Joshua 4:1-14
Stones of Remembrance
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1When 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,
3and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”
4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
5and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,
6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
7you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.”
8Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.
9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.
10Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across,
11and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people.
12The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them.
13About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.
14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
After the nation has crossed, the LORD tells Joshua to choose one man from each tribe. Each man must take a stone from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests are standing with the ark. The stones will be carried to the place where Israel spends the night.
Joshua explains that the stones will become a sign. When children ask what they mean, their parents are to tell them that the Jordan stopped before the ark of the LORD's covenant. The memorial is designed for a conversation between generations, not merely for private nostalgia.
The men carry their twelve stones to the camp. Joshua also sets up twelve stones in the river where the priests have stood. The account then recalls the armed men of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh: about forty thousand cross before the LORD, keeping their commitment to help the other tribes.
The priests remain until the LORD's instructions have been carried out, then cross with the ark in the people's sight. On that day the LORD exalts Joshua, and Israel reveres him as it revered Moses. The memorial stones will help later children hear about the God who brought their people through.
Questions
1 Who must collect the stones from the Jordan?
AnswerOne man from each tribe must take a stone from where the priests stand with the ark in the river.
2 Why are the stones set up?
AnswerThey are a sign for future generations so children can ask about them and hear how the LORD stopped the Jordan.
3 Where does Joshua set up an additional twelve stones?
AnswerHe sets them in the middle of the Jordan, where the priests carrying the ark had stood.
4 What happens to Joshua's standing among the people?
AnswerThe LORD exalts Joshua before Israel, and the people respect him as they had respected Moses.
What This Means for Us
Healthy memory names what God has actually done. It gives children more than a family legend or a demand to feel grateful; it gives them a story they can understand and ask about.
Choose one faithful moment your household can remember together. Tell the story honestly, including the fear that was present, so gratitude grows from truth rather than performance.
Prayer
Lord, keep our memories faithful and useful. Help us tell the next generation what You have done, and make our stories invitations to trust You rather than monuments to ourselves. Amen.
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