Sometimes I'm a little slow. I didn't realize how many references there are to stones in the book of Joshua.
There's the 12 stone Memorial after crossing the Jordan,
The stones piled on Achan and his family (see yesterday's post)
The stones piled on the king of Ai
The stones set by the Cave after the killing of the 5 kings
The stones of the wall of Jericho
Any others that you know of?
Do you have any monuments to remind you of your past failures and God's judgement of those failures? Usually when I think of monuments, I think of successes - something left as a tribute to great people. In Joshua 7 there is a monument left to remind people of great sin and God's judgment on that sin.
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
Kevin (our team leader) is blogging about the vision of The Heights Church. You can check out his blog at www.wakebeforedawn.com
A BIG Thank you to everyone who has been praying. Please continue to pray, God has been answering in a big way. We both now have jobs, we have an apartment, and we hope to close on our house at the end of the month.
John the Baptist was considered a fanatical fundamentalist, because of his ascetic ways and his harsh message. Jesus was a flaming liberal because he drank and ate with the sinners.
Matthew 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
From today's reading...
Deuteronomy 34:7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.
From my reading today...
Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Though I'm sure we are prejudiced, she is a pretty girl. If I want her to strive to be godly, am I sending conflicting messages by praising her beauty instead of praising her character?
Music Tuesday at 2 am on a Sunday Morning. No more coffee for me on Saturday nights!
This song is pretty awesome - it's a pouring out of the heart. Probably not something that the congregation sings easily, but the chorus could be something special in a corporate setting. Wow, I especially love right at the end of verse 2 (about 3:48)
"I don't have time to think about regrets when I think about the way...He loves us...O how he loves us!"
