Well, join me if you would in
the book of Numbers, Numbers, excuse me, Esther, the book of
Esther, chapter nine. As we have our last midweek service
for this year, 2023, I have greatly enjoyed going through the book
of Esther. I've greatly enjoyed going through the book of Numbers. I'm enjoying going through the
book of Jude. I've enjoyed the book of Luke.
His brother Mike brought that. That is where we should be in
God's word. I quote it. I'm going to quote
something from the man that brought me the gospel. And he says, how
do I know that my gospel is the gospel? Number one, it glorifies
God. Number two, it is true to the
old Testament scriptures. Number three, it rests on the
person and work of Christ. Number four, it enables God to
be just and justifier by honoring the law and satisfying justice. Number five, it can save the
chiefest of sinners. And number six, it will keep
a person saved. Now that's why we preach this
gospel. It is the gospel of God's word.
And another person said, the gospel isn't one class among
many that you will attend during your life as a Christian. The
gospel is not one class among many. The gospel is the whole
building that all classes take place, rightly approached all
the topics you'll study and focus on as a believer will be offered
to you within the walls of the glorious gospel. One person was
sharing with me one time the difficulty with having a systematic
theology, and they put angels on the same plane as God's sovereignty. or this subject or that subject.
So they have their place, but it is our intent to look into
the gospel, and that's what we have here in the book of Esther,
the gospel. We have it pictured, we have
it typed, we have it shadowed, and it will take us to the New
Testament, and there we will find out this is a symbol of
that. and we want to look at what the
symbol represents. We want the reality of it. Here
in this ninth chapter of the book of Esther, in the latter
part of it, I think there's four or five times that we are shared
with the information that the children of Israel were delivered
from certain deaths. They were delivered by the command
of the king, by the pleading of the queen, and by the servant
Mordecai. They were delivered from certain
death, and they are called on, the Jews are called on to celebrate. Now, through this latter part
of this chapter, we find, I think, four or five times, it is shared
with us what they're going to celebrate, how they're going
to celebrate, and what they're going to celebrate about. They
have rest. They have rest. They didn't have that before.
They're on edge. Now they're at rest. And we find that it's
peace. And we find that this is a glorious
thing. So we're going to have a reminder
about this. We're going to have a remembrance
of this. And the Jews, I guess, still
do it. The church doesn't have to. We got better things to do
now. We delight in, we worship, we remember the Lord Jesus Christ's
Great work of salvation on our behalf, and we delight in that.
So we don't have to go back to just the physical deliverance.
We get to go back to the spiritual deliverance. We get to go back
to Christ. Well, here in the ninth chapter, I marked through
here just a couple of places It tells us there in verse 22,
as the days were in, the Jews rested from their enemies, and
the mouth which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, from
mourning into good day, that they should make them days of
feasting and joy, sending portions one to another and gifts to the
poor. Verse 23, the Jews undertook to do as they had begun. Mordecai
had written unto them. In verse 19, backing up just
a little, therefore the Jews of the village that dwelt in
the unwalled towns made the 14th day of the month, Adar, a day
of gladness and feasting, a good day and sending portions one
to another. And then if we go over to verse
27, the Jews ordained and took upon them and upon their seed
and upon all such as joined them unto them so as to, they should
not fail, that they would keep those two days according to their
writing and according to their appointed time every year. And
verse 28, and that these days should be remembered and kept
throughout every generation, every family, every province,
every city, and that their days of Purim would be not fail from
among the Jews, nor their memorial of them should perish from the
seed. And then we find that Esther
the queen and daughter of Abahel and Mordecai the Jew wrote all
authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. Time and time
again, we find that this is brought up. It is recorded what took
place, the deliverance that took place, and then the celebration
from the deliverance. Here we have something that God
has shared with us time and time again about that. You know, memory
is a divine gift. I was thinking about that today.
