On That Day
On That Day
Joshua 4:14–24
There are certain days in life wherein everything changes forever. We remember the day we graduated, the day we were married, the day our children were born, or the day we received life-changing news.
The Bible is filled with memorable days as well: the day Noah left the ark, the day Israel crossed the Red Sea, the day David defeated Goliath, the day Christ rose from the dead, and the day the church was born at Pentecost.
Joshua 4 records another unforgettable day: the day Israel came up out of the Jordan River and entered Gilgal. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God's people finally stepped into the land he had promised their fathers. It was more than a geographical crossing; it marked the beginning of a new chapter in Israel's history.
That day also illustrates three important truths for every believer. Just as God worked in Israel's lives on that memorable day, He continues to work in ours, from the day of our salvation, throughout our Christian walk, and ultimately on the day we enter eternity.
The Lord Magnified Joshua
Joshua 4:14 says, "On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel."
Joshua did not elevate himself. He did not campaign for recognition or demand respect. The Lord himself magnified his servant before the people. Joshua had faithfully followed the Lord, and now God publicly confirmed His leadership.
Throughout Scripture, God delights in exalting those who humbly follow Him. Moses was magnified before Pharaoh through the mighty acts of God. Joseph was exalted before the very brothers who had sold him into slavery. Job was honored after enduring tremendous suffering. David was magnified in the eyes of his family and friends of Israel and his foes, the Philistines. In every case, promotion came from the Lord rather than from self-effort.
The same principle applies today. The greatest day in every Christian's life was the day Jesus Christ was magnified in his heart. Before salvation, Christ may have been merely a historical figure or a religious name, but when the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to the gospel, Jesus became precious, glorious, and altogether lovely. As Paul wrote, "Christ shall be magnified in my body" (Philippians 1:20).
Instead of seeking to make our own names great, we should labor to magnify the Lord. Psalm 34:3 declares, "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." When Christ increases, our lives become far more influential than any amount of self-promotion could ever accomplish.
The Lord Brought Israel Up Out of Jordan
Once the priests had faithfully remained in the midst of Jordan until every Israelite had crossed safely, the Lord commanded them to come up out of the river. Joshua 4:17 simply records, "Come ye up out of Jordan." Those words beautifully illustrate the Christian life.
God's desire is always upward. Scripture repeatedly calls believers to lift up their eyes, lift up holy hands, lift up their voices, and seek those things which are above (Colossians 3:1–2). Christianity is never intended to be stagnant. God continually calls his people to greater growth, deeper fellowship, and a higher ground of spiritual maturity.
Yet God's pattern is that before there is an ascent, there must first be a descent.
Jesus first humbled himself unto death before ascending into glory. Joseph descended into the pit and later into prison before ascending to the throne of Pharaoh. David spent years fleeing from Saul before becoming king. Likewise, every believer first comes to Christ as a guilty sinner before rising to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
Joshua also notes that the priests' feet came up "unto dry land." That wording emphasizes more than merely stepping onto solid ground. It speaks of leaving one place entirely and entering another. Egypt was behind them. The wilderness was behind them. Jordan was behind them. Gilgal lay before them.
Paul later described himself as "separated unto the gospel of God" (Romans 1:1). God calls every Christian to leave behind the old life and fully embrace the new life. A believer cannot effectively walk with God while one foot remains planted in the past.
One day, another call will come from heaven. In Revelation 4:1, John heard the voice of Christ saying, "Come up hither." For the child of God, that future call will bring the final crossing from this present world into the eternal presence of the Lord.
The Lord Memorialized Their Journey
After the crossing was complete, Joshua established the twelve stones at Gilgal. Those stones became a permanent memorial so future generations would ask, "What mean these stones?" The monument testified that the mighty hand of God had brought his people safely through the impossible. Reminding us of the hand of God for the humble is the God of our exaltation in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 - "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:"
Today, believers possess an even greater memorial than twelve stones. God has preserved his mighty works in the pages of Scripture. The Bible records thousands of years of God's dealings with mankind and reveals his mighty power to save, to judge, to deliver, and to keep His promises.
Because of God's written word, every generation can know that "the hand of the LORD... is mighty" (Joshua 4:24). The Scriptures not only point sinners to salvation, but they also teach believers how to walk in fellowship with God and cultivate a godly fear of him.
God also keeps perfect records. He has a book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16). The names of all who have trusted Christ are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Every work done for Christ is remembered and will be evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Nothing done in faithful service is overlooked by the Lord Jesus Christ
Looking Toward "That Day"
Israel never forgot the day they crossed the Jordan River. It was the day God magnified Joshua. It was the day the priests and the people came up out of Jordan. It was the day twelve stones were established to testify of God's mighty hand.
Every believer is also moving toward another unforgettable day. One day, we will stand before Jesus Christ. On that day, the question will not be how much of the world we accumulated, but whether our names are found in the Lamb's Book of Life and whether our lives magnified the Lord who saved us.
May we spend these present days faithfully magnifying Christ, walking in the newness of life, and living with eternity in view, so that when that day arrives, we may hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Joshua 4:14–24
There are certain days in life wherein everything changes forever. We remember the day we graduated, the day we were married, the day our children were born, or the day we received life-changing news.
