HORIZONS BIBLE STUDY 2015-2016
COME TO THE WATERS
Lesson 4 — Joshua 3-4
Every Fourth of July, cities around the nation host fireworks and patriotic concerts. Newscasters speak of freedom and the founding of the nation. Images come across screens of the flag, the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. It is a festive ritual we yearly re-enact.
The ritual simplifies history — not taking into account the turmoil and fighting that went with the country’s establishment or the continuing inequities and injustice. Rather, for a single day, we are united around the ideal of an indivisible republic dedicated to liberty and justice for all. July Fourth briefly reminds us that we, as a nation, want to live for something greater than ourselves.
Joshua 3 has the feel of such a ritual day. For the people of Israel, this is an immensely important event. They are moving from wilderness wanderings into a land in which they can settle. The story emphasizes that Israel became a nation, not by its own strength, but by the power of God.
The priests lead the procession across the Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant, the tangible reminder of God’s living presence and God’s call to build a just and merciful community. The people follow the priests through the parted waters. The turmoil and bloodshed that comes with invading a land is barely mentioned.
Joshua instructs the people to set up two memorials of 12 stones each. One memorial is in the river itself to mark the spot. It is similar to a sign that might say: Here on the night of December 25, 1776, George Washington and the Continental Army secretly crossed the Delaware to launch a surprise attack against the Hessian forces that held Trenton, New Jersey, for the English Crown.
The second memorial is at the site where the people of Israel camp. Both stone memorials are to remind people of their heritage. As Joshua 4: 21b-24 says:
When your children ask their parents in time to come, “What do these stones mean?” then you shall let your children know, “Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.” For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over … so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” (Here, ”fear” means both to revere and obey.)
If your church is anything like the one that I serve, there are memorials in it. There are pictures of past senior pastors and plaques to people who gave generously. There are no stone memorials to the living God who has done mighty and wonderful things for us. Rather, worship and the sacraments are meant to be active memorials to God known to us in Jesus. Every time we worship together, we are reminded of the real presence of Jesus among us. In baptism, we experience again that God loves us before we can earn love. In the Lord’s Supper, we pray that the Jesus will feed us and empower us to love and follow him. Whether in small groups, Bible studies, prayer, worship or service, we experience moments when “Christ is alive no longer bound to distant years in Palestine, but saving, healing, here and now, and touching every time and place” (Brian Wren, “Christ is Alive!”).
One essential part of faith is being living, speaking “stones” who share how God has been and is present in our lives and in the world. Such testimony has great power to give hope and purpose. How would you answer if a child asked you, “What does church mean?” What would you say to a person, without any sort of faith, who asked you, “What do you get out of church?”
Such questions can be quite intimidating. We may find ourselves at a loss for words. After a conversation with a younger adult, I have become more focused on how we share the joy of faith in us. In that conversation, I failed miserably and hope to learn to listen better to questions and doubts so I can respond more personally next time.
When we are living, speaking stones, the community of faith is strengthened. Hearing how God came to a friend in a moment of despair awes me. Listening to a friend’s struggle to discern God’s will for her life helps me to think about God’s purpose for me. Reading about how God called and strengthened a person to work to change the root causes of poverty gives me hope. Become a living, speaking stone that gives witness to the goodness of God. It is hard, but so worth doing.
ROSALIND BANBURY is associate pastor for adult ministries at First Church in Richmond, Virginia.
