July 20, 2011
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The Victorious Life of Joshua Part 25
Jos 4:1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
Jos 4:2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
Remember that I told you back in the last chapter that I would explain this as it was also stated in that chapter?
Jos 3:12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
At that point, God was just telling Joshua to appoint 12 men from each of the 12 tribes.
Before we get into his reason for this, let’s look at the number twelve to see what its meanings are.
The Number Twelve:
The 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac probably suggested to the old Babylonians the use of 12 as a symbolic or semi-sacred number, but its frequent employment by the Israelites with special meaning cannot at present be proved to have originated in that way, although the idea was favored by both Josephus and Philo.
So far as we know, Israelite predilection for 12 was entirely due to the traditional belief that the nation consisted of 12 tribes, a belief, it is true, entertained also by the Arabs or some of them, but with much less intensity and persistence.
In Israel the belief was universal and ineradicable. Hence, the 12 pillars set up by Moses (Ex 24:4); the 12 jewels in the high priest’s breast-plate (Ex 28:21); the 12 cakes of showbread (Le 24:5); the 12 rods (Nu 17:2); the 12 spies (Nu 13); the 12 stones placed by Joshua in the bed of Jordan (Jos 4:9); the 12 officers of Solomon (1Ki 4:7); the 12 stones of Elijah’s altar (1Ki 18:31); the 12 disciples or apostles (26 t), and several details of apocalyptic imagery (Re 7:5 ff; 12:1; 21:12,14,16,21; 22:2; compare also Mt 14:20 parallel Mt 19:28 parallel Mt 26:53; Ac 26:7).
The number pointed in the first instance at unity and completeness which had been sanctioned by Divine election, and it retained this significance when applied to the spiritual Israel. Philo indeed calls it a perfect number. Its double in Re 4:4, etc., is probably also significant.
Jos 4:3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
Stone monuments were a common means in the Old Testament of inviting future generations to remember-and participate in-the great acts God had accomplished for his people.
Gen 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put [for] his pillows, and set it up [for] a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
Gen 28:19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz at the first.
Gen 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
Gen 28:21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
Gen 28:22 And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
Gen 31:46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
Gen 31:47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
Jegar-sahadutha = “witness heap”
1) the mound of stones raised as witness between Jacob and Laban, called by Jacob in Hebrew ‘Galeed’
Not only did their forefather Jacob start this tradition, but it was carried on by Moses, Joshua and Samuel as well.
Jos 24:26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that [was] by the sanctuary of the LORD.
Jos 24:27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
1Sa 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set [it] between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.
Mizpah = “watchtower”
1) a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban’s cairn
2) a place in Gilead south of Jabbok; site unknown
3) a place near Mount Hermon
4) an old sacred place in Benjamin
Shen = “crag”
1) a place in Palestine
a) evidently somewhere in the neighbourhood of Mizpah
Ebenezer = “stone of help”
1) memorial stone erected by Samuel to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines – north of Jerusalem
But remember, Moses had given Joshua the marching order on proceeding through the Jordan and into Jericho; into the promised land.
Deu 27:1 And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.
Deu 27:2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister:
Deu 27:3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
Despite having received these orders, note that Joshua was totally in tune to what the Lord told him. He did not move forward on his own strength. Apparently, every move he made, he waited and was in a position of listening or hearing from God. There was an ongoing consultation going on, as if he was a company president on skype in continual communication with the CEO of the company. This is a great example of how we should be in our communication with God.
