What Do These Stones Mean?

Joshua 4:4-7 NRSV

“Then Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe. Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.”

There are many times in scripture where stones are raised to commemorate an event of God’s intervention. These stones provoke conversation in order to tell the story of what God has done. 

What do these stones mean? Think about the times that God kept you from peril, when you went through trials unscathed, over the rivers of disappointment, of tragedy, and you made it unharmed and safe.  The times when you knew to bury the kings - the idols in your life as you trusted more what is doing. The times you are able to celebrate with your witness of God. 

When you look back, you find that you have many places to commemorate God’s faithfulness to you. And then you can share. It helps to keep the memory alive. It provokes more and more thanks to him. You must remember, in order to tell them what the stones mean.

As Joshua challenged the Israelites I encourage you to stay faithful.

Joshua 25:14&15 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefather worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Tell them what the stones mean. enough for now.