Joshua 8:29 "And the king of Ai he
hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua
commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at
the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones,
that remaineth unto this day."
Israel went against Ai again. This time, they went under the Lord's instructions and in His blessings. The result was much different from the first time. They destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai as instructed by God. I realize the first part of this verse is very explicit in its description of what they did to the king of Ai, but I wanted to use this verse for a particular reason as it came to me this morning. I especially want to think about the last part of this verse: they were to "raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day." This was the burial place for the king of Ai.
In more than one place, we read of memorials being raised of stones that "remaineth unto this day." It never became "just a pile of rocks"; rather, the history behind the heap of stones was passed from generation to generation. Remember when they took twelve stones from the Jordan River? The Lord instructed the people that in generations to come when their children would ask the meaning of the stones, they were to tell them of the great deliverance given by the Lord. We are told those stones "remaineth unto this day".
Concerning the heap of stones at Ai, the people were to tell the history behind those stones. As I read the account of what took place, and in my mind I see those stones, they tell me the whole story. Those stones tell me that Israel tried to go in their own strength and failed. Also those stones tell me that when they went in the strength of the Lord, He gave them a great victory.
I admit to you that when I look at statues and monuments, I don't always stop to remember why they were erected. They always serve a twofold purpose. They tell both the positive and negative sides of the story. I think the mind is trained to remember the positive over the negative. That's why it is so important to remember the history behind any monument. Though this could easily turn political, I don't mean it in that way. I want to remind myself and each one of the importance of sharing our heritage with our children. It is important to make certain our children and grandchildren understand the role that God has played in securing our great nation. Without Him, we shall surely fall - just as Israel fell when they tried to take Ai on their own.
Israel went against Ai again. This time, they went under the Lord's instructions and in His blessings. The result was much different from the first time. They destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai as instructed by God. I realize the first part of this verse is very explicit in its description of what they did to the king of Ai, but I wanted to use this verse for a particular reason as it came to me this morning. I especially want to think about the last part of this verse: they were to "raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day." This was the burial place for the king of Ai.
In more than one place, we read of memorials being raised of stones that "remaineth unto this day." It never became "just a pile of rocks"; rather, the history behind the heap of stones was passed from generation to generation. Remember when they took twelve stones from the Jordan River? The Lord instructed the people that in generations to come when their children would ask the meaning of the stones, they were to tell them of the great deliverance given by the Lord. We are told those stones "remaineth unto this day".
Concerning the heap of stones at Ai, the people were to tell the history behind those stones. As I read the account of what took place, and in my mind I see those stones, they tell me the whole story. Those stones tell me that Israel tried to go in their own strength and failed. Also those stones tell me that when they went in the strength of the Lord, He gave them a great victory.
I admit to you that when I look at statues and monuments, I don't always stop to remember why they were erected. They always serve a twofold purpose. They tell both the positive and negative sides of the story. I think the mind is trained to remember the positive over the negative. That's why it is so important to remember the history behind any monument. Though this could easily turn political, I don't mean it in that way. I want to remind myself and each one of the importance of sharing our heritage with our children. It is important to make certain our children and grandchildren understand the role that God has played in securing our great nation. Without Him, we shall surely fall - just as Israel fell when they tried to take Ai on their own.