The Heaton File

Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. (Exodus 12:21-28)

The Faithfulness Of Israel To Every Detail

There is much said about the character of Israel as a rebellious, murmuring and unfaithful people. The Old Testament is filled with stories of Israel at Mt. Sinai and the golden calf, the rebellion of Korah, murmuring at the waters of Meribah, unfaithfulness of the people at Kadesh-Barnea and the punishment of forty years wandering the wilderness. Not all of the Israelites were ungrateful to God and there was a time when the Hebrew people were united under one banner of hope and faced with the certainty of death, did exactly what God told them to. Deliverance had come in the form of Moses and Aaron petitioning Pharaoh to allow the Hebrews to leave. By the power of God great signs were brought upon the Egyptian nation bringing the powerful empire to its knees. One final plague awaited the stubborn heart of Pharaoh and it would be the final exercise of God’s wrath upon the ungodly nation. The Hebrews were told to take a lamb without blemish, a male of the first year (sheep or goat) and kill it at twilight on the fourteenth day. Blood from the lamb was to be sprinkled on the doorposts and the lintel using a bunch of hyssop (a plant) and no one was to go out of the door of his house until morning. During the night the family was to eat the flesh roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs with none remaining until morning. They were to eat the flesh with a belt on their waist, sandals on their feet and a staff in the hand eating the meal in haste. It would be called the Lord’s Passover. During the night the Lord would pass through the land to strike the Egyptians and when He saw the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord would pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to take the lives of the Hebrew firstborn child. When Moses told the people what God expected and how the plan of salvation was clearly defined as what needed to be done, the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Each family went away and did exactly what the law required just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

It is fair to say that there would have been severe consequences if any of the Hebrews would have failed in keeping the commandments of the Lord. When midnight came and the Lord came through the land, the destroyer struck all the firstborn of the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. There was not a house where there was not one dead with the exception of the houses of the Hebrews. There were no deaths in the houses where the blood was on the lintel and doorposts. Faith moved the hearts of the Hebrews to believe in the impossible and the unimaginable. Salvation did not come because they believed the word of the Lord but because they believed in the word of the Lord and acted on that belief. A lamb had to be found and he had to be killed on the right day of the month at the right time. The flesh could not be eaten unless it was roasted and the people did exactly what God said to do. They ate the flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. That night the Hebrews were not sleeping but eating roasted lamb with their belts girded, feet shod and staffs in hand. More importantly, they had put blood from the sacrificed lamb on the doorposts and lintel. Salvation came when God saw the blood from the sacrificed lamb given to him by a people that obeyed every part of His command. If the lamb was blemished the Hebrew firstborn would have died in that house. Had the father decided not to gird the belt or shod the feet his firstborn would have died. If the mother had refused to fix unleavened bread and bitter herbs death would have invaded her home. When God came to the home of the Hebrew family that refused to sprinkle blood on the doorposts they would have lost their firstborn. Is there any power in blood painted on the doorposts that saves a man’s life? Only if it is the will of the Lord. The people obeyed that night and they did everything God told them to do.

The shadows of Old Testament imagery are found in the realities of the New Testament doctrines that are the commandments of the Lord. If the many faiths of religious people calling themselves Christians lived in Egypt during the time of deliverance, most of them would have suffered the death of the firstborn or even more tragic events. Faith only is a prevalent doctrine that many believe brings salvation and eternal life. Could a Hebrew have been saved by faith only when the Lord passed through at midnight? The majority of Protestant faiths reject the idea of baptism for the remission of sins failing to realize that blood is found in the waters of immersion. According to the modern view of baptism, few Hebrew houses would have put blood on the doorposts and lintel because that would be a work and no work could save man. There would have been a lot of firstborn dying in the homes of the Hebrews like many souls are lost today because they do not believe in the power of immersion. What separates the Hebrew people during the Passover and the religious world today is just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. No one tried to argue the fine points of law whether hyssop sprinkled blood on wood would save a man or not. There were no families that told God they hated roasted lamb and would not eat bitter herbs. All the people did exactly what the Lord told them to do and they found the joy of life when the destroyer came. When God sends back His Son with His mighty angels He will be looking for hearts that are clothed in the blood of Jesus Christ. This will come from individuals who follow every command of God and believe with great faith in the overwhelming power of God to do the impossible. When God sees the blood He will pass over. Sadly, the majority of people – including many religious people – will not be spared because they did not believe in the will of the Lord. There will be no blood in their hearts. God will not pass over. If only …

But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. (1 Corinthians 11:17)

