Yet these stones formed a monument that might be despised. How stupendous, how unparalleled, was the work of carrying Israel across Jordan in this fashion yet how easily, how quickly, how quietly, was it all done! The hand of man is capable of great achievements. These stones were most emphatically A monument of great might. Do not make the blunder of the ship carpenters in Noah’s time, who helped to build the ark, but did not get into it. We did not build this church for mere worldly reforms, or for an educational institution, or as a platform on which to read essays and philosophical disquisitions but a place for the tremendous work of soul-saving. We mean by these stones the salvation of the people. It is too good for us, but not half good enough for Thee.ģ. Thou didst give it to us first, but we give it back to Thee. Oh, Jesus! is it not time that Thou hadst a house? We give Thee this. Jesus did not have much of a home when He was here. We mean that they shall be an earthly residence for Christ. It is an outrage to build a house like this, occupying so much room in a crowded thoroughfare, and with such vast toil and outlay, unless there be some tremendous reasons for doing it and so I demand of all who have assisted in the building of this structure: “What mean ye by these stones?”ġ. Redemption, resurrection, and ascension facts should be implanted in their minds and memories. Our little ones should be grounded in the great truths of God’s Word. And well indeed may Christians recount to their children what God has wrought. The question, “What mean ye by these stones?” which the children would ask their fathers was to be answered by a relation of the Lord’s doings. ![]() The pillar of twelve stones, set up in Gilgal, became a memorial to the nation of Jehovah’s work for them. Even as each individual believer has life for himself “together” with Christ risen ( Ephesians 2:5), so have all believers the highest privileges in common they are by God made “to sit together” ( Ephesians 2:6). One association and one privilege mark all saints, and all equally have the highest and the best place. Saints are seated together in the heavenly places in Christ, the one common place of blessing for all who believe. Christians occupy themselves practically with spiritual, not national, unity therefore with the truth that all saints of every nation are one in God’s sight and according to His purpose. Next, the stones, twelve in number, “according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel” ( Joshua 4:5 Joshua 4:8), spoke of the whole of Israel. We are across the river to God through Christ be the praise. And speaking in the language of the type under our consideration as “clean passed over” Jordan, the Christian’s first act should be the heart recognition of what God has done. ![]() To enter into this grace, it is necessary to keep before our hearts, in faith, the measure of God’s Divine power exercised towards us, the exceeding greatness of which is according to that energy and might of His “which He wrought,” &c. Christ, our ark, went down into death for us, exhausted its power, stripped it of its might and God has given us, who were dead in sins, life “together with” Christ risen from among the dead, and has set us in Him in the fulness of blessing, so that as truly as Israel through the passage of the Jordan were in Canaan, saints now are in Christ in the heavenly places. Now as we truly recognise that we are brought, in Christ, into the heavenly places, our first action in spirit will resemble that of Israel: we shall extol God for His power and might in accomplishing His purpose in bringing us into such blessing. First, these stones declared Jehovah’s great work for His people even Jordan emptied of its waters before the ark of His covenant, and His people brought thereby into the fulness of their blessing. Moreover, they became a memorial to the nation of Jehovah’s work for them. ![]() Taken from the dry bed of the river, they declared God’s power in cutting off the waters before the ark of His covenant twelve in number, one stone for each tribe, they declared how that all Israel had entered into Canaan set up together in Canaan, they witnessed to Israel’s unity in that land. These stones proclaimed certain realities.
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