Joshua 4:1-10 Click here for Bible Verses

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 4:1-10.  Let’s go!

Joshua 4:1-9 (NIV) 
1  When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,
2  “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
3  and 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.”
4  So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
5  and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,
6  to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’
7  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.”
8  So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.
9  Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

On verses 1-9:  Why did Joshua tell the twelve representatives from the twelve tribes of Israel to take a stone from the middle of the Jordan River where the priests were standing.  It’s because these stones were “to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (v7).  In other words, these large stones, which they would carry on their shoulders (v5) from the bottom of the Jordan River, would serve as a long-lasting reminder that God had cut off the flow of the Jordan and that the people crossed the Jordan on dry land.

What can we learn from this?  When God does a great thing in our midst, we are to commemorate it and celebrate it somehow.  Don’t take the great things God has done for granted, but do something to remember, honour and celebrate that great moment.  Do so in a lasting way so that generations that come after you will be able to see, learn, appreciate and celebrate those things as well.  Even just sharing a testimony or keeping a journal that includes how God moved can be a touching and meaningful reminder, for you and for generations to come, of God’s power at work in your life.

Joshua 4:10 (NIV)
10  Now the priests who carried the ark 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,

On verse 10: We’ll look more closely at verse 10 together with verses 11-24.

Heavenly Father, we testify that over and over You have done great things in our lives.  When You do those great things, may we go out of our way to remember, celebrate and honour You for it.  In doing so may we and generations after us be reminded that You have allowed us to witness Your power and faithfulness in very real ways.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!