Assembling For The Worse

There is no doubt the church at Corinth was ripe with conflict, division, false doctrine and abuse of the simple pattern given by Jesus to remember His death. Paul used strong language in his first letter to the Corinthians to charge them of the seriousness of their attitudes, actions and obvious lack of focus to the real purpose of why they were a church of God. Satan had produced division among the ranks and a party spirit prevailed among the brethren. Concerning the supper of the Lord, the saints at Corinth had made it be a festive occasion of eating a common meal neglecting one another bringing shame on the less fortunate. The result was the church of God was despised because of their insolence toward the word of God and one another. Finding the root of the problem, the apostle writes the brethren did not come together for the better purpose but for the worse. Their reasons for gathering together as a body of Christ were for every reason but the right reason. They assembled in accordance with the law of God but like the Israelites of old, it was vain worship. The prophet Malachi wrote of how the Jews had made worship to be such a weariness offering profane sacrifices to a God that was weary of their disrespect for Him. Now in the New Testament church, the attitudes of complacency had filled the hearts of the disciples to where they came together because they had to but it was not with a heart of love for God. The Lord’s Supper was corrupted. Women refused to keep their place in the assembly. Party spirit’s ruled the hearts of those who sought allegiance to Peter, Apollos, and Paul. The worship service was filled with chaos. In general, the church at Corinth had degraded into a place where God was not honored, respected and revered for the Holy God that He was as the people came together for every purpose but the worship in spirit and truth.

One of the greatest maladies among the people of God has always been the corruption of worship. With all the providence and benevolence of a loving God caring for them throughout their time from Egyptian bondage, Israel struggled to honor the Lord with respect. They murmured, complained, rebelled and refused to acknowledge the power of God in their lives. Following the captivity, the remnant gave the Lord broken sacrifices condemned by men like Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. When the New Testament church was established, attitudes of complacency quickly entered the hearts of worshipers as they went through the motions, fulfilled the required commandments and gave a half-hearted effort to praise the Lord. The seed of vain worship continues to plague the church of Christ as many come together not for the better but for the worse. Worship can become a drudgery of fulfilling commandments, dotting the ‘I’s” and crossing the legal “T’s” of what is expected without the true nature of communing with the Almighty. Corinth struggled with the reasons they came together and it became a time of confusion degrading to worship that was without spirit and lacking truth. Worship is an individual response in a collective atmosphere as the church comes together on the first day of the week to honor the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The focus of redemption is found in the blood of Christ and the Father expects with a demanding presence honor given to His Son. Ignoring the command to assemble on the first day of the week dishonors the gift of God and brings judgment against the soul of the uncaring, insensitive and unresponsive disciple.

There is a growing tendency among God’s people to view the first day of the week as a time to fill their lives with all of the trappings of a carnal world. Assembling is not for the purpose of giving honor to God but to quickly fill the time and then hurry back to the hectic pursuits of the world. It is easy for things to come in conflict with the assembly. Ball games fill the first day of the week taking precedence over God. Plans fill the schedule on the first day of the week much like the other six days of the week. Sunday is far from being a day devoted to God because the purpose of assembling has lost its luster. If a person ekes out the time to come to church the heart is far from why worship was ordained by the Lord. There is little heartfelt worship as the mind dwells on the things to do for lunch, where to go after lunch, swimming parties, shopping trips, projects to fill, places to go, movies to watch and hosts of carnal pursuits in the rat race world of a material world. When the invitation song is sung families frantically hurry out the door with little heed to the gospel call. Spiritually weakened soul’s burden through the day with no purpose of why the Lord commanded His people to assemble. They do not come together for the better but for the worse and their lives reflect the same. Sadly, there will come a day when the most important thing on their mind is worship to God but it will be too late. Worship is a way of life that is found in this world as we make our way to an eternal abode. Waiting to worship God with purpose in judgment will be too late. Why do you come together? Examine your life and peer into your soul and find the reasons why you come to worship the Lord. Let your heart find a place with God. Take time to be holy.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

God So Loved

How does one compare the immensity of God’s power, majesty, glory, and holiness to anything monumental accomplished by a man framed within a tabernacle of flesh? One of the great tools of Satan is to fill men with pride and arrogance of self-worth. When measured by the scale of God’s existence there can be no comparison. It is the Lord God who holds the universe within the palm of His hand. Consider how big His hand is. Only in the mind of God can He number the stars to an exact digit and then name each star that fills the vast canopy of an immeasurable universe. He knows the volume of water contained on the earth and weighs the dust with a scale so large the known worlds are dwarfed by its size. If a man stands on the top of Mt. Everest he will find that God has dwelled there for eons of time and if a man descends to the deepest parts of the oceans the thumbprint of the Almighty rest on the bottom. The darkness cannot hide him or the sun shine brighter than His majesty. In every faint cry of a newborn child, the voice of God echoes from the eternal halls where life begins waiting for the day when the spirit of man returns to its maker. Time is not measured in the mind of God and He is endless in beginning and future. He existed before the world was formed and remains constant through every page of history unmoved, unchanged and unaffected by the whims of mortal man. His word endures while the writings of men fade away. There is no wisdom as high as the mind of the Almighty and by His word the world remains constant until He decides when all things must end. The breath of man is contained with His hand. He never sleeps, grows weary and His ear is always open to the words of men and His eyes upon all their deeds. The Lord God Almighty is so great no man can fully embrace the magnitude of who He really is.

