Jos. 4: Twelve More Stones

Joshua 4:15-17 "Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Command the priests carrying the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan." So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan."

OK, so once you're on the other side of the Jordan (permanently), how do you remember what God did in order for Israel to get where they are? You set up a monument, that's how. What better way than to grab some stones from the middle of the Jordan, and carry them onto dry land. One man from each tribe took a stone from the river, and set it up on the (usually) dry land in Gilgal, outside of Jericho where they were camped.

"Where did those stones come from?"
"Why, the middle of the Jordan River of course."
"How did they get them?"
"Well, son, that's an interesting story. The flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."
"I see...."

So that's pretty amazing.

And I love verses 15-17. God spoke a command to Joshua, and he did it. "So" Joshua commanded the priests. God spoke and it is so. I wonder how often I just completely neglect the "so." Is this evidence against free will. Probably not. Is this evidence of Joshua eagerly desiring to serve God? Probably closer. Is this how it is when God chooses something, and sets a plan in motion, and then issues a command? Yes.

And we've seen twelve stones before, gemstones each signifying a place on the breastplate of the priest for each tribe. Each tribe held a place of it's own honor. Each tribe here had a responsibility to pass on the stories of Israel's history.