When we last left our heroes, the Israelites had just crossed over the miraculously-dried-up Jordan and the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant were still standing in the middle of the riverbed.
God reiterates His instructions to choose one man from each of the twelve tribes, and then describes the task for which they were selected:
...tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight. (V. 3)
Joshua elaborates just a bit, telling them, "Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder."
This ain't no little painted pocket rock; these were to be big stones, as big as each one could carry. They were to be stones with a purpose. Stones with a message. A witness and a testimony to people yet unborn. He explained,
"In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."
The events of that day make such a remarkable story that the whole thing is summarized for emphasis.
The priests remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over...about 40, 000 armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho. (vs. 10, 13)
And, here's the kicker, which may have been why God brought them around to the east side of the Jordan to enter the land, instead of sending them north from Kadesh:
That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses. (v. 14). Moses led them out of Egypt with a miraculous water crossing; Joshua brought them into the Promised Land with the same sign. If any of them had doubted whether God would be with Joshua as He had been with Moses, that settled all the doubts.
God instructed Joshua to tell the priests to come up out of the riverbed, and they carried the Ark up on the western bank, in Canaan.
No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.
The people set up camp at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho, and there Joshua set up the stones that had been taken from the riverbed, and Joshua repeated,
"In the future, when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had all crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.' (vs. 22 - 24)
Verse 9 states, And they are there to this day. ...when the book was actually written down as part of the books of history.
Crossing the river on dry ground was a pretty spectacular sign to the folks in that day, one that is harder to miss, maybe, than the works God does in our lives today. But those current day works of God are no less deserving of memorials, and we are no less in need of them. When times get tough, a memorial...whether it's a physical object of some sort to look at and be reminded, or a journal entry with details written down...to remind us of what God has done in our lives to bring us to where we are goes a long way towards giving us the courage and motivation to keep going.
What are the memorials in my life that I return to in order to remind myself of what God has done for me and why I am in this place at this time? How can I be more mindful to create such memorials in the future? Is there anything I need to take the time to make a memorial about right now?
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