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinful man. Trying to grasp the enormity of the presence and character of God is difficult enough but grasping the meaning of how much God so loved the world that He was willing to give His only begotten Son is beyond the ability of man to appreciate. It is easy to say the words spoken by Jesus and to quote the verse proclaiming the love of God for the world but seeking to put into terms how a man can know how great the love of God is to send His Son who was God into a world of flesh to be killed by wicked men and then to save them – how do you explain this? Jesus did not mince words when He chose to explain His Father’s grace: FOR GOD SO LOVED. There is no greater love that man can understand. This is not a trivial matter or easily encapsulated within a single thought to say that God loved but that God so loved the world He did the most remarkable thing. Nothing in the wisdom of human knowledge can explain how men so wicked to kill God could be saved by God. He so loved the world because He created man for His glory. Even though His creation turned his back on Him and denied Him, God so loved the world that He offered a way of escape from His wrath.

Redemption came through the blood of God’s Son. The most incredible gift man will ever know is found in the love of God expressed through the life and death of the only Begotten Son. There are great stories of love in the annals of men but nothing compares to the love of God. As vast the universe is the pin drop of God’s love. The innumerable stars each define the nature of God’s love if a man could only count the number. Year after year testifies to the incredible measure of love found in the saving word of truth, grace, mercy, and love. Nothing man will ever find will measure to the love of God until that final day when he sees his Creator face to face and then – and only then – will man know how much God so loved the world. How mighty and how powerful is the love of God. Man is nothing. God is everything. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Unbelievable.

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2:18)

Family Matters

When God created the world and placed the man in the garden, He looked upon His creation with great joy but realized something was missing. Knowing the nature of the creature formed in His own image, the Lord recognized it would not be a good thing for the man to be alone. He formed the woman from the side of man to show a relationship to the need of man to companionship. This is first found in the family element of a man and woman forming the family as designed by the eternal plan of God. The joy of the home would become more clear when children would be born as in the case of Cain and Abel. When Cain was born, Eve said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord. She bore again, this time his brother Abel. What a magical world it must have been for Adam and Eve to now have two sons in the world to keep them company. The first man Adam lived nine hundred thirty years and he had sons and daughters with only Cain, Abel and Seth named in scripture. From the early days of the world, the population grew from the family units of Cain, Abel, Seth and the other children of Adam and Eve. The world would have filled with many children, grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and a myriad of relatives from the single family of Adam and Eve. When God saw that it was good for a man not to be alone He spoke of the need of Adam to have a helper comparable to him but to also create a family that would bring love, joy, and companionship. Through the seed of Adam and Eve, the world has been filled with the seed of man beginning from the basic element of one man and one woman. Companionship and camaraderie came to man through the seed of Adam and Eve as the family mattered in the eyes of God. In the days of Noah, the world became a corrupt place because the heart of man had turned away from the purpose intended by God. Through the grace of God Noah and his family were saved including three sons and three daughters of other families. Wickedness like fornication and adultery stand against the purity of the family unit. Jesus would later tell the religious leaders of His day that from the beginning God intended for the family unit to a holy consecration of God’s love. The husband and wife begin a family and then if the Lord wills children are born forming a pattern of love and joy designed by the wisdom of God. All of this is for the purpose of family and how family matters in the eyes of the One who created the home.

Family matters because it matters to God. Society has from the beginning of the world redefined the role of the family but in every case, the outcome is chaos and ends in destruction if the pattern of God is not followed. The Lord created Adam and Eve and to change the definition of family does not change the reality of how God created a man and woman to be together and to bear children. There is no other meaning to family than the pattern of a man and woman sharing together in the family and bearing children. This union is the fulfilling of the need for a man not to be alone. All children come from parents that are male and female because that is the absolute pattern of reproduction. God wanted the family to fill a need of a man that remains unchanged. A man and woman unite in the covenant of marriage to share in their love for one another. Children become a blessing in the home as young infants grow into adulthood. The Lord expects the children to care for the parents in the golden days of life completing a cycle of the family that bond together in their love for one another. Family matters because of the independent relationships and the dependent need for one another.