The Bible is filled with memorable days as well: the day Noah left the ark, the day Israel crossed the Red Sea, the day David defeated Goliath, the day Christ rose from the dead, and the day the church was born at Pentecost.
Joshua 4 records another unforgettable day: the day Israel came up out of the Jordan River and entered Gilgal. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God's people finally stepped into the land he had promised their fathers. It was more than a geographical crossing; it marked the beginning of a new chapter in Israel's history.
That day also illustrates three important truths for every believer. Just as God worked in Israel's lives on that memorable day, He continues to work in ours, from the day of our salvation, throughout our Christian walk, and ultimately on the day we enter eternity.
The Lord Magnified Joshua
Joshua 4:14 says, "On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel."
Joshua did not elevate himself. He did not campaign for recognition or demand respect. The Lord himself magnified his servant before the people. Joshua had faithfully followed the Lord, and now God publicly confirmed His leadership.
Throughout Scripture, God delights in exalting those who humbly follow Him. Moses was magnified before Pharaoh through the mighty acts of God. Joseph was exalted before the very brothers who had sold him into slavery. Job was honored after enduring tremendous suffering. David was magnified in the eyes of his family and friends of Israel and his foes, the Philistines. In every case, promotion came from the Lord rather than from self-effort.
The same principle applies today. The greatest day in every Christian's life was the day Jesus Christ was magnified in his heart. Before salvation, Christ may have been merely a historical figure or a religious name, but when the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to the gospel, Jesus became precious, glorious, and altogether lovely. As Paul wrote, "Christ shall be magnified in my body" (Philippians 1:20).
Instead of seeking to make our own names great, we should labor to magnify the Lord. Psalm 34:3 declares, "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." When Christ increases, our lives become far more influential than any amount of self-promotion could ever accomplish.
The Lord Brought Israel Up Out of Jordan
Once the priests had faithfully remained in the midst of Jordan until every Israelite had crossed safely, the Lord commanded them to come up out of the river. Joshua 4:17 simply records, "Come ye up out of Jordan." Those words beautifully illustrate the Christian life.
God's desire is always upward. Scripture repeatedly calls believers to lift up their eyes, lift up holy hands, lift up their voices, and seek those things which are above (Colossians 3:1–2). Christianity is never intended to be stagnant. God continually calls his people to greater growth, deeper fellowship, and a higher ground of spiritual maturity.
Yet God's pattern is that before there is an ascent, there must first be a descent.
Jesus first humbled himself unto death before ascending into glory. Joseph descended into the pit and later into prison before ascending to the throne of Pharaoh. David spent years fleeing from Saul before becoming king. Likewise, every believer first comes to Christ as a guilty sinner before rising to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
Joshua also notes that the priests' feet came up "unto dry land." That wording emphasizes more than merely stepping onto solid ground. It speaks of leaving one place entirely and entering another. Egypt was behind them. The wilderness was behind them. Jordan was behind them. Gilgal lay before them.
Paul later described himself as "separated unto the gospel of God" (Romans 1:1). God calls every Christian to leave behind the old life and fully embrace the new life. A believer cannot effectively walk with God while one foot remains planted in the past.
One day, another call will come from heaven. In Revelation 4:1, John heard the voice of Christ saying, "Come up hither." For the child of God, that future call will bring the final crossing from this present world into the eternal presence of the Lord.
The Lord Memorialized Their Journey
After the crossing was complete, Joshua established the twelve stones at Gilgal. Those stones became a permanent memorial so future generations would ask, "What mean these stones?" The monument testified that the mighty hand of God had brought his people safely through the impossible. Reminding us of the hand of God for the humble is the God of our exaltation in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 - "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:"
Today, believers possess an even greater memorial than twelve stones. God has preserved his mighty works in the pages of Scripture. The Bible records thousands of years of God's dealings with mankind and reveals his mighty power to save, to judge, to deliver, and to keep His promises.
Because of God's written word, every generation can know that "the hand of the LORD... is mighty" (Joshua 4:24). The Scriptures not only point sinners to salvation, but they also teach believers how to walk in fellowship with God and cultivate a godly fear of him.
God also keeps perfect records. He has a book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16). The names of all who have trusted Christ are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Every work done for Christ is remembered and will be evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Nothing done in faithful service is overlooked by the Lord Jesus Christ
Looking Toward "That Day"
Israel never forgot the day they crossed the Jordan River. It was the day God magnified Joshua. It was the day the priests and the people came up out of Jordan. It was the day twelve stones were established to testify of God's mighty hand.
Every believer is also moving toward another unforgettable day. One day, we will stand before Jesus Christ. On that day, the question will not be how much of the world we accumulated, but whether our names are found in the Lamb's Book of Life and whether our lives magnified the Lord who saved us.
May we spend these present days faithfully magnifying Christ, walking in the newness of life, and living with eternity in view, so that when that day arrives, we may hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Posted in Believing, Blessing, Discipleship, Eternal Life, Finishing, Judgment Seat of Christ, Newness, Resurrection, Rewards, Salvation, Sanctification, Separation
Posted in Newness, Christian Living, Judgement Seat of Christ, Rewards, Obedience, Trusting God, salvation, Resurrection, Blessing
Posted in Newness, Christian Living, Judgement Seat of Christ, Rewards, Obedience, Trusting God, salvation, Resurrection, Blessing
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