Sociologists claim that a society aspiring to endure must become “a community of memory and hope” (Waltke, B. Remembering the past plays a vital role in the identity of any nation. He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the LORD’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the LORD your God forever’” (Joshua 4:21–24, NLT) “Then Joshua said to the Israelites, ‘In the future your children will ask, “What do these stones mean?” Then you can tell them, “This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.” For the LORD your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. Joshua piled them up in Gilgal, where the Israelites set up camp. The twelve stones of remembrance would now serve as a perpetual sign and memorial. The number twelve is repeated five times in Joshua 4:1–8, emphasizing the unity of the tribes as one nation under Joshua’s leadership. The stones of remembrance were not to come from the shores of the Jordan but the center, spotlighting the fact that Israel had crossed over on dry land.Įach of the stones of remembrance represented one of the tribes of Israel.
The men were each to retrieve one stone from where the priests had stood in the riverbed bearing the ark of the covenant. Then God gave Joshua instructions to appoint twelve men, one from each tribe. The priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood in the middle of the riverbed until the whole nation had passed over (Joshua 3:14–17). But as soon as the priests dipped their feet in the river’s edge, God stopped the flow of water, and the people crossed on dry ground. Israel’s entrance into Canaan was completely blocked. When the people following Joshua arrived at the Jordan, the river was at flood stage, transforming it from its typical 100-foot width to a daunting mile-wide, raging river. To everyone else, the stones were just a heap of rubble, but to the people of God, they were a constant reminder that Yahweh was a personal and powerful God, working wonders on behalf of His people.
JORDAN RIVER BIBLE MEANING SERIES
Joshua’s stones of remembrance are just one monument in a series of memorials commemorating the mighty acts of God on behalf of the people of Israel (Exodus 13:3–6 24:4 Deuteronomy 27:1–8 Joshua 22:9–12 24:24–28 1 Samuel 7:12). These stones of remembrance would serve as a permanent national reminder and a memorial to future generations of the miraculous river crossing. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight’” (Joshua 4:2–3, NLT). Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. In fact, the Jordan is mentioned about 175 times in the Old Testament and about 15 times in the New Testament.After the people of Israel supernaturally crossed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land, God commanded Joshua to “choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Numerous references to the Jordan River appear both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, indicating its biblical importance and sanctity. In its course from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, the Jordan travels a winding 230 kilometers, covering just 105 kilometers in a straight line. Along its course, the Jordan feeds two lakes: the Hula (now almost completely drained) and the Sea of Galilee. It ends its course at the lowest spot in the world, the Dead Sea, at 420 meters below sea level. It originates approximately 200 meters above sea level on the slopes of Mt. It is considered to be one of the world’s most sacred rivers. The River Jordan, in which John the Baptist baptized his cousin Jesus of Nazareth, is a river in Southwest Asia which flows into the Dead Sea.
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