Lessons

Memorial and Remembrance. The lesson on May 27, 2007 takes time to recognize Memorial Day in America honoring those that have died in service of the United States of America. If you look up the word “Memorial” in scripture, you find many passages speaking of remembering something, whether it is a person or an event. Basically memorial is tied to remembrance and is important in the growth of our Christianity. There a many examples in scripture where you find stories that tell of the Lord’s desire to keep reminding the generations of Israel of how God had saved their nation. One story that is discussed is when Israel crosses over the river Jordan and into the promised land. They did so over dry ground because God performed a miracle and stopped the river and dried the soil so they could cross the river. He instructed them to stack stones to commemorate the event and remind the subsequent generations of God’s history of caring for the nation of Israel. Joshua 4:5-7 “And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.” The problem with Israel is that a generation would pass and would fall away from following what God wanted them to do. It is a common problem with mankind and why history repeats itself. We tend to be quick to forget what has been done before and become relaxed to the point of allowing past errors to repeat. This is true with the price of freedom and why a Memorial Day has been set aside to remind those who are living today that it is because patriots have died to secure that freedom. In Romans 5:6-8 it says “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The lesson continues to cover truth in scripture that we should keep in remembrance of what we have in Christ and how He has accomplished everything for us because God loves us. The lesson has a handout.