Okay, this evening now we want
to take a look at Joshua, Joshua chapter four. And as I was reading
through this portion of scripture, what struck my thought and what
got my attention was this statement here in verse six. And it's mentioned
again over in verse 20, 21. What mean ye by these stones? You see that? Verse six, what
means ye by these stones? And then again, over here in
verse 21, he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, when your
children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, what mean
these stone? Then you shall let your children
know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry ground. It was a miracle of God's sovereign,
almighty power. Now the title of the message
from those two verses, what mean ye these stones? What do these stones mean? We
know from reading what we have read here in Joshua chapter 4,
Joshua commanded the people by the command of God, Joshua commanded
the people by the Lord to take these stones out of the middle
of the riverbed and place them on the other side of Jordan.
And then they took stones from the riverbank and placed them
in the middle of the river. where the priest once stood bearing
the Ark of the Covenant. Now, Joshua commanded them to
do so, and that's the way our God speaks. He doesn't speak
by suggestions. He's a God who commands all things. And this was done, the setting
up the stones on the riverbank, and the setting up the stones
in the middle of the river, this was done as a memorial lest they
forget the mighty hand of the Lord that gave them such a mighty
deliverance," look what it says in verse 24, Joshua 4, 24, "...that
all the people of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord,"
and we're still talking about it today, aren't we? The hand
of the Lord. that it is mighty, he is a mighty
God who is mighty to save, that you may fear the Lord your God
and that you may fear him forever, forever. Now what is said here
is very strikingly similar to what Moses told the children
of Israel When they put the blood on the
door, you remember the side post and the lintel? Turn over here
to Exodus chapter 12. You remember they instituted,
Exodus chapter 12, you remember they instituted the Lord's Passover? And why they did that, Exodus
chapter 12, verse 25. And it shall come to pass, when
you come to the land which the Lord your God giveth you according
to what he has promised. Now they're finally in that land.
Exodus 12, 20, 25, that you shall keep this service
and it shall come to pass, talking about observing the Passover
sacrifice, and it shall come to pass when your children shall
say unto you, what mean ye this service? What do these stones
mean? What is this Passover feast all
about? that you shall say it is the
sacrifice of the Lord's Passover who passed over the houses of
the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and
delivered our houses and the people bowed the head and worshiped
God. Remember what happened when they
put the blood on the side post and the lintel? God said, when
I see the blood, I will pass over you. And all that is type
and picture of Christ our Passover who is sacrificed for us. Now all of this is demonstrating
unto us in the Passover lamb and the Passover sacrifice And
in Israel passing through the Red Sea, and in Israel passing
through Jordan, all this is demonstrating to us that salvation is of the
Lord. Salvation is always determined
by God, dependent upon Him, and accomplished by our God. The scriptures teach us with
the Lord all things are possible. Who then can be saved? With men
it's impossible, but not with God. With God all things are
possible. Jeremiah put it this way, asked
this question, anything too hard for the Lord? Not for the Lord. With the Lord all things are
possible. If the Lord our God can part the mighty Red Sea,
and the overflowing Jordan that all those people can walk through
on dry ground, surely all things in salvation are accomplished
by our God who does all things right and well. He can certainly
save us and deliver us from all our sins, by the blood sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has already accomplished salvation
for us, justified us by his blood, by his glorious sacrifice, that
he might deliver us. Listen to this scripture in Galatians
chapter 1, verses 3 and 4. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ,
it says, who gave himself for our sins. Our sin, the sins of
God's elect, His people, that He might deliver us from this
present evil world, and it's all according to the will of
God. Salvation is by the will of God our Father, and it's all
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Salvation is all
about the glory of God, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
you remember from our last message how the priest bearing the Ark
of the Covenant went into the overflowing river, they put that
ark on their shoulders, and they started toward the river bank. And as soon as the feet of those
priests touched that water, God cut the water off and parted
the waters. If you look right back in chapter
3 verse 16, Verse 15, as they that bear the
ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priest that bear
the ark were dipped in the brim of the water. For Jordan overflowed
all his banks all the time of the harvest, that the waters
which came down from above rose up a heap and a very heavy heap
upon from the city of Adam to beside Zeritan and those that
came down toward the sea, the plain, even the salt sea, failed
and were cut off. and the people passed over right
against Jericho. Now all this was done by the
will of God, by the commandment of God, by the power of God.