You know, our brain is a marvelous thing. I have seen some brains,
not human brains, but other brains, and I wonder how in the world
can this mass see, taste, hear, cause mobility of our muscles,
cause mobility of our fingers and hands, all of that stuff
that we do is controlled by that mass that's in our skull. And
God must have had a tremendous work in that, to do that, and
yet it is so small for God to do something like that. That's
God's work of glory. So we have that, and we find
out that memory is a divine gift. How that we can remember what
took place yesterday, or 20 years ago, or 50 years ago. I was just
looking, and this coming January 18th, I believe, we've been in
this building 27 years. I remember when we moved in.
I remembered the old place, you know, and it wasn't that bad.
I was ready to sit there for the rest of my life, at least.
Wasn't an issue. Well, we remember those things.
We have Christmas and New Year's, Thanksgiving, Valentine Day memories. We have good memories, we have
bad memories, and God has given that to us. We find that every
individual has their memories. Good or bad, we still have those
memories. And every family has its memories. Anniversaries,
birthdays, important things and times. And you know what? Every
nation has its memories. And if we look into the times
that Israel was caused to remember, we find out that there are some
pretty sad times. So, as we think about remembering,
and we're going to take this to the New Testament real soon,
but if you think about memories and remembering, we find out
that God called on Israel to remember some times when they
were not following him. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Judges, chapter 24. Judges, chapter 24. The scriptures
share with us the memories that were written down concerning
the nation of Israel, which is the same kind of memories that
any nation would have. Anybody in any nation. In the
book of Judges chapter 24. Note 24. Oh no, not that again. Well, let's go to Psalm 106 then. Psalm 106. I have Nancy go through the bulletin
twice or three times to correct me. I'm going to have to have
her go through my notes. That's what I'm going to do. Psalm 106,
verse 7. Psalm 106, verse 7. Every time we read the history
of Israel in the Bible, it's God's word. It's not something
that Israel may have liked to have had published, but it is
God's word about natural man. And every nation is gonna have
this issue. Here in Psalm 106, there in verse
seven, we read this, our fathers understood not thy wonders in
Egypt. They remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red
Sea. Now, when we get over to the
New Testament and we hear this message from Stephen, it raised
a lot of ire people because he is going to go over the same
historical events that we find here. Nevertheless, he saved
them for his namesake. that he might make his power
to be known. He rebuked the Red Sea also,
and it was dried up. So he led them through the depths
as through the wilderness, and he saved them from the hand of
him that aided them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy,
and the waters covered their enemies. There was not one of
them left. They then believed they his words. They sang his praise. They soon
forgot his works. They waited not for his counsel,
but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted the God
in the desert. And he gave them their request.
He sent them leanness into their soul. They envied Moses also
in the camp, and Aaron, the saint of the Lord, The earth opened,
and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abram,
and the fire that was kindled in their company, and the flame
burned up the wicked." And you know, as we read down through
here, we're going through some of the stuff that we have read,
some of the information we've read in the book of Numbers,
and it's brought to our attention. that the children of Israel,
because of the hardness of their heart, because of the very state
that they were in, that they were unbelievers before God,
they had no real aspiration to serve God. In fact, we read in
the New Testament that they, as well as we, are enmity against
God. We don't have any compunction
to serve Him, and whatever He does, He owes it to us. And when
he doesn't do it right, he owes it to us. We have these grandiose
demands about God. And then God says to Israel here,
I brought you through. It wasn't you, I brought you
through. They forgot God, their savior
in verse 21, which had done great things in Egypt. wondrous works
in the land of Ham and terrible things by the Red Sea. Therefore,
he said that he would destroy them had not Moses, his chosen,
stood before them in the breach to turn away his wrath, lest
he destroy them. Yea, they despised the pleasant
land. They believed not his word."
