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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.
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.
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?