Now remember the Ark of the Covenant that the priests carry and the
priest of God are both types and pictures of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the
great high priest who gave himself for our sins. Remember too also
that all Israel, it says that several times in chapter three
and chapter four, all Israel passed clean over on dry ground. And I made a lot about this last
time we looked at chapter three. They passed over clean. When
they got to the other side, they weren't muddy. They passed through
on dry ground. They passed clean over, and all
the Israelites, probably two or three million, at least one
or two million, all passed over clean. Now remember what I told
you that was a picture of. The only way we can pass through
this dirty life, this sinful life, into the heavenly Canaan
is by the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. By
His blood. He made complete atonement for
the sin of His covenant people. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanses us from all our sin. The only way our sin can
be parted from us is by Christ making complete atonement for
us. We read in the book of Hebrews,
and we're going to read several verses here in a little bit in
the book of Hebrews, where we find out what the great high
priest that God has sent to represent us accomplished. He accomplished
all the work the Father gave him to do. It says in Hebrews
9, 26, when he by himself purged our sin, He sat down at the right
hand of God, that's Hebrews 1, 3. He appeared once in the end
of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Wherefore,
he's able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is all about His person, His work, how He has separated
our sins from us, and how He has justified us by His grace
through the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now remember
this, one time our sins separated us from God. That's what we call
total depravity. Total depravity. In Adam all
died. In Adam all sinned. Romans 5.12. Our sin at one time separated
us from God. Turn over here to the book of
Isaiah. I want to look at several verses in the book of Isaiah.
When we talk about total depravity, it's more than just a doctrine.
It's really what we are, totally depraved. Totally depraved. You don't really believe in total
depravity until you think and know in your heart that you are
the one that's totally sinful, guilty before God. But look at
Isaiah 59 too. Isaiah 59 too. Verse 1, the Lord's hand is not
shortened that it cannot save. He's able to save to the uttermost. The Lord's hand, we're going
to look at His hand in just a minute. The Lord's hand is not shortened.
There's nothing shortened in God's power. There's nothing
shortened in his hand to reach out and touch his people and
save them by his mighty hand that he cannot save. Neither
is his ear, neither his ear heavy that he cannot hear. He is the
living God. He is the living God that we
worship. But look at verse two, but here's the problem. Your
inequities. Now, do you have any? Are you
a sinner? Your iniquities have separated between you and your
God, and your sins have hid His face from you, and He will not
hear. You see, at one time, our sin
has separated us from God. Now, I want you to hold your
place there in Isaiah, and then I want you to hold your place
there in Isaiah, and then turn back here to Psalm 103. But the
Lord Jesus Christ, by His mighty priestly work, being made sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him." Psalm 103. Look at this. Verse 10. He hath not dealt with
us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
The wages of sin is what? Death. That's what I deserve.
Eternal condemnation. I don't deserve mercy. I deserve
condemnation. He hath not dealt with us after
our sin, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. He dealt with
the Lord Jesus Christ. with our sin. For as the heaven
is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that
fear Him. Now look at verse 12. As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath He removed our transgression from us. We call that complete, full atonement. Particular redemption for His
covenant people. Now look back at the book of
Isaiah. One time our sin separated us from God. Look at Isaiah 44.
But now our sins have been separated from us as far as the east is
from the west. Isaiah 44. Look at verse 21.
