UNROLL
At dusk on the flat plain of Gilgal, twelve large smooth river stones stand together in a ring, with a camp of black tents and small cooking fires beyond them.

The Book of

Joshua 4

Twelve men, twelve stones, and a question every child will one day ask.

24 verses≈ 5 min1 personBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–5Crossing overInto the landChapter 4
  2. 6–12Taking the landThe LORD fights for Israel
  3. 13–21Dividing the landAn inheritance for each tribe
  4. 22–24Choose this dayServe the LORD

Twelve Stones from the Jordan

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and 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.’”

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Joshua

Thus 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.

Joshua 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.

Question

Quick question

Joshua told the twelve men to carry the stones up out of the riverbed “to serve as a sign among you.”

What were the twelve stones for?

Seen from behind, a long column of armed men in plain wool with spears on their shoulders marches up out of the dry riverbed onto the plain, Jericho's palms far off.

Now 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, and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people. The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.

0:34

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

On 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.

God

Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”

Joshua

So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”

Priests in white linen step up out of the riverbed onto the bank with the gold ark on their shoulders, as brown floodwater rushes back down the channel behind them.

When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.

From the river to the stones

The ark goesfirstthe priests step outahead (3:6)Feet in thewaterthe river in flood(3:15)Water stands ina heapfar upstream at Adam(3:16)Dry groundall Israel crosses(3:17)Twelve stonesone for each tribe(4:8)Set up atGilgala sign for thechildren (4:20)So all may knowthe LORD’s hand ismighty (4:24)

Whiteboard

One crossing, one memorial, one reason. The ark went first, the river stopped far upstream, and Israel crossed on dry ground. Twelve stones came up from the very place the priests stood and were set up at Gilgal, so that children would ask, and “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty.”

Reflect

Your stones

God told Israel to carry stones out of the riverbed so that one day their children would ask, “What do these stones mean to you?” Faith is passed on by asking and telling. What is one thing God has done for you that the next generation should hear about? Write it down, and write how and when you will tell it.

The Camp at Gilgal

On the plain at Gilgal, men set large smooth river stones upright one beside another as Joshua watches and the camp's black tents go up behind them.

On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’

For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”

Joshua 4:23–24

Pray

Make it known

The LORD dried up the Jordan “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.” Thank Him for what He has done for you. Ask Him to help you tell it plainly to the children and friends who will one day ask, and to make His mighty hand known among the nations.

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Joshua 4

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A verse to carry with you

He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.

Joshua 4:24

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