Can you imagine this psalm being chanted at the temple or the
tabernacle by the Levites? We don't want 106 anymore. Would
you take that out of our book? No, we don't like it. Well, that's
what we have here is a reminder, a remembrance. Just as we find
over there in the book of Esther, there's a positive thing. Please
remember the greatness of God and the goodness of God to spare
you from this certain death. Just as he did for us, certain
death was ahead. And yet by his grace, he spared
us of that and brought Christ to our knowledge. and cause us
to believe and trust on Him and have Him as our Savior, and we
go on our way rejoicing. We are at rest with Him. Well,
it goes on there in verse 26, therefore He lifted up His hand
against them to overthrow them in the wilderness, to overthrow
their seed also among the nations and to scatter them in the lands.
This continues on. They joined themselves also unto
Baal Peor and ate sacrifices of the dead. We've just read
about Balaam. We've just gone through that.
What a terrible thing. And they're over there enjoying
the rich blessings of God. And here we have Balaam doing
all he could. And then all he had to do is
whisper into some people's ears. and we have things going on in
the camp of Israel. Then stood up Phinehas and executed
judgment, and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted
unto him for righteousness unto all generations forevermore.
They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that they
went ill with Moses for their sakes. Moses struck that rock twice,
and for their sakes. They did not destroy the nations
concerning whom the Lord commanded them, but were mingled among
the heathen and learned their works. And they served their
idols, which were a snare to them." One more time, when this
book is published, people are voting against having Psalm 106. It was just too much. Well, we find that Psalm 1 to
36 has the same thing to say. And over there in the book of
Judges, there's a list too of the same thing. A remembrance,
a national remembrance, a remembrance of what the nation was like.
There were in this nation a remnant according to the election of
grace that went completely and totally against all that was
going on. They're the ones that said, no,
I know the Lord. I'm trusting the Lord. What do
we read with Joshua and Caleb? They said, no. You guys are crazy. Well, to those who understood,
there was no need to explain it. And to those who didn't understand,
there was no need to get it explained. They just couldn't go there.
So they shed innocent blood, verse 38, even the blood of their
sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed into idols of
Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. Turn with me, if
you would, over to the book of Acts, as we find again, the national
history. And the national history of Israel
is the national history of the world. without Christ, without
God, without hope in the world. And here in the book of Acts,
we read this. It's a remembrance. Please remember these things.
God told the church, don't ever forget the rock you were hewn
from. Remember grace. Always compliment God because
of his grace. Grace cannot work aided. It must be alone. Grace must
be alone. It cannot work aided. Grace is
not grace if it's aided. Well, here in the book of Acts
chapter six, Acts chapter six and verse eight. And Stephen,
full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among
the people. Acts chapter six, verse eight.
Then there arose a certain of the synagogue, which is called
the synagogue of the Libertines, and the Cyrenians, and the Alexandrians,
and them of Cilicia, and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they
were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit which he spake.
You know what he did? He used the word. Now, if they're
going to argue, they're going to argue against God. And that's
what they did. I know what that is. I know what
that is. I know what it is to dispute
the word that some person is preaching out of the word. and
to argue with it. And really you're not arguing
with Steve and you're arguing with God. God wrote it, God gave
it. He gave those passages throughout
the Old Testament, the remembering part, remember this, bring it
to mind. He says there, they were not
able and then they suborned men which said, we have heard him
speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God. So they
went and hired people. They compel people to come in
and lie about Stephen. That's a common trait, isn't
it? Yeah. If I don't like what you
say, you're fat too. You know, let's get personal
about it. That's what we do by nature. We find fault with the
person who's bringing the message. What did they say about Paul's
speech? Well, he's not very good. We'd rather listen to this guy
over here that is wordy and flowery. You know, if you read some of
the old sermons, they said in 10,000 words what Paul said in
five. He just got down to the heart.
