February 28, 2025 - Joshua 4-5

Wednesday evening, the gathered men at Baxter talked about remembering.  The text we were considering was from Joshua 4 in which God instructs the people to place remembrance stones in the Jordan River so that subsequent generations would remember what God had done:  “When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.  When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever” (4:6-7).  On another occasion, Jesus ate with his disciples and “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.  Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me’” (Luke 22:19).  We are a forgetful people, especially it seems, when it comes to the things of God.  And when we forget God’s past faithfulness to us we tend to doubt his faithfulness in the present.  That’s why Psalm 77 is so important for us.  The psalmist had forgotten God’s past mercies and had fallen into deep discouragement.  But, then, he said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.  I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” Psalm 77:10-12).  He remembered and he was greatly comforted and encouraged knowing that the God who had been faithful in the past was still faithful.

Let children hear the mighty deeds

which God performed of old,

which in our younger years we saw

and which our fathers told.

He bids us make his glories known,

the works of pow’r and grace,

that we convey his wonders down

through ev’ry rising race.

Our lips shall tell them to our sons,

and they again to theirs,

and generations yet unborn

must teach them to their heirs.

Thus shall they learn, in God alone

their hope securely stands,

that they may ne'er forget his works,

but practice his commands.   --Isaac Watts (1719)