“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.” — Joshua 4:7
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Jerry West — a Los Angeles Lakers legend and the inspiration for the NBA’s logo — passed away in June 2024. In the days following his death, fans flocked to Crypto.com Arena in L.A. to pay their respects, because a statue of West in his famous pose is proudly displayed outside. Admirers laid flowers at the statue’s feet and watched grainy footage of West’s best plays. Meanwhile, grandfathers reminisced about his greatness as their grandkids listened on in amazement. Something about the presence of West’s statue made those memories come alive, and the permanence of it ensured that those memories would never die.
In Joshua 3, God parted the Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross over into the land He had promised to them. The miracle was spectacular, and another testament to God’s perfect power and perfect provision for His people. Yet even as incredible as it was, God knew that the people were prone to forget. The memory would fade for the people who witnessed it, and it would be forgotten entirely by the ensuing generations. So, in Joshua 4, God commanded the people of Israel to build a type of statue made up of 12 stones from the middle of the river. The last verse in the chapter tells us why God made this command:
“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.” — Joshua 4:24
In other words, the statue was to serve as a reminder for all future generations of the miracle God performed in order to provide for His people. That miracle was then written down in the Book of Joshua. It’s a story that has inspired believers for more than 3,000 years to reflect on how God never failed to provide for Israel, and how He’s never failed to provide for them either.
You and I need to reflect on these things as well. We are prone to forget the many ways God has been good to us, and then question Him when things don’t go the way we think they should. We are sinful people who too often lean on our own understanding rather than resting in the truth of Scripture. Our memories fade, and our present circumstances seem more real to us than words on a page. May this never be so.
Statues of sport’s greatest figures, like the one of Jerry West, help us to remember. They are memorials forever of everything these figures were able to accomplish. As Christians, we have something even better than a statue. We have the Word of God itself — the Bible. We have God’s promise to never leave us nor forsake us. We have story after story of His faithfulness and love. We have His warnings about sin, and yes, we have the promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
We don’t need a statue, because God Himself is speaking to us. Open your Bible and listen.
— Kevin Mercer
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