A Life in Exile

As we continue to focus on our shortcomings in remembering God, today we’re going to focus on other markers used by God’s people to help them recall the person and truths of God. Our last post centered around altars, but this week we see several other ways reminders were set in place for the people.

Abraham’s tamarisk tree.

Isaac is growing, Ishmael has been sent away and married, and Abraham is living among the Philistines. He and the leader Abimelech, had a truce among themselves, but then Abraham brought a complaint about a well the servants of Abimelech had seized. It would have been easy to blow up this situation and start a conflict, but Abraham was a man of peace, and he chose instead to make a treaty with the king. He presented Abimelech with seven lambs to seal the fact that the well was indeed his. We know this place as Beersheba (the well of seven).

With peace achieved and the Philistines gone, Abraham plants a tree—a tamarisk tree—and calls on the name of the Lord.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. And Abraham lived as an alien in the land of the Philistines for many days. (Genesis 21:33-34 CSB)

The tree was a reminder that God was with him, even among a pagan people. It would serve as a reminder to all his descendants, who passed by there, that the God of Abraham was their source of peace and provision. Has God brought you through a time of crisis to a place of peace? What reminds you of his provision and presence?

Markers of witness.

Jacob had a rocky relationship with his uncle, and after years of distress, he finally takes his wives, herds, and flocks and heads back to the land of his father. There would be one final showdown between them, however, as Laban pursued Jacob all the way to Gilead. After some back and forth, the men finally agree to peace, and Laban suggests a covenant of peace be made between them.

Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be a witness between the two of us.” So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a marker. Then Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a mound, then ate there by the mound. Laban named the mound Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed. (Genesis 31:44-47)

They agreed that the mound would serve as a witness between them, and neither would pass beyond the mound to do harm to the other party.

The God of Abraham, and the gods of Nahor—the gods of their father—will judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. (Genesis 31:53)

Laban would look at this as a place where his gods would serve as witnesses, but Jacob knew it as the place the One True God, the Fear of Isaac, would uphold. At this place, much like that of the Tamarisk tree of Abraham, God had brought peace between his people and those who opposed them.

As Joshua was nearing the end of his life, the people of God gathered at Shechem. Here, God renewed his covenant, reminding them of all he had done and how they needed to serve him alone. The people proclaimed their loyalty to God and in his service. At this, Joshua told them: “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord” (Joshua 24:22). In case they needed reminding (which we know they would), Joshua then established a visual reminder to their promise.

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them. Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God; he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak at the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone—it will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the Lord said to us, and it will be a witness against you, so that you will not deny your God.” (Joshua 24:25-27)

What markers do you have in your home, Bible, or heart that remind you of God’s watchcare over you and your oath of loyalty to him?

Other reminders used by God’s people.

The first reminder may seem an unusual one for us today—atonement money. Just as we are to give our first fruits to God, the firstborn of the families of God were to be given. But God does not require the sacrifice of babies; instead, he instituted through Moses the atonement price, paid by each man at the taking of the census.

“Take the atonement price from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for your lives.” (Exodus 30:16)

So, this money served as a reminder that their lives were ransomed. Eventually, we know that Jesus Christ, the Passover Lamb, would serve as our ransom, our atonement, annulling the need for any further payment.

Another item that helped the people remember came in the form of tassels on the corners of garments.

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner. These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the Lord’s commands and obey them and not prostitute yourselves by following your own heart and your own eyes. This way you will remember and obey all my commands and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God.” (Number 15:37-41)

I was recently gifted a tallit, complete with the above-mentioned tassels. What a wonderful visual of how we are to remember God’s commands, even today. What do you do to remember God’s Word? I put some verses on my door frames. Oh, how we need constant reminders.

The final reminder is the memorial stone. We see them used by Joshua after the people crossed safely over the Jordan on dry ground.

Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan, and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the water 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. This is so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is strong, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.” (Joshua 4:20-24)

God had done a great thing for them, and Joshua did not want them to forget it. With their memories of his wonders in Egypt already fading, the stones served as a solid, visual reminder of the power of the Lord their God. As they moved on to face enemies in the land, they must remember the God who was on their side.

Trees, stones, tassels, and money—all tangible reminders of the greatness and provision of the One True God. This is the God we serve. Do you have trouble remembering just how powerful and wonderful he is? Ask him to show you what it will take to turn your thoughts to him and remember.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Friday Focus post, click HERE, or start from the Beginning.