All right. They suborn men, verse 12, and they stirred up people
and the elders and the scribes and came upon him and caught
him and brought him to the council. and set up false witnesses, which
said, this man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against
this holy place and the law. And we have heard him say that
this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall
change the customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat
in council looked steadfastly on him, saw his face as he had
been the face of an angel. Kind of reminds me of Moses coming
off of that mountain with the word of God. All right, go to
the next chapter there. Then said the high priest, Acts
chapter seven, then said the high priest, are these things
so? And he said, men and brethren
and fathers hearken. The God of glory appeared unto
our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt
in Turan. He speaks with grace, honor,
and brings up Abraham and says the God of glory appeared unto
him. Well, if we follow this out, we find that he goes through
the history He's a historian, he's bringing up what happened
in the Old Testament. And then he preaches Christ and
Him crucified. He is caused them to remember,
oh Lord. You know, if we're caused to
remember our original state, we find, oh wretched man that
I am. That's one thing about this gospel,
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is capable of being
used to save the chiefest of sinners. It is used to save the
chiefest of sinners, but it will not touch the Pharisee. God must work a work. God must
work a work before that can happen. In Acts chapter 20, Turn with
me to Acts chapter three. That whole chapter seven is a
wonderful chapter, as Stephen brings up the history of Israel.
Remember this. Remember what you did. Remember
what your fathers did. Which of your fathers did not
stone the prophets? And now we've got the prophets'
graves whitewashed. We honor them. Well, at the time
they destroyed the prophets and Jesus brought this up to Jerusalem,
who stoned us the prophets that God sent unto you. What are the
illustrations he made with regard to the kingdom? He said, the
owner of the vineyard left the country and he sent some ambassadors
because he wants his portion. And they said, well, we don't
like it. And they beat him up. I said,
he said, I'll send my son, they'll honor him. They slew the son. Now who is going to be upset?
Well, as we turn over here to the book of Acts chapter 20,
Acts chapter 20, we find that the apostle Paul is very gracious
to share with them that he did not He did not withhold any true
thing. In Acts chapter 20, we read these
words, that the Apostle Paul was used of God to call to remembrance. to call to remembrance. That
is, as those passages in Esther chapter nine were called to remembrance. Remember what God did. Remember how God blessed you. Remember that he moved in a mysterious
way in the heart of Ahasuerus. He had a queen, Esther, a Jew
put in the right place at the right time. and had her cousin
there just outside of the doors. All of this going on as he worked
out his will from behind the lattice. You can see the marks
on Esther's hands as her hands were raised by God Almighty and
her mouth to speak for God. and Mordecai and the silence
that God brought upon Haman as justice was served and the word
went out and many people were delivered from the consequences
of Haman's hatred towards the Jews. And many of the natives
of the Persian empire became Jews. What a revival took place. What a work. Now, I would be
foolish to say all of them were saved or all of them were born
again, but they certainly are a picture, a tie, a shadow of
God's great work among this world in saving his people. All of
his people out of every kindred nation, people and tongue. That's
his job and his business. It is not us to motivate anybody
out of the kingdom. It is for us to declare the history. the good news, the gospel. It's
us to declare that and what God does with that is going to bring
glory to him and glory to the church. So here in Acts chapter
20 and there in verse 27 we read the apostle Paul as he is sharing
with this he's never going to see these people. He knows he
will never see these people again. You know that's one of the things
that prompts me every Sunday to preach the gospel, because
some of the people will never see it again. So it doesn't behoove
us to preach other things. Everything can be brought under
the gospel. It is where we are educated.
It is our education. We don't look to this as just
part of our Christian education. It is our education. The gospel
is our education. Christ is all and in all. He is all. So when we do that,
if someone should come for one Sunday, then they will not miss
that. So that's what's necessary. Not
one Sunday missed. We must, we must bring this in.
All right, Paul is sharing with a group of people that he'd never
see them again. So I want to tell you something,
for I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God. I have not stopped at any point. I've not ever thought, well,
you know, these are some hard sayings and they'll probably
cause a division and maybe it'd be better if we just got along.
