One Thing Leads to Another - again and again!

stones from our flower bed, this is better than the smoothie picture!

Today, two different projects came together to lead me to a third and really my 6 mile run sealed the deal! I am about 6 days behind in my goal to Read The Bible in a Year. I've mentioned before I am reading chronologically through the bible on You Version. Currently I am in Joshua. I am also in the middle of my project of making crosses. My goal is to make a cross every day leading up to Easter. Today was day 20 of making crosses!

While I was reading in Joshua today I noticed that "Stones" came up quite often in these few chapters and for different reasons. First, the stones were used as memorial markers to remember that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan so that the Israelites crossed on dry ground.

Joshua 4:20-24

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

²⁰ Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan, ²¹ and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ ²² you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴ This is so that all the people of the earth may know that the LORD’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”

Next I read about Achan. Achan kept for himself some treasures that he coveted from the spoils that had been taken at the fall of Jericho. He buried these things in the ground in his tent. Joshua confronted Achan who admitted his crimes. Achan was stoned to death and they raised a pile of rocks over his burned body.

 ²⁵ Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Today the LORD will trouble you!” So all Israel stoned them^[a] to death. They burned their bodies,^[b] threw stones on them, ²⁶ and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor^[c] to this day.

And it was when I next read of an altar being built of uncut stones that I began to wonder about the pattern.  

 

³⁰ At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, ³¹ just as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. Then they offered burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it. ³² There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites. 

I began to wonder about the corner stone and all the references to the Lord as our rock. This has been in the back of my mind since my friend Denise brought it up with regard to one of my earlier crosses.

This led me to make a cross today that involved stones. The cross did not turn out as I had seen it in my mind's eye. After making the cross I decided to run 6 miles. I often think and pray while running or sometimes I just zone out. About half-way through the run I thought I should do a word study on stones. God is the ultimate creator. He creates in ways we do not understand and hidden in His word are images that mean more than we know unless we take the time to follow them throughout scripture. So reading the bible in a year led to making a cross which led to doing a word study on stones.  One thing leads to another.

So far I have looked up verses about the ten commandments written on stones. The standout here is when the Bible says that they were "stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God".  The tablets were broken by Moses and God gave them to him again.

Joshua later renewed the covenant and he copied the laws of Moses on an altar of uncut stones. I have read about houses (in the Bible) made of stone and I finished today by beginning the verses about the stones used to build the Temple. I am not halfway through the verses for the literal stones- once I look up those I will begin the verses that talk about figurative stones. I am excited to get the big picture.  I will leave no stone unturned! ha ha.