Isaiah 44, 21. Remember these, O Jacob in Israel,
for thou art my servant, I have formed thee, thou art my servant,
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out as
a thick cloud thy transgression, and as a cloud thy sins, return
unto me, for I have redeemed thee. Now notice, I blotted out
as a thick cloud, I have redeemed thee. Verse 23, sing, O heavens. For the Lord hath done it, shout
ye lower parts of the earth. Break forth in the singing you
mountains, O forth, and every tree. Therein for the Lord hath
redeemed Jacob. Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated. The Lord hath redeemed Jacob
and glorified himself in doing so. All about his glory. You
see, he put away our sin from us. Now turn over here to Isaiah
38. Isaiah 38. And that's what the parting of
the waters there in Israel going over on dry ground, that's what
that's a picture of, the Lord parting our sin from us. Isaiah 38, look at verse 17. Behold, for peace I had great
bitterness, but thou hast, in love to my soul, delivered it
from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sin behind
thy back. Remember what the angel from
heaven said? Call His name Jesus, the Lord Jesus, for He shall
save His people from their sin. In the book of Micah, don't turn
to this, I'll just read it to you. He will turn again, he will
have compassion on us, he will subdue our iniquity, and thou
will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Now, one
of my favorite verses in the book of Hebrews is Hebrews 10,
17, where God said, their sins and their iniquity will I remember
no more. We call that complete atonement
for the sin of God's elect. His people. His people. As far
as the east is from the west, He's removed our sins from us,
blotted out as a thick cloud, cast our sins behind His back,
and cast into the depths of the sea. The point I'm making is
the Scriptures teach us clearly that the Lord Jesus Christ made
full satisfaction for the sin of God's people and put all their
sin away. Now, turn back to the book of
Joshua again, and I wanna close by looking at verse, we'll read
verse 19 down through 24, and I'll bring out a couple points
here, and then we'll close the message. Verse 19, the people
came up out of Jordan on the 10th day, the first month. Now
this is vital here because on the 14th day of that month they
were to observe the Passover, we're going to see that next
time. So they came up on the 10th day of the first month and
encamped in Gilgal in the east border of Jordan, or Jericho
rather, remember they're going to take that walled city. And
those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan did Joshua
pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the children
of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers
in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then shall
ye let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan
on dry land. For the Lord your God dried up
the waters of Jordan before you until you were passed over, as
the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from
before us until we were gone over, that all the people of
the earth might know." That might know what? That all the people of the earth
might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty. Now how mighty
is the hand of the Lord? It's almighty, isn't it? "...that
you might fear the Lord, to worship the Lord, the Lord your God,
and do so forever." These stones were piled up to remind the children
of Israel in their coming generations what these stones represented. It is thought by many that the
same place where John the Baptist was baptizing in Jordan is the
same place that Joshua and the children of Israel passed through
Jordan there in Bethabara. In Matthew 3 verse 9, we read
a moment ago, John said to those rebellious Jews, God is able
of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, spiritual children.
Some of the theologians think that he's pointing to those very
stones stacked on that river, saying that God is able of these
twelve stones to raise up children unto Israel. And it is indeed
the same place where John baptized the Lord Jesus Christ, where
God spake from heaven and said, This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. These twelve stones on the river
bank and those stones in the middle of the river represent
the power and glory of God that men might worship the true and
living God. Brother Mahan always said this,
and I believe it to be so. The only place where a sinner
will truly worship is at the throne of the absolute sovereign
God. The absolute sovereign God. Notice he says there that the
hand of the Lord is mighty. We read a moment ago in Isaiah
63 that his hand is not shortened, that he cannot save. God has
all power in heaven and in earth. He prayed in John 17, didn't
he? Father, you've given me power
over all flesh and I should give eternal life to as many as the
Father has given to me. That's the elect of God. That's
for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. Now, in Don't turn, let
me just read this to you. In Psalm 135, talking about the
power of God, how powerful is the Lord. In Psalm 135, here's
what we read. I know that the Lord is great,
verse 5, and that our Lord is above all gods, small g. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did he in heaven, in earth, Seas and all deep places. That pretty well covers it all,
doesn't it? Over here in Psalm 119, the heathen asked David,
David, where is your God? David replied, the king of Israel,
our God is in the heavens, and he has done whatsoever he hath
pleased. God is sovereign over all things,
sovereign in creation, sovereign in providence, and he's especially
sovereign in salvation. He taught old King Nebuchadnezzar
that, didn't he? In Daniel chapter four, where
he said, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing.