He said he preached all the counsel of God and God split the nut
where it had to happen. He preached everything. He withheld
nothing. You know, one of my favorite
statements is what the Lord shared with that man who baptized him,
he is a chosen vessel. And it is not, it isn't days
after the Apostle Paul began to preach and he's preaching
God's sovereignty and elective grace. He didn't wait until he
got educated about it. He just preached what comes natural
and that is the gospel. God's salvation. All right. Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves
and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made
you overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood. He's going over historical matter
here. And he's also sharing with them,
feed the church of God. And he's just told them what
to feed them. All the counsel of God. Hold back nothing. Now, we may not get it all covered
today. And we may not get it all covered the next time we
meet, but don't stop declaring all the counsel of God. God is
sovereign over all things. He's sovereign over salvation.
He had an interest in some people before the foundation of the
world. We find that the New Testament perspective, let's back up to
verse 20 of that chapter there. Just back up with me. In verse 20 of that 20th chapter,
it says, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto
you. You know what he mentioned one
time in one of his epistles? He says, don't get into discussion
over genealogies and questions which gendered strife. It's worthless. I'll never forget
Brother Henry says, I will not debate. It's worthless, there's
no need of it. But I will discuss the scriptures. I will discuss the scriptures.
So he says here, how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto
you. My goodness, over there in the
book of Esther, chapter nine, this is all profitable. It needs
to be known by the parents, the grandparents, the children, grandchildren,
and great-grandchildren. Now, what they do with it and
how God blesses it is up to God. But they do need to know we have
this celebration and it is because God spared us. God spared us
from doom. God moved marvelously in such
a manner that the message went out that we were spared. All right, he says here, but
I have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to
house. You know what that means? He
didn't change the message when he got around his friends. Publicly,
he declared something. House to house with his friends,
he declared the same thing. It is grace, grace, and nothing
but grace. All right, you know, last week,
I think it was, we were going through here and we looked at
a passage over in the book of Luke. In the book of Luke, book
of Luke chapter 22. We read this, but we want to
go over it again because it is so important. This is our ministry. Remembrance. Last Sunday, I was
pushing one of the ladies back to her room and she says, the
old, old story never gets old. And I said, you're right. The
story of Christ And his salvation never gets old and is always
what's needed to be remembered. Remember him, remember his gospel,
remember him. Where he came from, what he came
to do, how he died, who he died for, how did he die, what did
he die for? All of these things, they are
to be remembered and brought up. He died for our sins according
to the scriptures. Don't tell me I'm a sinner. I
didn't. God did. He already took care
of that. That's the history of mankind. God covers that quite
well in the scriptures. We are sinners by nature and
we are sinners by practice and we are sinners by choice. And
God will overcome all of that on the behalf of grace and himself. All right, here in the book of
Luke chapter 22, and there in verse 19, we read these words. And he took the bread and gave
thanks and break it and said unto them, this is my body, which
is given for you, not taken, given. I'm in charge of it. I'll give it to whomsoever I
will. This is my body, which is given
for you. This do in remembrance of me. Well, there's the gospel. Remembrance
of him. What he did. Why did he come? How did he grow up? What did
he do? Who did he preach to? Who did
he heal? You know, it's interesting to
go through the scriptures and find out Well, he healed a leper
over here, but that's the only person in the whole bunch that
was healed. And then he healed 10 lepers at one time, and only
one ever came back and thanked him about it. You know, even
if God should take care of every ill that the human race has,
unless he gives them grace, they will not come back in thanking
for it. Do in remembrance, this do in
remembrance of me. Now turn with me if you would,
we've read this too. Over in the book of 1 Corinthians
chapter 11. In 1 Corinthians chapter 11 is
the apostle Paul was used to bring this up. You know it's
interesting, foot washing was never brought up again. Nobody in the New Testament except
the Lord did this. And it was to show humility.
