August 6, 2011
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The Victorious Life of Joshua Part 29
Jos 4:14 On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
To magnify means: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
They feared him, as they feared Moses. Here, fear means: to fear, revere, be afraid, to stand in awe of, be awed, reverence, honor, respect, be dreadful, be feared, to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe, to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe, terrify.
Jos 4:15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
Jos 4:16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
Jos 4:17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
Jos 4:18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, [and] the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as [they did] before.
Jos 4:19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth [day] of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
Gilgal = “a wheel, rolling”
My bible dictionary also tells me that Gilgal means: “circle of stones.” This is interesting because it makes me think of Stone Henge, which is also a circle of stones.
Other interesting facts about this site:
It is the village from which the prophet Elijah ascended into heaven (2 Kin. 2:1).
This is also the site of the first Passover in Canaan (Josh. 5:9-10)
It also became the base of military operations for Israel during the conquest of Canaan, which lasted 6 years. From Gilgal, Joshua led Israel against the city of Jericho (Josh 6:11, 14 and conducted his southern campaign. (Josh 10)
It was Gilgal that was the site of king Saul’s coronation as well as his rejection by God as King (1 Sam. 11:15; 13:4-12; 15:12-33) After Absalom’s revolt, the Judeans gathered at Gilgal to welcome David back as their king (2 Sam. 19:15, 40). But during the days of later kings, Gilgal became a center of idolatry.
Jos 4:20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
Jos 4:21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What [mean] these stones?
Jos 4:22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
Jos 4:23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
Jos 4:24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it [is] mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
The twelve stones were placed in the site as a memorial of God’s greatness.