The design of God to form the home was to complete a need within the soul of His highest creation. It is not good for man to be alone and the most important answer to that need is the family. Husbands and wives must live each day with the blessings of the love of one another fueling their passion to care for one another. This will serve them well through the hard paths of life. Children are a special blessing that brings joy to the heart while they remain at home. Growing and nurturing in their development as young adults bonds the family as a unit of one. Children must be taught the value of family and the need to share in their relationships with one another. As they leave home and begin their own families, these lessons will serve them well as husbands, wives, and parents. One of the great rewards of life is when the children bring their own children back to hearth and home of parents. There is a lot of noise and activity when the family comes back together but it is a joyful noise to the Lord who formed the family fulfilling a need. It is not good for man to be alone and family is where this need is met with great vitality. A home built upon the love of God will stand for eternity because it is founded upon the rock of His love and His will. Nothing is more perfect in creation than when man follows the pattern established on the sixth day of creation. God created a man and then He brought a woman to the man. Family. Thank God for family.

Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; for the day of the Lord is at hand, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests. (Zephaniah 1:7)

The Day Of The Lord Is At Hand

Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah began reigning at the age of eight. His kingdom would be the final vestige of truth and righteousness in the remaining kingdom of Judah before God would destroy Jerusalem and send His chosen people into seventy-year captivity by the hand of the Babylonians. In little over fifty years the nation of Israel would be no more. The final day of wrath promised by God through the prophets was coming to bear upon an unruly, rebellious and ever increasingly wicked people. Zephaniah would be one of the final voices seeking to bring the people back to the Lord but knowing the heart of the people would not listen. It was time to remind the world of the wrath of God. Zephaniah brings a piercing and harsh reality to Judah to the nature and character of the fury of the Lord. His message begins with the declaration that God will utterly consume all things from off the land including man and beast, birds of the heaven, fish of the sea and all those who deny the power of God. Baal worship had corrupted the minds of the people as they fell headlong into the wickedness of idolatry and immorality but these things would be cut off and destroyed. For those who turned the backs from following the Lord and have not sought or inquired of the Lord would be destroyed. The day of the Lord was at hand. Judgment day had arrived and the warnings were posted for all to see. A sacrifice has been prepared and the guests invited. All those who are guilty will be punished from the princes and the king’s children to the common man. The land had been filled with the violence of greed, avarice, and lusts but these storehouses would be destroyed. Complacent hearts are to be awakened to the reality of the wrath of God. Many men think God will not do good or evil and they look at the Creator of the world as merely a puppet of man’s own design. Nothing will be further from the truth when the judgment of God comes upon Judah. Their goods will be plundered, houses laid waste, vineyards empty and the prosperity of the land will be destroyed. The great day of the Lord was near. It was a day of wrath, trouble, distress, devastation, desolation, darkness, gloominess, clouds and thick darkness, trumpets, and alarms against fortified cities and high towers. There would be no escape. Because they have sinned against the Lord He would rain down judgment in His fury on a disobedient and rebellious people. Their blood shall be poured out like dust and their flesh like manure. Nothing will be able to save them in the great and terrible day of the Lord.

Zephaniah’s message is powerful with a clear message of God’s wrath. In less than two thousand words the prophet declares a warning to Judah, the scope of divine judgment with the hope of God’s mercy in repentance and promise of redemption. With few years left as the nation of the Lord, Israel stood on the brink of the coming wrath of God. The day of the Lord was at hand. It came and fulfilled all the promises of God described by Zephaniah and the other prophets. Complacency can easily sway the mind to disbelieve a day of wrath is coming but the message of the prophets echoes through the centuries the same message to rebellious man. The character of the Lord God has remained unchanged and while Israel is no more there is a day of judgment coming for all men that will be filled with the same wrath and cleansing as promised by the prophets. Denying the anger of the Lord against unrighteousness does not remove the stark reality of His wrath. God is not willing that any man should perish but He has prepared a place to punish those who are disobedient. It is real, it is huge and it is a powerful testimony to the nature of a righteous God. Most men deny God and many of those who believe in God deny the nature of His severity. Zephaniah illustrates the impact of the anger of the Lord against all unrighteousness.