He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand. None
can stay his hand over saying to him, Lord God Almighty, what
doest thou? Now, if someone can stay my hand,
stop my hand, he's stronger than me. No one can stop or stay the
hand of Almighty God. He said, I am God, beside me
there is no other. He's the only just God and Savior. And then the Lord, in John chapter
10, He said, My sheep, hear My voice. His sheep are His elect. My sheep hear My voice, I know
them, and they follow Me, and I give unto them eternal life,
and no man can pluck them out of My hand. You see, His hand
is the almighty hand to save. No man can pluck them out of
My hand. My Father which gave to Me is greater than all, and
no man can pluck them out of His hand. God is God in heaven
and in earth. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the gospel of God's grace,
glory, and power. His power. How much power does
it take to save such a sinner as we are? Almighty power. That's
why Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It's
the power of God unto salvation. These 12 stones. Why not 10 stones? Why not 13 stones? Why not 6
stones? Why 12? These 12 stones represent all
the elect of God. Each tribe of Israel and each,
and that typical Israel, national Israel represents the spiritual
Israel of God, the elect of God. They represent the whole elect
of God being delivered from our sin by the blood atonement of
Christ. Call His name Jesus, He shall
save His people from their sin. The blood of Jesus Christ God's
Son cleanses us from all our sin. Now I thought about this. There's 12 stones in the river,
12 stones on the river bank. Now, the 12 stones represent
all the elect of God, redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ, justified by His grace. But there's 12 stones in the
river, and there's 12 stones on the river bank. I thought
about that. What does that represent? Well,
I tell you what I think it is. The 12 stones in the river turn
to Revelation chapter 7. Revelation chapter 7. That water of the muddy Jordan
represents our sin, represents trial, heartache, trouble, sorrow
in this life. Look what it says here in Revelation
7 verse 13. One of the elders answered, saying
unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And
whence came they? Revelation 7 verse 13. And I said unto him, Sir, thou
knowest. Then he said to me, These are they which came out
of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. They came out of great
waters, great tribulation, there before the throne of God, and
serve him day and night in his temple. And he that sitteth on
the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more,
neither shall they thirst any more, neither shall the sunlight
on them nor any heat for the lamb which is in the midst of
the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains
of waters and God shall wipe away all their tears." He brings
us out of great tribulation, does he not? And then we read
in the book of Acts chapter 14 where Paul says we through much
tribulation must enter into the kingdom of God. We know something
about heartache and trial, don't we? These stones, redeemed by
the blood of Christ, are yet in this life full of tribulation. Now, the stones on the river
bank represent all the elect of God, all Israel. The spiritual
Israel of God being delivered with great success completely
and totally. Remember, we've read several
times that all Israel passed through clean over, and they
passed over clean. and the point of being here that
none shall be lost. There's no one in hell for whom
the Lord Jesus Christ died. He put away their sin. He said, all that the Father
giveth to me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. I want you to find the book of
Hebrews. We're going to read several verses in Hebrews, and
I'll let you go. Turn to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews
chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2, he is called
the captain of our salvation in verse 10. Hebrews 2.10, for
by him it became him for whom are all things, by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain
of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Look at verse 17,
wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his
brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in
thanks pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins
of the people. That's not all the sins of all
men. That's the sin of the people, for in that he himself has suffered
being tempted, he's able to succor them that are tempted. No one
can perish for whom the Lord Jesus Christ stood as surety
and mediator. In the book of Hebrews again,
find Hebrews 7.22. Hebrews 7.22. that we know in scriptures that
teach there's one God, 1 Timothy 2.5, there's one God and one
mediator between God and men, God and men, not man, God and
men, that's the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 7.22,
by so much with Jesus, the Lord Jesus made a surety of a better,
better testament. Across the page, Hebrews 8.6,
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry by how much
also he is a mediator of a better covenant which was established
upon better promises. Turn one page to Hebrews 9 verse
11. Hebrews 9.11, But Christ, being
come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not
of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained, having obtained eternal redemption for us. He
did it. He did it with his own blood.
How much more, verse 14, shall the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead work to serve the living God. Hebrews 9, look at verse 24.
For Christ did not enter into the holy places made with hand,
which are figures of the truth, but in heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us, nor yet that he should
offer himself often as a high priest enters into the holy place
every year with the blood of others. For then he must have
often suffered since the foundation of the world. But now, once in
the end of the world, the age hath he appeared, to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself. One more reading, Hebrews 10. I love this, Hebrews 10. Every
priest standeth daily, verse 11, ministering and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sin.
The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin, but this
man, Talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. After he had offered
one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. Wherefore the Holy Ghost also
is witness to us, for after that he said before, this is a covenant,
that I'll make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I'll
put my laws into their hearts and their minds, will I write
them? That's gospel principles of grace and mercy love. And
their sins and their iniquities, I quoted this a while ago, will
I remember no more. Israel passed clean over. and these stones in the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. As these stones represented to
Israel the complete deliverance, the complete deliverance that
day by the power of God, even so the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ stands as a memorial to us of complete deliverance by
the power of the blood and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ that
all the people of the earth might know. the hand of the Lord, that
it is mighty. We serve a mighty, almighty God
that you might fear. The only place a sinner will
worship is before the throne of the absolute sovereign, repeating
what I said earlier, that you might fear the Lord your God
forever." That fear of the Lord, talking about worship. Worship
the Lord. He's sick as such to worship
Him in spirit and in