Why do we need to build memorials? After all, in today’s passage, the people of Israel had finally come into the promised land after 40 years of wandering the desert. And what an entrance they had made! God stopped the flow of water of the Jordan River so that they could walk across the river on dry ground. And once the priests came up out of the riverbed, the waters returned to their normal course. Surely an amazing even like that couldn’t be forgotten, right?

Well, take another look at verse 23, which talks about another amazing event, the parting of the Red Sea. On that occasion, which is described in Exodus chapter 14, God parted the Red Sea so that the waters stood as a wall on both sides of the people. They crossed through on dry ground, but God made the waters return after they reached the other side, drowning Pharaoh’s soldiers who had pursued them. Who could possibly forget such a display of God’s power, and of His protecting love?

The people who were delivered, that’s who. Exodus 15:22 says that only 3 days after being delivered at the Red Sea, the people complained because they couldn’t find any water they could drink in the desert. They had seen God part the waters for them and drown Pharaoh’s army, but didn’t believe the same God could provide water for them to drink. And it was this sort of forgetfulness, this sort of faithlessness that had caused them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

And remembrance is just as critical for us. When we read about how God delivered His people in the Scriptures, or throughout the rest of history, our faith in His power and love should grow. When we look back on our own lives, at the way God has blessed us and protected us and our loved ones, our confidence in Him should be built up.

And of course the greatest memorial of all is the cross of Christ. For the cross proves just how great a punishment sin deserves. Because the Son of God had to die for our sins, it proves that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. But because Jesus took our punishment for us, it also proves His great love and amazing grace.

So, let us remember how God has delivered all those who love and trust Jesus not just from the problems of this life, but from bondage to sin and death. And let us do our part to make sure that future generations, indeed that all the peoples of the earth know the gospel story as well.

Joshua 4:19-24 (ESV)

19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’
22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’
23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,
24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”