There is always a message of redemption offered when the wrath of God is preached. God is not a vengeful God that is without mercy and kindness. He is angry about sin and will punish those who disobey Him because He is righteous and His judgments are true. Jerusalem would be redeemed in the spirit of Jesus Christ as the gospel is preached first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of God’s grace. The nation of God is no longer bound by physical demographics but the spiritual habitation of the kingdom of Christ found in the church of Christ. Jesus purchased the church to redeem all those who would come to the Son of God seeking the forgiveness of sins through His blood and cleansing in baptism. Glory awaits all those who will embrace the eternal grace of God and His divine mercy. However, rebellion and disobedience will usher the wrath of God upon the hearts of all those who will trifle with the righteous character of the Lord God Almighty. The day of the Lord is real and it is coming upon the disobedient just as certain as the words of Zephaniah foretold the coming wrath upon Jerusalem. There is nothing more frightening and terrible as the day of the Lord against unrighteousness. Zephaniah offers a glimpse of the severity of God that all men must know and heed. The day of the Lord is at hand. He has prepared a sacrifice and He has invited His guests. Be silent in the presence of the Lord God.

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven. (Mark 13:24-27)

Looking At The Son

Children learn from an early age not to look directly at the sun. Parents warn children of the dangers of staring into the glare of the incredibly luminous visage of the center of the solar system. The brilliance of an early morning sun reminds the soul of the enormity of the power contained within the burning ball of hot plasma. No one can look into the sun without being blinded as everything else is shut out and only the brilliant glow of the sun envelops the senses with its raw beauty. The closer the eye comes to focus on the center of the sun the more all other things diminish until nothing is seen but the image of the atomic power of a star 94 million miles away. Jesus was asked about the signs when the judgment of the Lord would come. His reply to the disciples, the Christ illustrated the coming of the Lord when He said the Son of Man would come in the clouds with great power and great glory. Parabolically, Jesus tells of the coming judgment upon Israel and shows the signs of the time when the Lord will return a second time apart from sin for salvation. In either case, the visage of the Lord will make His presence known upon the people.

The judgment of God upon Israel was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Roman Empire destroyed the city of Jerusalem thus bringing to a close the nation of Israel. For all those living today the judgment of God will come in the form of the final day of judgment upon all men when the heavens and earth will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. The apostle Paul describes this day as a time when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of Christ. For the saints, this will be a day of glory as they are able to stare into the presence of One who is brighter than the sun and to admire the beauty of His radiance. Imagine being able to stare at a source of light more brilliant than the sun and suffer no harm. The saved will look into the face of Jesus Christ with no harm because His love will fill their souls with eternal salvation. The warmth of everlasting glory will flow through their bodies as a new tabernacle is formed for the everlasting dwelling with the Heavenly Father. The sun will have been destroyed by the Son whose brilliance and glory is brighter than ten billion stars. All men will see this at the coming of God’s Son but for most this will be a vision of terror at the sight of such brilliance. Staring in the face of Jesus, the Son of Man will bring eternal destruction to all those who refused to acknowledge Him in life.

Jesus wants all men to look at Him and Him alone. He is the only way to the Father, the only truth that will give man peace and the only life anyone can find in eternal rest. There are no other avenues to salvation. Like the physical sun, staring into the face of Jesus will obliterate all other things to be seen but unlike the sun will not bring harm but eternal good. The more one looks into the face of Jesus as the Son of God and Savior, the less the world is seen and recognized. Satan’s ploy is to have men take their eyes off of Jesus and look upon a world that is filled with the greenery of temptation, lust, and passion. Men have a desire to live in darkness rather than light lest their evil deeds are revealed. Coming to the light of Jesus exposes their evil hearts and they do not want to have their corruption found out. Those who come to the truth come to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. The difference for all men is defined by those who live in the light of God’s Son or those who live in the darkness of the devil’s wickedness. Only in the Son of God will man find hope and glory. Live in the Son of God letting His light dwell in the heart and when the final day comes when the sun is destroyed the Son will save. Do not look at the sun but do everything within your power to look at the Son. Your eternal destiny depends on which you look at.

And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ” Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. (Joshua 4:1-9)

Twelve Stones Of Memorial

A memorial commemorates an event or a person that made an impact on others. Cemeteries are filled with stone memorials honoring the lives of loved ones inscribed with names, dates and short eulogies. Holidays are set aside to recognize an event in history and the lives of great men and women who changed the world. Memorials were not created by man but established by the Creator from the beginning of time. Moses reveals that Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord God as a memorial of worship. Nothing is recorded in Genesis of the origins of the requirement but it is clear God required them to offer sacrifices as a memorial. When the children of Israel prepare to enter the Promised Land, the crossing begins with establishing a memorial. What this great nation was about to do was a monumental journey fulfilling a promise made many generations before to Abraham. Canaan had been promised to Israel and the day had come when this promise was fulfilled. As they were delivered by the hand of the Lord in crossing the Red Sea the entrance into a land of promise would come by the powerful hand of the Lord. The priest bore the ark of the covenant to the edge of the Jordan River and as their feet dipped in the edge of the water, the water stood in a heap very far away and the ground was dried up where they stood. Israel crossed the Jordan opposite Jericho as the priest stood in the midst of the Jordan until all the people had crossed completely. The Lord tells Joshua to instruct the people to remove twelve stones from out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm and to leave them in the place where they would lodge that night. The memorial stones would be a sign among the people in telling the story of the power of God’s deliverance to bring Israel over the Jordan River on dry land. When children would ask the meaning of the stones, the story of the crossing of Jordan would impress upon the hearts of the young souls the power, grace, and mercy of God to bring the people into the land by His mighty hand.

