EXPLORE THE TEXT
We should establish memorials in our lives that consistently remind us of God’s work on our behalf.
1 After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan,
the Lord spoke to Joshua:
2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe,
3 and command them:
Take twelve stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing,
carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”
4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had selected from the Israelites,
one man for each tribe,
5 and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan.
Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes,
6 so that this will be a sign among you.
In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
7 you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant.
When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’
Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”
Share if they have run a marathon or half marathon.
Briefly discuss the significance of mile markers and way points,
especially to help people keep going.
Emphasize the purpose of God’s commands in these verses:
The stones would be a memorial of what God had done that day,
cutting off the waters of the Jordan in front of the Lord’s ark
and allowing the people to cross the river on dry ground into the promised land.
Certainly, this memorial was to serve as a reminder to the people who crossed the Jordan that day,
but it also was to be a witness to generations to come.
When their children would ask them what the meaning of the stacked stones was,
the parents could tell them what God had done. (PSG, p. 34)
The establishment of this memorial
should be a challenge to all of us to remember
what God has done in our lives.
Beyond that, we have to be willing to share His work with others, including younger generations.
After the people had crossed over the river on dry ground
and collected the stones, it was time to build the monument.