Beaches and sand are some of the hallmarks of summer. Since childhood, I’ve always had a soft spot for stories about treasure, and seeing large expanses of beach brings back nostalgic memories of those tales. Can you remember dreaming of finding a buried treasure chest or digging up valuables long covered with sand? That’s probably why my mind filtered the story of Joshua leading hordes of Israelites across the Jordan River through the lens of treasure. There is a connection, I promise.
To briefly recap that story, God had miraculously rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Following their dramatic escape, they then wandered in the wilderness for forty years, with God guiding them. It was a long wander. But then, in an astonishing display of His power, God performed another miracle. An impediment blocked their path: the Jordan River. It stood between where they were and where they needed to go. However, God had a spectacular solution. He didn’t supernaturally build a bridge, but what He did was astonishing.
God told Joshua to instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, an ornate wooden chest that symbolized His presence with them, to enter the water. As soon as the priests dipped their toes in the river, the water piled up on either side. Presto! A dry path formed. The entire group, an estimated two to three million, then walked to the other side without getting wet. It was the greatness of God writ large. You can read about it here. Pretty amazing stuff.
Now, here’s the treasure part. After the droves of travellers had traipsed across, God gave Joshua further instructions. Twelve Israelites, one from each tribe, were to take one large stone each from the middle of the river where the priests stood. He explained that they were to build a memorial at their stopover that night using those stones.
And this is what caught my attention. God didn’t instruct them to fill a jar with sand and tuck it into a treasure chest as a reminder of their forty years in the wilderness, the hard times. The treasure they took was stones. Not gems, but river stones from the middle of a deep, impossible-to-traverse-on-foot river. They were to create a memorial to remind future generations of the miracle they had just experienced. In the wilderness, they suffered losses, some great losses, but God wanted to remind them and future generations of His power and presence with them every step of the way. He is the God who provides and who overcomes any obstacle.
Have you ever considered what you’re collecting in your treasure chest of life? What are you tucking away to build your memorial, your reminder for the future? The stones, the amazing things God has done despite the difficulty of the journey, or the sand, the hard times? The sand is part of our history and always will be, but the memorial is what we look at and ponder as we remember. What will you put into your treasure chest, stones or sand?
“I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.”
Psalm 143:5
Until next time,
Brenda Erb Roberts
Thank you for reading this. I’m happy you did.
For further reading:
My previous Inspirational reflection: A Dead Chicken and God’s Grace.
Looking Back: Last June’s Inspirational article: Weeds & Wonderings.
My latest Lighter Side (Humour) blog post: Will My Integument Survive Sandpaper Season?