The memorial of stones served the purpose intended by the Lord to remind them how they came to be the nation of God. In the Law of Moses, there were many things that constantly returned the minds of the people to the care and protection of the Lord. When the author of the book of Joshua wrote of the history of Israel he noted the stones remained in the place where they were first taken out of the Jordan many years before. The memorial was still having its impact on the story of how Israel came into the land. A memorial intends to take the mind back to an event and signify certain lessons gleaned from the experience. Israel needed to be reminded of how they came into the land of milk and honey. It was not by their power, their wisdom or their foresight they conquered Canaan. They could not find a way out of Egypt until the Lord delivered them. Israel became a nation through the power of God. Crossing the Jordan, conquering Jericho, inhabiting the land and becoming a prosperous nation came by the hand of the Lord. Twelve stones near the Jordan River reminded them whose power had brought them to victory. The memorial served the purpose to establish the truth. No one could say the people crossed Jordan but by the hand of the Lord. To stop the flow of the Jordan River during the flood season was beyond the power of man. Nothing but the mighty hand of the Lord God made that possible. Joshua told the people the memorial stones let all the peoples of the earth know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that all men may fear the Lord God forever. Gilgal became the place of remembrance as the twelve stones memorialized the victory of God over nations, people and nature itself.

There are memorials today like the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River. The Bible is the greatest memorial given to man. It tells the story of the beginning of the world as God placed a man and woman in the Garden of Eden and the tragic fall that came when they failed to obey the will of the Father. Page upon page reveals the grace of God as men find hope in faith to believe the word of the Lord. Throughout holy writ, the unveiling of the redemption in Christ is unfolded in the divine plan of a loving Father willing to give His only Son as a sacrifice for sin. The Bible tells the story of Jesus Christ who is the divine memorial of grace to bring man back to his God. Contained in the great memorial of scripture are the memorials of worship like singing praise to the Father, offering up memorial sacrifices of prayer and devoting time each first day of the week to remember the memorial of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Obedience is a memorial as faith is necessary accompanied by repentance to change one’s heart. In the waters of baptism, the memorial of the death of Jesus is fulfilled to wash away sins. Disciples of the Lord offer up their bodies as living memorials, holy, acceptable to God as a sacrifice of love. Walking in the light is a memorial to the love of God from the heart of the child of God. The life of a Christian is everything a memorial to God. Their speech, dress, attitudes, hope, and love for others let others see the power of God working in their lives. Joshua told the Israelites the twelve stones would tell the world the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty. Today, the world will know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, when they see the life of a Christian living each day as a memorial to Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

From Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:17-21)

The Preacher And The Shepherds

The saints and faithful in Christ Jesus who were in Ephesus had a special place in the heart of the apostle Paul. On his third missionary journey, the preacher had spent three years laboring in this capital city of proconsular Asia and had drawn very close to the elders and disciples of the church filled with the love of God. It was a successful and abundant work of bringing the Jews and Greeks from all over Asia to know the Christ, the risen Savior. Paul had never stayed in one place for such a length of time in his journeys but this was a rich and rewarding experience. Leaving Ephesus the apostle made his way to Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth before beginning his return trip to Jerusalem which held an uncertain future. As he sailed for the western coast of Palestine Paul stopped in Miletus, about 30 miles south of Ephesus. It was here he sent a message to the elders of Ephesus to visit with him as he made his journey to Jerusalem. Crossing the arduous journey, the shepherds of the Ephesian church joined Paul for what would become their final time to see him face to face. There was much on the mind of Paul as he reflected upon the work at Ephesus and the good work that had been done in that area. The church was strong and vibrant and guided by the hand of capable men serving as the local bishops of the church, the work of the Lord would grow and prosper. There were warnings to be heeded. Satan was trying to destroy the church at Ephesus and John the apostle would later record the challenge of their love being diminished as he penned the Revelation. For now, Paul wanted to talk with the elders and exhort them to steadfastness and resolved to remain faithful to the cause of Christ.

