Today’s Scripture Reading: Joshua 22:1 through Joshua 24:33
Right before Joshua died he summoned all the tribes of Israel together. Joshua reminded Israel of their amazing journey with the Lord. Then Joshua gave the Israelites a challenge:
So Fear the Lord and Serve Him Wholeheartedly. –Joshua 24:14
Then Joshua did something all God-led leaders do; he led by example:
Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. –Joshua 24:15
Next, Joshua stirred up the people and challenged them by saying “you are not able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy and jealous God.” (Joshua 24:19) I counted four times the Israelites came back and said, “Yes, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and recorded those things in the Book of God’s Instructions. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the terebinth tree beside the Tabernacle of the Lord.
Joshua said to all the people, “This stone has heard everything the Lord said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God.” –Joshua 24:25-27
There are several occasions during the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land where they were told to take rocks or stones and make a memorial. Stones have been used for many things along our journey through six books of the Bible (can you believe we finish Joshua today?):
- Jacob used a stone for his pillow (Gen. 28:18)
- Zipporah used a flint knife (sharp stone in the KJV) to circumcise her son (Ex. 4:25)
- God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone (Ex. 24:12)
- Aaron’s had stones on his ephod with the names of the tribes of Israel engraved on them (ex. 28:12)
- Stones were used to killed people who brought evil into the camp (Deut 21:21)
- They set up stones when they crossed over the Jordan to build an altar(Deut. 27:4-8)
- Twelve stones were a sign to future generations of the faithfulness of God (Josh. 4:6)
Rest, purification, instruction, holiness, correction, worship, reminders of faithfulness, reminders that God hears our promises…I need these rocks in my life.
Yesterday, we talked about all the promises that God made to us in Bible. Today we are using “rocks” to remind of us our promises to Him. Here are a few of my reminder “rocks”.
- My old Bibles
- My journals
- My wedding ring
- Pictures of my family
- Scripture plaques in my home
- Songs
- Books
What are your reminders of your promises to God?
Praying for you today…
©2012, Dianne Guthmuller
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 1:1 through Judges 3:30
