Content Summary

Under the guidance of the LORD their God, the entire nation of Israel finished crossing the Jordan on a dry ground. The priest, carrying the ark of the covenant, stood in the middle of the dried Jordan River until the entire nation had crossed. The LORD commanded Joshua to collect twelve stones to be a memorial to the children of Israel – FOREVER.  

Twelve Stones

The LORD commanded Joshua to appoint one man from each tribe to take up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan. This command was given to Joshua in the previous chapter, chapter 3. Additionally, a similar command was given to Moses by the LORD to set up large stones and coat them with lime and inscribe the words of the law. Therefore, including the command in chapter 4, the same command to collect twelve stones was repeated three times to Joshua. 

Why was this command so important that it was given to Moses and twice to Joshua in a span of one to two months?

Let’s find out. 

The Concept of Forever

The word that captured my attention in Joshua 4 was “forever.” This word is repeated in verses 7 and 24. Verse 7 states that “… so these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever [emphasis added].” The last verse, verse 24, states that “… so that you may fear the LORD your God forever [emphasis added].” 

“Forever” is an interesting word once we start to ponder a deep meaning of the term. We human beings are finite and we certainly have not witnessed anything that lasts forever. Then, how did we happen to grasp this word? 

As we are created in the image of God, who is the alpha and omega, God placed eternity in our hearts (Ecc 3:11). However, as mankind fell to sin (Gen 3), the eternal aspect of soul became trapped under finite flesh. Despite being trapped in finite flesh, soul yearns for eternity – that is eternity with God. 

I think the commands given by Joshua to the Israelites partially express this longing. The original soul, before tainted by sin, long to have eternity with God. Therefore, in verses 7 and 24, Joshua gave these commands to the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD FOREVER. 

The crossing of the Jordan River was not just for the conquest of the land of Canaan. Every miracle and guidance, including the crossing of the river, provided by the LORD is to be met by the restoration of the yearning of the soul. That is to worship and fear the LORD forever in eternity. 

The Importance of Teaching the Way of the LORD to the Children

Do not dwell in the past, but remember the past. 

The first generation Israelites grumbled and perished in the wilderness. The second generation was not to make the same mistake. The twelve stones from the Jordan River were to serve as a memorial to the sons of the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD forever. 

The Old Testament is incredibly practical and important. Some people may dismiss the Old Testament, some events of which may have written more than a few thousand years ago, as impractical to today’s life. The fourth chapter of Joshua highlights the importance of inheriting our trust in God to our children. 

Let’s go over a few biblical examples of how difficult it is to teach the fear of the LORD to the next generation. David, a man after God’s heart, had a son, Solomon, who started great in following the LORD, but fell astray and deviated from the way of the LORD in his later life. Samuel, who was considered the greatest of all judges in the history of Israel, was not able to educate his sons to fear the LORD. After Hezekiah, king of Judah who feared the LORD, Manasseh, his son, was considered one of the most evil kings in the history of Judah, who facilitated the fall of God’s people from the grace of God. Although there were some successful examples of teaching the fear of the LORD to his/her children, such as Rahab and Boaz, generally, inheriting the fear of the LORD to children seemed to be an incredibly difficult task.

Lesson

In this chapter, the importance of inheriting the fear of the LORD to the children was the main topic as manifested in the role of the twelve stones. Joshua commanded the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD forever – forever with your soul as if you were given eternal life. 

Let’s apply this to our lives. Everything good and perfect gifts come from God. Let us be thankful and teach the fear of the LORD to our children forever in this turbulent time.