Paul had shared much with the shepherds of Ephesus in the three years of his labor. His relationship with them was not one of an overpowering dominance because of his apostleship. He was a diligent worker for the kingdom and understood the importance of the role of elders. The manner of Paul’s life among the disciples in Ephesus was one of humility serving with the shepherds to teach the gospel of Christ. There were many tears and trials shared because of the resistance of the Jews against the church but this did not dissuade the elders or discourage Paul. They continued to work together to teach publically and from house to house the power of the gospel and to establish the truth of God’s word. Paul worked diligently with the elders to help them establish a firm foundation of truth. He was unashamed to show the error of those who would oppose the gospel whether Jew or Greek. His message was simple but powerful: repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. In companionship with the leaders of the church, Paul helped to keep the word of truth as the purpose and design of the church. The elders of the church were entrusted to oversee the church and as a shepherd cares for a flock of sheep, these men would shepherd the church of God which Jesus purchased with His own blood.

A time would come when spiritual wolves would enter among the church at Ephesus and seek to destroy it. In the years to follow, the church would turn away from the truth and disappear from the pages of history. Paul’s warnings would ring through the centuries of what becomes of churches that do not take heed to the work of teaching the pure gospel of Jesus Christ. Preachers must preach the word of God alone and the shepherds of the church must stand in defiance to the modern innovations of spiritual novelties that seek to mold the church to the standards of the world. Elders are the overseers of the church given authority by God to lead and guide the hearts of the disciples among them. Preachers have their place in the local congregation and the work is a daily service of public teaching and sharing the gospel from house to house. With humility, these proclaimers of the word help guide the hearts and minds of the disciples to the word of God under the leadership of men who watch out for their souls like shepherds caring for sheep. Preachers and elders working together to bring glory to the church and accomplish the awesome task of bringing lost souls to Christ is what the Holy Spirit inscribed on the pages of the new covenant. The pattern of the New Testament church is the pattern the church should follow in every generation. Preachers and elders working together in the spirit of humility keep back nothing that is helpful proclaiming the gospel of Christ is the church Jesus died for.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

The Greatest Memorial

A day of memorial is a special time to think more deeply about those who gave their all to secure the freedoms enjoyed in this country. Every nation is built upon the blood of those willing to die for the establishment of their country. For many, this is an involuntary death but obedient to the laws of the land they serve and give their all. Regardless of the intent or design of their service, myriads have died in battle fighting against foes that seek to destroy their ideals of theology, culture, politics, and way of life. Memorial Days are remembered on both sides of the conflict. This day is not measured by who is right or the oppressor. A common thread in all battles is that death brings sorrow to all men, good and evil. Some men fight to ensure freedom and others battle to oppress their will on others. Conflict has been the tragic consequence of sin since the day Cain rose up in the field and killed his brother Abel. The first day of memorial came when Adam and Eve buried their son and for years to come pondered the meaning of how real death was. The world fell into decay and wickedness because of sin as nations rose against other nations and through every generation death became so familiar. Fallen warriors were remembered for the valiant courage to fight and die for the cause of the nation. More than two hundred years ago another nation was founded on the blood of freedom-seeking patriots who desired a placed of their own by their own laws. During these turbulent centuries, wars have been fought with other nations and among themselves in a great conflict of civil war. Millions have died in the brief history of the United States of America and it is fitting to reflect on a day of Memorial for those who gave their all.

A constant reminder each year is the sad reality of the many families impacted by the death of those who have served. In every case, there is a son or daughter taken from loved ones as they served in a place of honor. The greater reality is this day will continue as long as the world stands because of the reasons behind wars and conflict. Memorial days remind all men of the reality of death and that in every century the march of the grim reaper will continue unabated. In every nation, there will be families torn apart in the death of their loved ones as conflicts continue among peoples and nations. John Lennon may have imagined a world without war but the reality is that sin is the root of death. No man could solve the problem of sin and the consequence of death. Marble headstones will continue to abound on the face of the earth because there is a certainty that has been in place since that fateful day in a place called Eden. Loved ones die because of sin. Soldiers give their all in death because of the consequence of sin. The devil is the root of man’s problem and as a result of disobedience to the Creator, man is separated from the tree of life. All men die – this will not change. Memorial days will never cease as death is constant. The only answer found in a day of memorial is to know what God has done to release man from the sting of death and victory of the grave. Two thousand years ago the Lord God established a memorial that will solve the problem of sin. God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son to die – not for a nation or a certain group of people – but for all men regardless of nationality, heritage or age. Jesus Christ became the eternal memorial because of the consequence of sin. He gave His all so that all could be free.