And God's people will be humble people. God's people will be
gracious people, but we don't have to wash our feet to show
it. All right. We have baptism mentioned throughout
the scriptures and the apostle Paul was very intent because
the Holy Spirit brought it to his attention. There are some
people that are going to mess up on this. They're going to
turn it into salvation. That's not right. You know how
he headed off, the Holy Spirit let him head off many arguments
in the book of Romans. Oh, a bunch of you are gonna
think if it's grace and grace alone, then I can go do whatever
I wanna do. Well, you know, people are gonna
do whatever they want to anyway. It's the restraining hand of
God that prevents his people from doing that stuff. So he
said, no, no, no, no. No, this is not a cloak for maliciousness.
This is not a cloak for sin. This, you'll not do that. That's
not gonna be your thought about it. All right, here in the book
of 1 Corinthians chapter 11. First Corinthians chapter 11,
we read this almost every time we take the communion service,
come to the Lord's table in verse 24 and 25, we have this, there's
a time for remembrance. Remember, here in the book of
First Corinthians chapter 11, verse 24, and when he had given
thanks, he break it. It's interesting that he thanked
God for what he was gonna do. We thank God for what he did.
When he had given thanks, he break it and said, it's interesting
here in the type that he didn't even let the disciples break
it. It was going to be God that broke him. It's God that judged
him. It's God that sent this most
serious, most serious beating, this bruising, this justice served. Take eat, this is my body, which
is broken for you. Notice what he says, this do
in remembrance of me. Isn't that the gospel? All right,
next verse. And after the same manner, he
took the cup when he had sup saying, this cup is the new Testament
in my blood. This do you as often as you drink
it in remembrance of me. As Esther chapter nine, four, five,
six times in short place, he said, remember, Remember. Remember what happened. Remember what took place. Remember the deliverance that
you had. Remember. And when you have this
feast once a year, remember it. Now there's going to be a time
when nobody's going to remember the actual facts of it. But by the grace of God, you
and I were not witnesses to the physical death of Christ on the
cross, but by faith we can see it just as if we were there.
We are compelled to understand who it was for and what it accomplished. We have such great statements
made in the scriptures. You know, there's another place
over here in the book of 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1 about remembrance. God gives us remembrance. It's
a God-given blessing to remember something, but the scriptures
are constantly reminding us. Remind, remember, remember, remember. And here in the book of 2 Peter,
2 Peter 1, 2 Peter 1, and there in verse 10, 2 Peter 1, verse
10. It says, wherefore, 2 Peter 1, verse 10, Verse 10, wherefore, the rather
brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.
For if you do these things, you shall never fail, or fall, excuse
me. For so an entrance shall be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. Wherefore, I will not be negligent
to put you always in remembrance of these things." Well, he's
just mentioned some very important things to be brought to our remembrance. What did he say? Make your calling
and election sure. And then he says, verse 12, wherefore,
I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of
these things, that you know them and be established in the present
truth. Yea, I think it meet as long
as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in
remembrance. We gotta go over the gospel again. There may be part of it. There
may be this that we have, not treated for a while, we need
to go over that. We must go over it. Yea, I think
it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by
putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this,
my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Moreover,
I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have
these things always in remembrance. How many times did he mention
the word about remembering or remembrance? While I'm here,
I want to cause you to remember, and when I'm gone, I want you
to remember what I said to remember. That's a gospel preacher. Remember
what Jesus Christ did for you. Make your calling in election
sure. Remember, remember, remember. That's why we read the scriptures.
That's why we... I don't know what helps you use. Hawker's morning and evening
isn't bad. Call to remembrance. I was reading
something the other day, and it reminded me of something Mike
Baker said. You know how he says, there's
no need to make a comment on this part. Well, turn with me to Joshua chapter
4. It'll be a while before we get
here, and I'm not sure that we're going to go to Joshua after we
get through the book of Numbers. But in the book of Joshua, chapter
4, and in our message on Sunday, we're going to find out who's
going to take Moses's place. Moses was more concerned about
someone to take the place of leadership than he was about
his own death. I thought that's a very commendable part of Moses. He's concerned about the people.
