It Is Finished

In Joshua 4:8-10 we read, “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 tries 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 middle 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. So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that he Lord had commanded Joshua.”

When Christ died on the cross we died with Him there. We died to sin, self and the world. And yet we find that often we don’t enter into the reality of this truth. The crossing of the Israelites over the Jordan pictures this truth for us. Last time we pointed out the fact that the ark (God) went before the people. In the same way, Christ has gone before us having died and raised and ascended as our forerunner.

Here in this passage the priests stood in the midst of the Jordan until all was finished. Christ also stayed put on the cross until all was finished. The sin question has been totally dealt with on the cross. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

If you read the Joshua passage carefully you will see that there were two sets of twelve stones that were set up. One set was in the middle of the river and the other on the bank of the river. Joshua said to the people, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’ … that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is might, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Our lives should be marked by events and things that help us remember and give us opportunity to explain to our children and grand children what God has done in our lives. If any of the people of Israel had determined to go back to wilderness living, they would have passed these piles of stones. These stones certainly would not have kept them from going back, but they would have reminded them of all God had done and made them ask themselves whether going back was a good idea.

Here are a couple of questions you need to think about. Even though you may be a Christian, have you accepted by faith the victorious position that you have in Christ? Have you left reminders of one kind or another along the way to prod your memory of what life used to be like on the other side so that going back won’t be a temptation? Are you using the opportunities you have to explain to your children and grand children what God has done for you in Christ so that they will be challenged to follow in your footsteps?