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Kwangju UBF, Korea
December 2, 2013

“Be A Memorial Forever”

Joshua 3:14 - 4:24
Key Verse: Joshua 4:7, “Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

So far, God has done an amazing work of discipleship ministry and world mission through UBF pioneers. We human beings are forgetful. So, God in the Bible told his people to set up a monument for his people not to forget, but to remember a historical event forever from generation to generation. We gathered here today to celebrate the opening of the UBF history museum in order that we can see and remember what the historical events were during that early pioneering period. Today, I want to think about the meaning and purpose of the UBF history museum through Joshua Chapter 4.

I. God completely cut off the Jordan for Israel to cross over (3:14-17)
II. God set up twelve stones as a permanent memorial (4:1-24)
III. What were the purposes of setting up the monument of 12 stones?

According to God’s direction Joshua set up 12 stones at Gilgal and said to the Israelites in verses 21 through 24, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

First, it was to remember the saving power of the Lord and his love always and fear the Lord forever (6a, 7b). Look at verse 24, “He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.” The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God who cut off the Jordan and let his people cross over as on dry ground is the same God living today. Even today in the 21st century God is the Almighty God who cuts off the Jordan through us to conquer the Jericho. God called the late Dr. Samuel Lee and Mother Barry and used them to raise disciples of Jesus and to serve world mission which looked impossible. We have to continue to serve the campus discipleship ministry and world mission by putting our faith in God’s sovereignty, power and love.

In God's redemptive history it is very important to remember the work of salvation in any community or society. Whatever community that does not remember such a historical event will lose its identity. If there is no history which preserves any organization or individual, the community they belong to will be like a flame that flickered for a while and then faded away. The community who wants to grow should be a community with vision and a community that remembers history. In Western society, there is a proverb, “Out of sight, out of mind.” No matter how important historical events we have in our past or no matter how amazing God’s saving grace we received, if we do not renew or have no confidence in it, we will gradually forget all about it as time passes by. In particular, the grace of salvation through the blood of Jesus or the World Mission vision can become nothing more than emotional memories. This kind of emotional or sensory memory is easy to forget, therefore, once every two weeks; at least, we have to renew our sensory memory in order to constantly keep fresh in mind the works of God. In order to keep in mind the grace of God, it is worthy for us to engrave a word such as “Out of renewing, out of mind.”

Second, this monument is to give a great lesson to future generations to come (6b-7).
Look at verses 6b & 7, “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” The purpose of the monument is to teach our descendants, who will be the heroes among the next generation in God's redemptive history, God’s saving power and love and to fear God always.

Third, the monument is to reveal God’s sovereignty, power and glory to all nations (24).
Let’s look at verse 24 and 5:1, “He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God. Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.” The monument at Gilgal demonstrated enough to reveal the power and glory of the Sovereign God to all people of the world. The twelve stones were the monument that represents the evidence of God’s power and authority. Thus, the kings of all the nations will surrender before the power and the glory of God, and the people of all nations will be God’s people who fear God. God reminded the Israelites of the will of God which is to use the Israelites as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex. 19:4-6). God wants to use us as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. We have a tendency to forget that we are, indeed, pilgrims bound for the heavenly kingdom and a kingdom of priests in the world while we are struggling in order to survive in the highly competitive world.

In conclusion, we should always remember the work of the sovereign God—His power and love—and engrave it on our hearts for all time. For this, God gave this UBF history museum for us to remember the amazing disciple-making ministry and the world mission that God has done through our UBF ancestors and to renew our vision and faith. So, we also have to continue to serve the work of conquering the world campuses which are like Jericho by faith.

“Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Jos. 4:6b-7)