“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’”
— Joshua 4:2-3
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
— Romans 6:4
Without this death and burial, there is no readiness to declare that we are here to serve the Lord for His testimony, especially when things do not go our way. For the testimony’s sake we not only serve in resurrection but also allow ourselves to undergo burial. This aspect of the church life cannot be received by everyone.
For instance, some Christians I know are extremely talented musicians. If one of them heard of an opening in an orchestra but felt it was not the Lord’s leading to take it, would that person still seek the position or deny himself for Christ? To be in resurrection is not difficult—we just enjoy it. To be in death, however, we need the church to stand with us. This is the reason Joshua set up the twelve stones in the river.
Adapted from Joshua: A Life of Service, page 47.
Tomorrow: “Two Memorials (4)”