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"We Will Remember" Message summary: Let us personally remember what God has done for us, offer thanks to Him and renew our covenant to serve and obey Him always! ![]() "The people said to Joshua, 'We will serve the Lord our God and we will obey His voice.' So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. Joshua said to all the people, 'Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God'" (Joshua 24:24-27). We will remember, we will remember,
We will remember the works of Your hands. We will stop and give You praise For great is Thy faithfulness. Yesterday, here in the U.S. was "Memorial Day" and we remembered those who gave their lives for our freedoms, especially service in the military, which was the original intent for Memorial Day. For many years I participated in the community Memorial Day parade and the solemn memorial service that followed in Saint Marys, PA. Every local service member's name who had died in war was read aloud. It's a practice that continues to this day over 20 years later and likely in many small communities. But many of us also extend remembrance on this day to include all who have enriched our lives, whether they be family, friends or fellow believers. Although we don't know if other countries have a day similar to this, wherever we live we can consider our heritage and remember those who have gone on before us. But today let us consider the theme of "remembering our covenant". In a covenant, the root concept is commitment. Marital vows are a covenant relationship between a man and a woman. In dedicating our children to God we make a covenant and church membership should properly be reckoned as a covenant. But the most important covenant is made between God and us! God's Word often calls us to remember this covenant. In fact it is at the heart of the Lord's Supper observance, "Do this in remembrance of Me." We often see this inscribed on Communion Tables. When we walk through life's darkest valley
We will look back at all You have done And we will shout our God is good And He is the faithful one As Joshua's life was coming to an end he called the people to Shechem and made a powerful appeal to serve God which includes a proclamation memorized by many Christians, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." We, as a family, have concluded our prayers by reciting this verse together. Ester used to add the word "forever" at the end. It's not in the original text but I certainly believe it is an appropriate expression! After Joshua made the personal proclamation and challenged the people to do the same he then took a large stone and set it up in a place clearly identifiable to the people. He said the stone had "heard all the words of the LORD" and would be a "witness against us". The sense seems to be that of a memorial that would remind the people of their solemn commitment to follow the Lord. The root Hebrew word for witness carries the meaning "to duplicate or repeat." The oak tree at Shechem* is first referenced in Scripture in Genesis 12:6 where Abraham received assurance from God that He would keep His promises. Later, as Abraham's grandson Jacob grew in his faith, this oak tree was the place where Jacob's family made a firm stand for God in burying their false gods under it (Genesis 35:4). And many years later the oak tree at Shechem was a place where Joshua made a tangible memorial to the people concerning their covenant renewal to faithfully serve God. The large stone under the oak tree, next to the sanctuary, served as a reminder to the people of the commitment that they had made that day. Today, let us personally remember what God has done for us, offer thanks to Him and renew our covenant to serve and obey Him always! I still remember the day You saved me
The day I hear You call out my name You said You loved, would never leave me And I've never been the same Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber ![]() * I realize that it cannot be stated with certainty that this was the very same oak tree in each instance. However, given the lifespan of an oak tree and the clear landmark status of this oak tree in Shechem, it very well could have been. Here are the verses referenced above:
![]() Yesterday we had our Zimbabwean friends over for a cookout followed by an afternoon of badminton. ![]() First badminton game for the Zimbabweans and they were quite good! ![]() Then the older adults took a long walk along the Donegal Trail. ![]() Old stone farmhouse Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "We Will Remember" Video Triumphant Quartet Finally today: ![]() Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.) ![]() ![]() Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact. Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity." © Copyright 2017 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA |