visited the Texas Panhandle, which is where I'm from, but I love getting to go back there.

And I love visiting my sister and her husband's house because I just enjoy getting to gaze out at the plains. And you can see all the towns for more than 10 miles. And I can look out there and say, oh, there's Hereford, there's Umbarger, there's Canyon, there's Amarello, there's Claude.

And you can see all these towns on the horizon. And historians place Gilgal only about two and a half miles east of Jericho. And the plains of Moab, you know, this is an 11-mile, around 11-mile-wide valley. Do you think Jericho might have known? I think it was pretty obvious Jericho knew if we look at Rahab's testimony that Israel was there.

I think God wanted them to stare at that river for three days, knowing the impending threat from the nations across the river, knowing that it was impossible to cross right now in the time of harvest, and knowing that it was impossible. Just as Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

God's presence, you see, is the key to all of this. God's presence alone is exemplary of his enduring and steadfast love. Listen to what Joshua 3:10 has to say about the presence of God. And Joshua said, Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you, that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites.

Then he says, Behold, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. The ark there is the presence of God, holding back the waters of the Jordan until the Israelites passed over. That is the inculcation to be given to the children of Israel.

That is what they were to recall every time they saw those stones. They were to remember that the living God is. Among them, and that he is mighty. So that leads us into our third and final aspect of a biblical memorial, and that's the intention. What is the intention of this memorial?

Well, I think verse 24 lays it out in very clear terms. Read along with me. So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever. The Holy Spirit here gives us two intentions for two people groups.

First mentioned are all the peoples of the earth. Who are all the peoples of the earth? Well, they're all of the non-Israelite people, every single person that is not in covenant fellowship with the living God. This memorial was to be a sign among the people, as stated earlier in the chapter.

Imagine, if you will, a road often traveled in the land of ancient Canaan. On this road is a Gentile sojourner. He spots these stones. He certainly heard the report of what God had done at Israel, what he had done at the Red Sea and at the Jordan, and perhaps he has even heard about these stones that are before him.

It's an attraction, but it's a different type of attraction, not one that the sojourner is amused by. But it is a sobering reminder of his own human nature as a Sinner and of the God with whom he will have to do. He's heard about these stones. Indeed, there are 12 of them just as reported.

Those came from the river? It must have been just as he had been told. For how else could they have gotten there? Maybe they grabbed them from the river when it was low. Well, that's impossible, too, for we all know that the Israelites crossed in the time of harvest, when its banks overflowed.

And when the river is low, you can probably see the other stones that Joshua set up in its midst. He gets a sense that someone is watching him, so he looks around. But no one is there. It's him and his thoughts, stripped naked before the omnipotent and omniscient God of wonders.

This man is instantly made aware of his blatant idolatry, which had taken over the land. And a note on idolatry. You know, many people today object to the conquest of Canaan. It's oftentimes redacted from history, and it's all due to a lack of faith, belief, and a knowledge of biblical theology.

They do not believe or trust God, and trust that only He is good and knows what is best. They do not long for God. They do not long for a God who is sinless, who cannot tolerate even one small sin, and will utterly drive out and defeat sin.

They do not want to trust God because they have a customer. themselves to the God that they have created in their mind. The God of their mind will not punish evildoers or their own sins that they perceive as light or dismissible. He will not exercise loving justice, and therefore this God of their minds cannot redeem them.

This is why certain evangelical leaders today say things like, Christians need to unhitch the Old Testament from the New. And it's because it shows us the harsh punishment of our sin that we so absolutely deserve. No, a proper response to God's deeds are fear and humility. And do we not see this fearful and humble response made so clear in Rahab?

Listen to what she says. I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt.

As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you. For the Lord your God, he is God, in the heavens above and the earth beneath. Such is the effect intended for the sojourner witness of this memorial, who before now had not known such personal conviction of the might of the hand of the Lord.

This is the beginning of wisdom of which Solomon wrote. This is the purpose of Israel to be a witness to the nations, to be a tool of God's, to see that all men would come to know and fear the living God. Well, the second intention, which I do not think is unreasonable to see as an umbrella that stretches over the first intention, is found in verse 24, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.

This is the command given to every witness of this memorial, every partaker of the Word of God, and really every single person on earth. Fear the Lord. What does it mean to fear the Lord? Let's look at the text. First, we are bid to understand who has instituted the memorial, to recognize his authority, his command over nature, our obligation to him as his creation.

We are then to obey his command, to proclaim his word, and to know his might. And all of this is only possible through faith. Only can faith produce the fear of the Lord that is exercised in reverence and obedience. That is why we remember him. That is why we fear him.

I want to conclude with a picture of an Israelite man, as opposed to our Gentile sojourner mentioned earlier. He's a part of a generation that God had been preparing for entrance into the promised land. This man is not a priest. He provides Plays no significant leadership role laid out in the biblical account, except for one very important role.

He is a family man. He's a father. He's a brother. He's an uncle. He had heard how the generation before him had crossed the Red Sea and how they stood before the dark and trembling Mount Sinai and were still inclined to idol worship. He saw that generation of his fathers die in the wilderness.

He had seen how they had forgotten. They had totally forgotten to remember their Lord. He had most likely witnessed the glory cloud from afar. He had heard the proclamation of Moses' word from God. He had heard about the first distressing reports that had come back from the land of Canaan.