God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through the death of His Son might be saved from the horrible nature of sin. What makes this gift so memorial is because this sacrifice was the eternal Son of God who did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped and willingly died for all men. His sacrifice was not forced or coerced. It was neither an accident that Jesus died nor a mistake by the eternal Father to allow His Son to die. Jesus gave His life freely. No man has ever died as Jesus died. Within the power of the Son of God was to call twelve legions of angels to defend Him but Jesus chose to die. His death was the cruelest because He had never committed a sin – not one. All of those remembered on a Memorial Day may have died in noble character but all men that died were victims of sin. God so loved the world He gave His Son as the cost for the sins of all men. There is no greater love, no greater sacrifice, no incredible gift or thought than the memorial of Jesus Christ who through love gave His life to save – me – to save you. The cross of Jesus is the eternal Memorial of a gift given by the One who formed man from the dust of the ground. His only desire was to save man. God does not desire for any man to perish in perdition and in trust gave His Son so that all men could find hope and joy in death. May our hearts rejoice in the Memorial of God through His Son Jesus Christ.

For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)

For God So Loved The World

For a period of time in history, the nation of Israel was the special treasure of God. Born from the bondage of a foreign land that oppressed the children of Jacob for hundreds of years, Israel would rise to a status, unlike any nation the world had ever seen. At its zenith, the Hebrews were the most blessed and powerful nation man would ever see. It was not because of the expanse of their land holdings or the size of their army that made Israel a formidable nation but the God that created the small nation from His love and His promise. Israel was a people elected by the Creator of the world to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. Of all the great masses that came from the dispersion of Babel to present day, there has never been a more blessed group of individuals where God has shown Himself in His power, love, protection, benevolence, and care. They did not number more than any other nation. Of those who came from Egypt, they numbered six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. Including women and others, the nation of Israel was small compared to all other peoples. The Lord notes they were the smallest of all peoples. God did not choose Israel because they were more numerous than all other nations but because He loved them and He had made a promise to Abraham. As a faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations the Lord chose the Hebrews as an act of love and faithfulness. Sadly, Israel would enjoy the favor of the Lord God for a short period of history as they rejected His love like a wife to a faithful husband committing spiritual whoredom with the nations around them. After repeated pleas to return to the covenant established at Sinai through His servant Moses, Israel lost their favor in the eyes of God. Redemption would come through the final act of rebellion when the Jews killed the Son of God refusing to accept Jesus as the Christ. The Roman authorities were complicit in the murder of Jesus accounting the wrath of God upon them. God established a new covenant through the blood of Christ. Israel was no longer the special treasure of the Lord.

God’s love for Israel was the basis for Him choosing them. He had promised Abraham that He would create this great people that would number as the stars in the heavens. Because of their sin, Israel was rejected by the Lord. Salvation can only come through the name of Jesus Christ and the offering of God to man today remains the same. Like Israel of old, the chosen people of God are those whom He has loved above all others and to whom He had made a promise. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to save man, redeem Him from the penalty of sin and fulfill a promise made in the Garden of Eden. No longer an earthly kingdom but a kingdom eternal in the heavens, the kingdom of God is made up of the chosen vessels of God’s love. The sacrifice of Jesus is the offering of the Lord to show His great love for all men. That salvation did not come because of anything man has done to deserve such love. It was not because there were billions of people on earth. Nothing man did warrants the grace of God to be given to him. In fact, everything man did prove that he did not deserve or merit the love, grace, and kindness of the Lord. Mankind had become a putrid world of darkness that would murder in the most horrible manner the only Son of God. If the truth of man’s sin was clearly understood the wrath of God should have utterly destroyed the universe where men dwelt but God did not do that. He loved man and chose to save Him.

One of the most important characters of the Lord God is that He cannot lie. This is absolute. There is no changing and vacillating with uncertainty. When Adam and Eve did exactly what the Lord told them not to do in taking the forbidden fruit, the grace of God made a promise to save them. He told them a Seed would come that would redeem the world and that Seed was Jesus Christ. No promise of God has ever failed. Salvation is offered to all men today because God made a promise that He would offer a way of escape. It would not come through the sacrificial offerings of animals or the failed righteousness of good men. The promise made by the Father in the Garden of Eden had already been defined before time began to be the literal sacrifice of God in the form of a man. Jesus came in the flesh and suffered every pain of humanity including the horror of the crucifixion so that all men could find peace through His blood. The death of Jesus was the fulfillment of the Eden promise that came from the love of God. What does man have to glory in? Is there anything men can say they have done that deserves this kind of love? Salvation came from the love of God and the fulfillment of the promise made in the garden. Thank God for His love and for His faithfulness.