Believe it or not. Stones hold a significant place in salvation history. Now I am not referring to Mick and the boys. Or to Paul Simon singing about “I am a rock”. Nor do I refer to Rock Hudson or The Rock, Dwayne Johnson. No. The stones I am leading to are the true archeological, excavatable and the by-product of Mother Nature kind. Of course there are the stones used in punishment. Such as those used to stone the adulterous woman or Stephen. But the type of stone I want to focus on is the one we see Joshua use in today’s first reading from the book of Joshua.
The Israelites, by the time of this passage, had been led by Joshua and Caleb into Canaan and had conquered much of the land inhabited by the Amorites, Philistines, Moabites, Jebusites and the Stalactites (OK, I made that last one up). Joshua gathers up all the people at Shechem. Today, the site where Shechem had laid is about 30 miles north of Jerusalem on the west bank of the Jordan river. Joshua knows that he is dying and wants to renew God’s covenant with the people. The Israelites have a history of wandering away from God and worshipping false gods. Recall the golden calf incident. To say that Joshua doesn’t trust the Israelites is like Jason Bourne not trusting the CIA. And, as a result, Joshua needs to have the people commit to following the Lord.
And so he reminds them of all that God had done for them in leading them out of slavery in Egypt, through the desert, defeating their enemies and settling them in Canaan. He wants them to make a choice and tells them:
If it does not please you to serve the LORD,
decide today whom you will serve,
the gods your fathers served beyond the River
or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling.
And the most famous line in the book of Joshua is then uttered by Joshua: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” He throws down the gauntlet. What do you want to do? I’ve made my decision. I am following the God of our ancestors. You all do what you want. But he knows their past and is fairly sure they will not keep their word when they claim that they will do likewise as Joshua and his family.
“You may not be able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God;
he is a jealous God who will not forgive
your transgressions or your sins.“
The people now respond sort of like when your kids want to get a dog and you tell them that they won’t clean up after it or take it for walks. They shout out, “We will still serve the LORD.” You can almost see them stamping their collective foot while promising that they WILL. Joshua still doubts them and tells them so. Now we might wonder why Joshua is being so distrustful. Well, this line kind of reveals why he is pushing the Israelites so hard to commit:
“Now, therefore, put away the strange gods that are among you
and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
Because they are already harboring false gods among them. Likely in the form of idols, statues, etc. How is that for a cause to not trust a group. So, what is Joshua to do? He needs God’s people, the ones that the Lord has invested so much in, to abide by this covenant even after he has gone to meet his ancestors. So, he comes up with a strategy that will be copied over the millennia. He uses a stone:
“Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak
that was in the sanctuary of the LORD.
And Joshua said to all the people, “This stone shall be our witness,
for it has heard all the words which the LORD spoke to us.
It shall be a witness against you, should you wish to deny your God.”
A stone? Really? IT will be a witness? Well, think about how stones and rocks have played a part in the bible since then. Jacob rests his head on a stone after his dream of climbing a ladder to heaven. Then he places the stone as a marker for the area he names Bethel, or “house of God”. Samuel marks the site of a major victory by the Israelites over the Philistines with a stone. He even names the stone. He calls it “Ebenezer” Soon after he follows with the words, “Bah. Humbug” Of course stones figure prominently in Moses ascending Mt. Sinai, returning with the two stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments,
And in the New Testament, Jesus labels Simon as Peter, or “Petros”. The Rock. But it is this verse that brings the concept of stones full circle:
“the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone”. (Acts 4:11)
Which refers back to a verse in Psalms: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”
And from Isaiah:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.“
The Israelites go on to break their word numerous times after making their vow to Joshua, God and the stone. They separate themselves from The Lord over and over. This separation eventually leads to the division between Israel and Juda. The Northern and the Southern Kingdoms. Then to their defeat at the hands of the Babylonians with them in exile for 70 years from the land God gave them. This separation between the people and God looked to be permanent. A rift that could never be repaired.
But then God sent someone who could repair the breach. The cornerstone. The stone laid first in a foundation that all the other stones depend on. Leaning on this stone creates a firm foundation that can never waiver. Jesus is the true stone. Not just a stone to rest our heads on. Or a stone that acts as a passive witness. This stone laid down for us for a covenant that will never end. We just need to say, as did Joshua:
“As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