And perhaps he had even been privy to this most recent report from Jericho. But up until now, it's all been out of faith. The land of Canaan is foreign to him. He's never been over there. He and the rest of the Israelites are mobile and moving through the Jordan Valley, and they're nearing the bank of the river itself.

They've been instructed to stand back, to stand back from the ark, not only to not come near it, but to have a full view of God's work in the distance so that their sight would not be. Impeded by the millions of people that are crossing. Now, this Hebrew man, by the grace of God, is walking across a bone-dry riverbed in an impossible location, a seemingly difficult and inaccessible spot for such a populous nation.

His wife, children, brothers, and sisters are all close by. They've been waiting for this moment, and some of them for 40 years now. Maybe they were doubtful, but they had God's testimony and they believed. They believe and have faith in God their Redeemer. He faithfully leads his family across the dry riverbed, exercising fear of the Lord that is the substance of his faith.

Each step in haste is a step in faith and fear of the Lord, not of dread, but of reverence and awe. And although, and he had most definitely heard God's word and the testimony of his great power, and although God's word alone is more than enough to testify to his presence and demand our worship, he has been gracious enough to put his omnipotent, creative, nature-subjecting power on display before human eyes, before eyes such as this Hebrew man.

In the words of the psalmist, what is man that you are mindful of him? He crosses and he looks back to see the remainder of the Israelites cross as the presence of God holds back death and secures safe passage. The twelve men of each tribe grab a stone from where the priest's feet are standing firmly.

He sees the waters return to their usual flow the instant the priest's feet are lifted onto the riverside. And this man is taken back to know that the living God truly is among them and that he truly is giving them the land. It was given by God, not conquered by man.

The safe passage was secured by God and not by man's effort. Yes, they had to step out in faith and cross, but it was impossible without God's provision and God's will. These stones were to be a memorial that upon everyone who saw it, they were to reflect on his mighty deeds, to fear him, to meditate on his word, and remember him.

It was to be a time of remembrance that inevitably leads to self-examination. So examine yourself. Do you fear the Lord? Or do you simply have ideas about him without consulting what he has to say about himself in his word? Do you go on making a practice of sinning, saying, I'll have time to repent later, presuming that God's grace will abound?

1 John says, no one born of God makes a practice of sinning. Do you simply nod to the fact that you have sinned against the one true living God who created you and commands the environment in which you live? Do you fear God? So how do we remember our Lord today?

There's one obvious answer: it is the Lord's Supper. Just like those memorial stones reminded the Israelites of the might of the Lord our God, that they should fear him, so does the Lord's Supper remind us that God is mighty to save, and that we should fear him, for our salvation came at a very great cost.

We never come to the Lord's table in a careless or cavalier or ignorant manner. But we come to him in humble and penitent self-examination, partaking in remembrance of the one who laid down his life that we might have life. So when your children ask you in times to come, why do you eat crackers and drink grape juice in church?

Then you shall let your children know. You shall let them know that God has given us a memorial of simple and humble means by which Christians. Are to remember Christ's sacrifice. Then you shall let them know that in salvation, Jesus Christ our Lord, God in the flesh, stayed upon the cross of Calvary and endured and held back the wrath of God that we deserved.

And just like God's own presence secured safe passage for all of Israel into Canaan, so as Jesus, the perfect and guiltless Son of God, secured safe passage for us. He secured it for the full number of sinners chosen in eternity past, until we had all passed over into our promised rest in Christ.

In John 17, 11, Jesus prays earnestly to his Father the night before he is to be crucified. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me, I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the Son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Jesus has secured safe passage for all of God's children into salvation. He has saved us to the uttermost, and he has not lost one of us. There may be some of you who have not yet taken that step in faith, who have yet to turn from your sin, who have no fear of God or knowledge of his might.

Do you not know that God's race? Is pending. It is crushing and it comes swiftly. Turn from your wonderings of your sin and trust Christ that He might indeed land you safe on Canaan's side. And praise God for such a wonderful and eternal gift that He has given us, of which we are so completely undeserving.

Later on in that prayer, Jesus asked that God keep us from the evil one, but in the world. We as Christians are eternally secure in Christ, but while we yet live on this earth, we are in a hostile land. God is with us and the sin conquered. So let us remember our Lord and be faithful and humble servants of Christ, trusting in Him through every adversity and bid our anxious fears goodbye.

Dear God, we are in awe of your power and might. We thank you that we still have the testimony of your wondrous deeds among the Israelites. We thank you that the testimony of your steadfast love will never pass away, that your word will endure throughout all of time.

And we pray that we would ponder this rich history of your people and remember you, Lord. That we would recognize your holy and perfect character put on display before Israel and thus recognize. How you have demonstrated your holy character in our own lives. May we recognize your steadfast love, shown not only in the day-to-day grace which gives us even the air we breathe, but your ultimate display of steadfast love upon the cross.

We thank you that Christ has secured our safe passage. Lord, let us always bring to our remembrance your awesome character and your Son's sacrifice. Now I pray that we would go boldly into the world, proclaiming your gospel of salvation in Christ alone. And it is in Jesus Christ's name that I pray.

Amen.