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Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan
4 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the LORD told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.
The people passed over in haste. And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people. The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.
And the LORD said to Joshua, “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.
The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”
(ESV)
Joshua 4 Commentary
In Joshua 4, after the entire nation finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord instructed Joshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, to take twelve stones from the middle of the river where the priests stood with the ark. These stones were to be carried to their campsite and set up as a memorial. Joshua explained that the stones would serve as a sign for future generations.
When their children asked about the meaning of the stones, the Israelites were to tell them how the Lord stopped the Jordan’s waters in front of the ark, allowing them to cross on dry ground. The Israelites obeyed Joshua’s command, and the twelve stones were carried to their camp and set up there. Joshua also placed twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests had stood, and the stones remained there.
The priests carrying the ark stood in the river until all the Lord’s commands were fulfilled, and the people crossed over quickly. Once everyone had crossed, the priests brought the ark out of the river, and the waters returned to their normal flow. The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed in battle formation, as Moses had instructed them, with about 40,000 men ready for war. As stated in the previous chapter of Joshua 3, the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him as they had revered Moses.
The people camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho, where Joshua set up the twelve stones from the Jordan. He reminded the Israelites that these stones were a memorial of how the Lord dried up the Jordan’s waters for them to cross, just as He had dried up the Red Sea. This act was meant to show all nations that the Lord’s hand is mighty and to inspire the Israelites to always fear and revere Him.
Memorials
During their journey across the Jordan, the Israelites were instructed to observe two distinct memorials. The first set of stones refers to those the twelve men took from the middle of the river and placed on the riverbank (v. 3, 5, 8), while the second set refers to the stones that Joshua placed in the riverbed (v. 9). Joshua positioned 12 rocks at the base of the Jordan, precisely where the priests, accompanied by the ark, had stood to facilitate the crossing of the people. One may question the purpose behind placing these stones in the riverbed. What significance does it hold if the water is destined to conceal them again?
“The first set, then, would be the true memorial stones, and the second set would mark the very spot where the priests had stood, perhaps coming visible during the dry season.”
The New American Commentary
The text notes that those stones are still there today. I wonder if they were still there 1400 years later when Jesus of Nazareth was baptized in the same river Jordan?
The Israelites carried the initial set of stones to their camp at Gilgal and set them up as a memorial for generations to come.
Reminders
The stones were to remind Israel of the work that God had done. They were not a reminder of what Joshua or the priests had done. They were a reminder of how God had miraculously made a way across the Jordan as well as a reminder of what God had done years before during Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The stones would give parents and grandparents the opportunity to glorify God to the next generation.
“The religious training of the children by the parents is a repeated theme of the writings of Moses (cf. Exo 12:26; Exo 13:14; Deu 4:9; Deu 6:20-25; Deu 11:19; Deu 32:46). YHWH’s covenant and the historical acts which confirm it are meant to be passed from generation to generation.”
Dr. Bob Utley
This raises an important question. What reminders have you set up in your life that testify to the faithfulness of God? What are you teaching the younger generation about God’s incredible grace? Daily disciplines are a powerful testimony. When our children witness us pausing to pray or regularly taking time to study God’s Word, they will ask questions. These are opportunities to share the gracious acts of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As Christians, we have a responsibility to teach godliness to the next generation and tell the miraculous stories of how God has faithfully delivered us time and time again. This memorial in Joshua 4 would be the focal point of glorifying God for many generations to come. What are the memorials of your life that will continue to glorify God even after you are gone?