Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Joshua 4
Joshua 4:7then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
This verse clearly states the purpose of the twelve stones: they are a permanent memorial, a teaching tool to remind Israel forever that God supernaturally stopped the Jordan River.Joshua 4:14On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.
This moment was pivotal for Joshua's leadership. God publicly confirmed his authority, causing the people to respect him as they had respected Moses.Joshua 4:23-24For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever."
Joshua connects this miracle directly to the parting of the Red Sea, showing that the same God is still at work. The purpose was twofold: to inspire awe and reverence in Israel, and to declare God's mighty power to the whole world.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Miracle Paused in Time
The entire nation of Israel walked across the Jordan River on dry ground, a miracle that echoes their parents' generation crossing the Red Sea. The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, which represents God's presence, are still standing firm in the middle of the riverbed, holding the waters back. This is a moment of awe and transition, as they have finally left the wilderness behind and are standing on the edge of the land God promised them.
A Command to Build a Memory
Before the priests move and the river returns, God gives Joshua a specific instruction. He is to command twelve men, one from each tribe, to go back into the riverbed and retrieve twelve large stones. This act is a divinely orchestrated plan to create a permanent, physical reminder of what occurred. The focus shifts from the miracle itself to how the miracle will be remembered.
Building a Memorial of Faith
Having crossed the Jordan, the Israelites are commanded by God to commemorate the miracle. The scene unfolds on the banks of the river and in the dry riverbed itself, where the priests still stand with the Ark. This chapter details the construction of two memorials and explains their great importance for Israel's future in the Promised Land.
The Command for the Memorial Stones (Joshua 4:1-8)
1 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua,
2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man,
3 and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.
5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel,
6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?'
7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
8 And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there.
Commentary:
God commands twelve men to take twelve stones from the dry Jordan riverbed to build a memorial.
A Second Memorial and Joshua's Authority (Joshua 4:9-14)
9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.
10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people passed over in haste.
11 And when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
12 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them.
13 About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.
Commentary:
Joshua sets up a second memorial in the river and God confirms his leadership in the sight of all Israel.
The River Returns (Joshua 4:15-18)
15 And the Lord said to Joshua,
16 "Command the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”
17 "Joshua therefore commanded the priests, 'Come up out of the Jordan.'"
18 And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.
Commentary:
The priests leave the riverbed, and the Jordan's waters immediately return to their flood stage.
The Memorial at Gilgal (Joshua 4:19-24)
19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’
22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’
23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,
24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever."
Commentary:
At their first camp, Joshua erects the memorial and explains it's a tool to teach future generations about God's power.
Lessons Carved in Stone
The Importance of Remembrance
This chapter shows that God doesn't want His people to have short memories. The stones serve as a physical, tangible anchor for a spiritual truth, preventing the memory of God's incredible power from fading over time.
Passing Faith to the Next Generation
The memorial is explicitly designed as a teaching tool. God's plan for faith is that it is passed down from parent to child, with stories of His faithfulness forming the curriculum of a family's spiritual life.
God's Power as a Witness
The miracle benefited more than Israel alone. Joshua makes it clear that the story of the stones is so that 'all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty,' serving as a declaration of God's power to the world.
Continuity of God's Leadership
By exalting Joshua in the sight of the people, God showed that the same divine authority that was with Moses was now with their new leader. This miracle solidified Joshua's position and gave the people confidence to follow him into the challenges ahead.
Living a Life of Remembrance
Joshua 4 reveals that God is not a distant, abstract being. He is a powerful God who acts in history. He is also a teacher who cares deeply that His people remember His faithfulness. He knows our tendency to forget, so He provides tangible ways for us to recall His goodness and power.
You can create your own 'stones of remembrance.' This could be a journal where you write down answered prayers, a collection of photos that remind you of God's provision, or even a simple object on your desk. The goal is to have physical reminders that you can turn to in times of doubt to recall God's past faithfulness in your life.
As Joshua commanded the Israelites in verses 21-22, you have a story to tell. It means being intentional about sharing with your family, friends, and community the specific ways God has worked in your life. Your personal testimony of God's help can be a 'memorial stone' that builds faith in others.
Remember God's Power, Share His Story
Joshua 4 teaches that God's miracles extend beyond the present moment, lasting for all time. He performs mighty acts to save His people and then commands them to build memorials so that His power is never forgotten. The message is that remembering is an active part of faith, a discipline that fuels future trust and provides a story to share. God's faithfulness in the past is the bedrock for our confidence in the future.
What This Means for Us Today
The story of the twelve stones is an invitation to become a historian of God's grace in your own life. It calls us to pause, look back at our own 'Jordan River' moments where God made a way, and build a memorial of gratitude. This act of remembrance equips us to face the future and gives us a powerful story to tell.
- What past deliverance or provision from God do you need to remember today?
- How can you create a tangible reminder of God's faithfulness in your life this week?
- Who in your life needs to hear your story of what God has done?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter details the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, providing the immediate event that Joshua 4 commemorates.
After setting up the memorial, this chapter describes Israel's first acts in the Promised Land: circumcision, celebrating the Passover, and the end of the manna.
Connections Across Scripture
This is the account of the parting of the Red Sea, the foundational miracle of deliverance that Joshua 4:23 directly references.
This passage, the Shema, commands the Israelites to diligently teach their children about God, which is the core principle behind the memorial stones.
Here, the prophet Samuel sets up a stone he names Ebenezer ('stone of help') to commemorate God's victory, showing a similar practice of creating memorials.
Discussion Questions
- What are some modern-day 'memorial stones' we can create in our own lives or as a church community to remember God's faithfulness?
- Joshua 4 emphasizes telling God's story to the next generation. What are some of the biggest challenges and greatest opportunities in doing that today?
- The miracle was intended to be a witness to 'all the peoples of the earth' (v. 24). How can the stories of what God has done in our lives serve as a witness to those outside the faith?
Glossary
places
Jordan River
The major river that formed the eastern border of the Promised Land, which Israel had to cross to enter Canaan.
Gilgal
The name of Israel's first campsite in the Promised Land, where the memorial of twelve stones was erected.
Jericho
A heavily fortified Canaanite city near the Jordan River, which would be Israel's first military target.