Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 2.djvu/27

Rh Thus in the greatest dangers the saints are comforted with his rod and his staff, Ps. 23. 4.

CHAP. IV. This chapter gives a further account of the miraculous passage of Israel through Jordan. I. The provision that was made at that time to preserve the memorial of it, by twelve stones set up in Jordan, v. 9. and other twelve stones taken up out of Jordan, v. 1..8. II. The march of the people through Jordan's channel, the two tribes first, then all the people, and the priests that bare the ark last, v. 10..14. III. The closing of the waters again upon their coming up with the ark, v. 15..19. IV. The erecting of the monument in Gilgal, to preserve the remembrance of this work of wonder to posterity, v. 20..24.

ND it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the spake unto Joshua, saying, 2. Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3. And command you 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 you shall lodge this night. 4. Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: 5. And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: 6. That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean you by these stones? 7. Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the ; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. 8. And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

We may well imagine how busy Joshua and all the men of war were, while they were passing over Jordan, when beside their own marching into an enemy's country, and in the face of the enemy, which could not but occasion them many thoughts of heart, they had their wives, and children, and families, their cattle, and tents, and all their effects, bag and baggage, to convey by this strange and untrodden path, which we must suppose either very muddy, or very stony, troublesome to the weak, and frightful to the timorous, the descent to the bottom of the river, and the ascent out of it steep, so that every man must needs have his head full of care and his hands full of business, and Joshua more than any of them. And yet in the midst of all his hurry, care must be taken to perpetuate the memorial of this wondrous work of God, and this care might not be adjourned to a time of greater leisure. Note, How much soever we have to do of business for ourselves, and our families, we must not neglect or omit what we have to do for the glory of God and the serving of his honour, for that is our best business. Now,

I. God gave orders for the preparing of this memorial. Had Joshua done it without divine direction, it might have looked like a design to perpetuate his own name and honour, nor would it nave commanded so sacred and venerable a regard from posterity, as now, when God himself appointed it. Note, God's works of wonder ought to be kept in everlasting remembrance, and means devised for the preserving of the memorial of them. Some of the Israelites that passed over Jordan, perhaps were so stupid, and so little affected with this great favour of God to them, that they felt no concern to have it remembered; while others, it may be, were so much affected with it, and had such deep impressions made upon them by it, that they thought there needed no memorial of it to be erected, the heart and tongue of every Israelite in every age would be a living, lasting monument of it. But God, knowing their frame, and how apt they had been soon to forget his works, ordered an expedient for the keeping of this in remembrance to all generations, that those who could not, or would not, read the record of it in sacred history, might come to the knowledge of it by the monument set up in remembrance of it, which the common tradition of the country would be an explication of; it would likewise serve to corroborate the proof of the matter of fact, and would remain a standing evidence of it to those who in after-ages might question the truth of it.

A monument is to be erected, and 1. Joshua, as chief captain, must give directions about it, v. 1. When all the people were clean passed ever Jordan, not even the feeble, that were the hindmost of them, left behind, so that God had done his work completely, and every Israelite got safe into Canaan, then God spake unto Joshua to provide materials for this monument. It is the pious conjecture of the learned Bishop Patrick, that Joshua was gone into some place of retirement, to return thanks immediately for this wonderful mercy, and then God met him, and spake thus to him. Or, perhaps, it was by Eleazar the priest, that God gave these and other instructions to Joshua, for though he is not mentioned here, yet when Joshua was ordained by the imposition of hands to this great trust, God appointed that Eleazar should ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim, and at his word, Joshua, and all the children of Israel must go out and come in, Numb. 27. 21. 2. One man out of each tribe, and he a chosen man, must be employed to prepare materials for this monument, that each tribe might have the story told them by one of themselves, and each tribe might contribute something to the glory of God thereby, v. 2, 4, Out of every tribe a man. Not the Levites only, but every Israelite must, in his place, help to make known to the sons of men God's mighty acts, Ps. 145. 12. The two tribes, though seated already in their possession, yet sharing in the mercy, must lend a hand to the memorial of it. 3. The stones that must be set up for this memorial, are ordered to be taken out of the midst of the channel, (where, probably, there lay