It came to pass, Joshua chapter four. It came to pass when all
the people were clean, passed over Jordan. Joshua chapter four,
verse one. They've gone into the land. All of Genesis, all of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy is done. And they've crossed over Jordan.
or they're in the process and says, and it came to pass when
all the people were clean passed over Jordan. You know, that tells
me a lot about the gospel. Everybody that God intends to
save will be saved and not one will be lost. Not one Israelite
stayed in the land that was intended to be in the promised land. All
those that died in unbelief, these that were after that came
through. Take you 12 men out of the people,
out of every tribe of man, a man, and command you them, saying,
take ye hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place
where the priest's feet stood firm, 12 stones. and ye shall
carry them over with you and leave them in a lodging place
where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the 12 men
whom he had prepared of the children of Israel out of every tribe
of man. And Joshua said unto them, pass
over before the ark of the Lord your God in the midst of Jordan
and take ye up every man unto you a stone upon his shoulder,
according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel.
that this may be a sign among you, that when your children
ask their fathers in time to come, saying, what mean ye by
these stones? What's this monument about? Why do we have museums? Why do we have the Wright brothers'
first plane hanging in a museum? Why do we have the spirit of
St. Louis? To remember what they did. Fantastic feats God allowed people
to do. And here he said, one man representing
one of the tribes, pick up a rock and carry it on your shoulders
and we're gonna pile them up over here. Why? For the children. When your children ask their
fathers in time to come, saying, what mean ye by these stones?
Then ye shall answer them that the water of Jordan were cut
off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over
Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off and these stones
shall be a memorial unto the children of Israel forever. And the children of Israel did
so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst
of the Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the
number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over
with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down
there. And Joshua set up twelve stones
in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests
which bear the ark of the covenant stood, And there they were unto
this day. For the priests which bear the
ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished,
that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people according
all that Moses commanded Joshua. And the people hasted and passed
over. And it came to pass, when all
the people were clean passed over, that the Ark of the Lord
passed over, and the priests, and the presence of the people,
and the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half
the tribe of Manasseh passed over, armed before the children
of Israel, as Moses spake unto them." Why was this monument
of 12 stones raised up? When the children ask what this
means, you tell them. God delivered you at this point. Well, we look at the point, not
the cross. What does this mean? Tell the
children of Israel that God delivered you here. Well, what about that
where it says he went to the grave? Well, you just tell the
children of Israel that when he came out, he symbolized he
delivered you. He delivered us from sin by the
sacrifice of himself. Let's remember that. Let's bring
that to mind, and that's what we find the Apostle Paul said,
I shun not to declare to you all the counsel of God. Let's
go to the garden. Let's go to the tomb. Let's go
to the cross. Let's go to the manger. Let's
go to the temple. Let's go wherever we go. We're
gonna see Christ. And we're gonna see what he was
in charge. He declared the end from the
beginning, just like he promised. And then he said by his own words,
the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. So he's on
the cross giving his life. Let's just take him at his word.
He gave his life for the sheep. They took him down and buried
him, just as the scripture said, in not a borrowed tomb, but a
tomb nobody had ever laid in. Why? Because God said that's
the way it's gonna be. Well, the rest of it, let's just
remember. Let's bring it to our attention.
Let's bring it up. We have something to celebrate. The great grace of God in the
salvation of his people. Now they did it once a year.
We do it every day. I'm sure the believers in that
group every day. Oh, thank you, Lord. We were
in the straights, but you brought us out. Thank you, Lord. Every
day. Thank you, Lord. You brought
us out. And when they got all the word put together, we have
this to go over and say, even in the night seasons, I know
he is there. Remember this.