Memorial Stones: Second chances

The first memorial stones in the book of Joshua were reminding the Israelites of God's faithfulness while the second reminded them of their own unfaithfulness and the consequences that follow. The third reminded them of second chances.

After the defeat that Israel experienced at Ai because of sin in the camp, it was time to go against Ai again. This time Joshua sought the Lord's plan before attacking. Israel was successful and this time followed God's plans. Joshua set up a heap of stones over the body of the defeated king as a memorial. Israel had been given a second chance to defeat Ai. The first time sin had caused them to fail, but they succeeded during the second time because they had followed God's will for them.

If we look back at those memorial stones that remind us of our unfaithfulness, I'm guessing that nearby there is a memorial stone of second chances.

When we sin and repent, we will be given a second chance. Sometimes it's a second chance to avoid the temptation that ensnared us in the first place. Sometimes it's a second chance to repair damaged relationships. It could be a second chance to make amends in some way. Perhaps we'll have a second chance to do what we ought to have done in the first place. Whatever the opportunity we get, I'm so thankful that God doesn't just give up on us when we fail, but gives us the chance to make it right.

Some commentators believe that part of Israel's defeat at Ai was due to Joshua not seeking the Lord's will in the first place. The first attack, he sent spies, but there's no indication that he inquired of the Lord. The second attack, Joshua received a battle plan from the Lord and followed that in his attack. Joshua was given a second chance to get the correct battle plan. Sometimes that's how we get a second chance, too. We plunge into a situation thinking we have it under control only to fail. In my case, I generally find that I fail spectacularly. Then we regroup, we seek God's help, and we get a second chance to do it the way He wanted us to in the beginning. When we refuse to go where God is leading, He often gives us a second chance to go down the path He had intended for us to travel.

We will be unfaithful to God - whether because of sin or because we choose to do things our own way. But God gives second (and third and fourth) chances. When we look back on our failures, we can also see where He allowed us the opportunity to do it again and get it right.

Memorial Stones: Unfaithfulness & Consequences

While the first "heap of stones" in Joshua was to remind Israel of God's faithfulness, the second was to remind them of their own unfaithfulness and the consequences that arise from it. The Israelites had just defeated Jericho and were feeling pretty confident. So their defeat at Ai came as a shock. When Joshua asked the Lord why they had been defeated, he found that the camp had been defiled. Eventually, it was discovered the Achan had been tempted by the wealth of Jericho and had decided to take some for himself - something that God had specifically told them not to do. Achan was sentenced to death and a heap of stones was placed on top to remind Israel to remain faithful to God.

I have memorial stones set up in my mind at the places where I've experienced God's discipline for several reasons. The first is clear. It reminds me not to go down that road again. I can look back and see the pain I was in, the distance I was from God, the problems that I caused, and know that I never want to experience that again.

Second, those stones remind me to tell others about the experience. Not to glorify my sin, but to teach others not to go down that path. I know that some will have to experience it for themselves, but hopefully there are people who hear my story and change their own course. One of those experiences that  I've spoken of before was a time that I struggled with unforgiveness. I had been hurt - repeatedly. I knew that the ones who had done it would never apologize, most likely they didn't even realize what they had done. But I held onto every offense. I lived it over and over and over again. One day I had to admit that I had grown bitter. God reminded me of how much He had forgiven me. How could I not forgive them for the little they had done to me? It wasn't easy. I had grown used to wallowing in self-pity as I replayed all that had been done to me. I sort of enjoyed it in a sick and twisted way. Whenever I started rehashing it all over again, God would nudge me, and I would begin to pray. I would pray that He would help me not only forgive, but forget. I prayed that He would forgive me again. And (perhaps hardest of all) I would pray for the people that hurt me. Today, most of those hurts are just vague, fuzzy memories and many of them, I can't even recall at all. I don't want others to have to suffer through the bitterness that I did if I can help them.

Third it helps to keep me from getting arrogant. It's so easy to find fault in others, and so easy to overlook or excuse my own faults. If I find myself feeling pretty proud of my own "goodness", all it takes is a glance over to the memorial stones of unfaithfulness to remind me that any good in me is from Him. On my own, I'm just a sinner. With Him, I'm a daughter of the King. That's humbling, and helps me to keep my focus on God instead of me.

Just to be clear, these are memorial stones that I glance at on occasion when I need the reminder. I don't go sit at them. I don't set up camp in these places. Nothing good comes from that. Staying long in these places can make one feel like they are incapable of change, and then they find themselves falling again. That guilt that creeps in and tells us that God can't possibly love us because of this is a lie. None of us are "worthy" of God's love, but He gives it anyway. None of us "deserve" to be forgiven, but He offers it freely. He doesn't want us to stay in those places. He wants us to learn and grow. He wants us to move on.

We fail, we fall, but God is faithful. We can look back on our times where we weren't faithful to learn, to teach others and to remain humble. But even in those places, God is faithful. I'm so glad that He is always faithful and that His faithfulness doesn't rely on mine.

