New Year 2022: The Speaking Stones

Two years ago, instead of making a New Year's Resolution, per se, I chose a theme passage on which to concentrate for the year. So 2020 was the year of 2 Corinthians 4:7. The year began with a conviction, based on the Scripture passage, that "we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." Full dependence on the Lord. In other words, I whole-heartedly realized that all of me, the imperfections, the leaks, the warped places, the fissures, the cracks, the ugliness, needed the redemption of the Holy Spirit's anointing. It began with a conviction that, when people saw me, instead of seeing me, they needed to see the testimony of what the Holy Spirit does to the least of these. 

Out of that space, this blog, the Leaky Vessel, began.

2021 was the year of Psalm 1:1-3: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

I found delight in the study and application of God's Word. The Scriptures became a living thing to me. Hebrews 4:12-13 says: "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account." 

So, rather than forcing myself to partake of a dry run of historical narratives each day, I soaked myself not only in the pleasure of accurate and eye-witnessed history, but in the life-changing and heart-transforming power of the Almighty God as I read the ancient words.

Where will the Holy Spirit lead me in 2022? 2020 was the year of the Leaky Vessel. 2021 was the year of Word of God Speak. 

This morning as I was finishing up the book of Joshua in my daily Scripture reading, I came across this: "Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God" (Joshua 24:1). In this chapter, Joshua gives them the Word of the Lord, reminding them of the covenants the Lord gave to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then later to Moses. He reiterated how the Lord had brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt and helped them conquer the Promised Land under Joshua, and he ends his speech with this humdinger: "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"

Wheeeeehaw! Can you feel the power resonating through that choice? Joshua rejected all the influences that would lead him or his family away from the one true God, told them to shove it, and staked his claim in the Rock, the Almighty God, the true God.

He spoke Testimony. He spoke Truth in the darkness. His word was spoken. He didn't keep it inside. 

Then look what happens. The people answered Joshua, to paraphrase, "No way will we forsake God (to note, they do, time and time again), 'cause He saved us several times over." And Joshua says, "Are you sure? 'Cause it's kinda what you do -- you know, ditching God and turning away from Him."

And the people say, "No! (Look at that proud exclamation point. Like, they really believe what they're saying.) We will serve the Lord."

Joshua says one more time: "You are witnesses against yourselves (in other words, the words are now outside your mouths; you've spoken them; it's about to get real, y'all) that you have chosen to serve the Lord."

"Yes," say the people, "we are witnesses."

So what just happened here in Joshua 24 is a solemn covenant and spoken testimony and affirmation of that covenant.

Now for the really good stuff. In 24:25-27, it says: "On that day, Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem, he drew up for them decrees and laws. And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord. "See!" he said to all the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It  has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God."

Wait a sec... a stone... being a witness? A stone hearing all the words of the Lord? That's metaphorical, right?

Sure. But it's also not. 

'Cause look at this in Psalm 19:1-4: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech." Wait... the creation... speaks?

"Night after night, they display knowledge." Wait... the creation... testifies to the fact that it was created by, hold it... Intelligent Design? 

"There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard..." So... Americans and Russians and Canadians and Brazilians and Andeans and South Africans and Moroccans and Chinese and Iranians and Israelites and countless other languages can all see the same exact testimony of this Intelligent Designer?

"Their voice goes out into all the earth; their words" -- that is, the words of this same creation: stars, mountains, stones, trees, waters -- "to the ends of the world."

Creation bears witness to the Creator. This stone that the Israelites set up in Joshua 24 bears witness to a weighty relationship covenant between the people of God and God Himself, and "it will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God."

Flip over to Luke 19:37-40. Jesus is sitting on the back of a donkey's colt, riding from the Mount of Olives into the east gate of Jerusalem. People are waving palm branches and laying down cloaks to pave the way for the Prince of Peace -- a hugely symbolic event in Israel's history, to say the least. "When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 'Blessed is the King Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!' Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!' 'I tell you,' [Jesus] replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'"

If they keep quiet, if the followers of Jesus, the proclaimers of His coming Kingship keep quiet...

The stones will cry out!

The speaking stones will replace your testimony if you fail to speak out, if you fail to point to Jesus the coming King.

But, but, Jesus didn't fulfill His kingship that day. 

No, praise Him, because if He had fulfilled it that day, His kingdom would have been earthly, and would have been for the Jews only, and would have perished nearly as quickly as it had begun (a week later, to be exact, when He was nailed to a cross, seemingly the end of His story). 

Look at the larger picture. Centuries before He was born in a stable in Bethlehem, the prophet Isaiah wrote: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned... For to us a child is born [Jesus, btw], to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end." Not to be ended by His crucifixion, nor even His ascension to heaven. Never to be ended!

"He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing  and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever!" Look at this, y'all. The Lord's been pounding this in to me over the last few days: "The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."

The zeal -- the glorious zeal -- of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Here's Google's definition of Zeal: "Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective."

What's the Lord's cause? What His objective? Unending and transformed relationship with us. Fractured on the day that Eve listened to the deceiver, took the fruit, ate it, and shared it with her husband. Redeemed on the day Jesus said "It is finished!" Made perfect forever in the never-ending Kingdom when Jesus returns for His bride.

That's the objective that the zeal of the Lord will accomplish!

The speaking stones bear witness to this covenant, and the speaking people cry out in joy at His coming! Hallelujah! 

So that's 2022. May my mouth not be silent to bear witness to His coming. May the zeal of the Lord accomplish this!!