Memorial Stones: God's Faithfulness

I'm reading through the book of Joshua right now. There are seven times where Joshua sets up stones as a memorial of an event. Each one has it's own meaning, but they all serve the same purpose. "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,..." (Joshua 4:21-22a) We do the same thing today. Washington DC is full of memorials so that when we take our children and they ask, "What does this one mean?", we can tell them about Abraham Lincoln or World War II or countless other events or leaders. My children ask me every time they see a flag at half mast, "What happened? What does this mean?" Memorials are a great way to remind future generations of past events.

Joshua's first memorial was placed after the nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan River. (By the way, it's only after Israel crossed the Jordan that they are referred to as a 'nation' in the Bible.) The river was at flood stage, yet God provided a way for them to cross. He stopped the flow of the water so that they could safely enter the Promised Land - just as He had allowed their parents to cross the Red Sea a generation ago as He led them out of Egypt. Joshua wanted them to tell their children, "...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 people of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever." (Joshua 4:22b-24)

Joshua wanted the memorial to teach the future generations that God was faithful. God kept His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God freed them from Egypt "with a mighty hand and outstretched arm". God led them through the wilderness, remaining faithful to them when they were faithless. And now God had brought them over into the land that He was giving them.

I don't think that it was coincidence that this memorial was set up before Israel fought their first battle. Memorials not only point us to the past, but give us hope for the future. As Israel went forward into battle, they were aware of what God had already done for them. And if God had led them safely to this point, then surely He would be faithful to the end. They had just seen for themselves what God was capable of doing and they had heard of the things that God had done in the past. All that remained was to see how God would fight for them in the future.

It goes beyond just ourselves and our children though. Joshua said, ". . . so that all the people of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, . . . " They would hear what had been done, and know more about the one true God because of it. And through that, maybe they would want to worship this God, too.

At a ladies event one time, the speaker talked about this passage and setting up our own memorial stones. She suggested creating a rock garden with a new rock for each time God was so apparent that we had to give all the honor to Him. She said that you could even write on the rock to remember what it stood for. Or get a jar to fill with small rocks. The purpose of these was the same as Joshua's, so that when our children ask about it (or neighbors or family or friends) we could say, "Look what God has done! He is faithful!" I don't think it has to be rocks for that matter. Anything physical that can point to God's faithfulness would work: a collection, a journal, Bible notes, scrapbook, quilts - whatever you feel led to do.

When has God shown His faithfulness to you (perhaps even when you weren't being faithful to Him)? What have you done or can you do to remind yourself about that time? What can you do to make sure that others know about it?

Life is Precious

It's an overused saying. It's nearly lost all meaning.Usually you hear it when someone passes away unexpectedly - life is precious. But do we believe it? I feel like it takes those tragedies for us to remember just how precious - and fragile - life is.

I'm no different from everyone else. The reason why this is on my mind is because someone I knew suddenly passed away this week. She had longed for a baby and been told that she couldn't have one, but miraculously, she gave birth to a healthy baby. She had five days with her precious new life before she lost her own. Life is precious. Her life was precious. Her baby's life is precious.

I get so busy. Life moves so fast. I look at my children and can literally see time passing. Calendar pages turn. Each day is ticked off. We anticipate certain dates and countdown to them only for them to pass quickly by and fade into the past. I can almost sigh with King Solomon as he says, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."

If life is precious, what can we do that matters in the world? Life is vapor (James 4:14). It's here and it's gone. We don't know what tomorrow brings. Sometimes it can feel that we struggle and work for nothing. What is the point? Solomon summed it up nicely in Ecclesiastes 12:13. "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

1 - "Fear God". God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb.13:8) He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign God of the universe. He alone is worthy of praise. He executes justice and yet is merciful. He protects and provides. God is to be feared as the ultimate Judge, and He is to be respected as the King of kings. When we place God where He ought to be placed, when we revere and honor Him, when we allow Him to be in charge, life looks different. It's not that it's easier, or that we never question why certain things happen, but we can trust that He's control and that He has a plan and a purpose - even if we never see it.

2 - "Keep his commandments". There are many commandments: honor your father and mother, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, you shall not bear false witness - and those are just part of the ten commandments. What about the other commandments? Which ones were for Israel and which apply to the church? Or are they all for both? Every commandment falls under the "Great Commandment". Lawyers asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-40 says, "And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Love God with every part of your being and you'll live your life in obedience to His Word. Love others as yourself, and you'll follow the rest of the laws. Loving God you'll put Him first, you'll want to please Him. Loving others you'll put their interests above your own. Those two things could change the world.

That's all. That's what matters. If we fear God and keep His commands, we'd spread the Gospel which can change lives. We'd love others so strongly that the world couldn't help but see Him. We'd be bold in the Spirit. We'd be a people of prayer because we'd finally understand the power that is found when go to the Almighty God with our requests. We'd want to know His Word so that we could follow Him. The church would look so different - I would look so different. 

Life is precious. Fear God. Keep His commandments. That is the whole duty of man.