Thursday - Joshua 4 - 2 Piles of Stones

God wants us to remember the things that He has done for us and for our forefathers in the past.  In order for one generation to know what the last generation experienced, the elder generation must intentionally preserve their history. In this case God admonished Joshua to intentionally plan for future lessons and conversations related to the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan River. God commanded Joshua to have 12 stones from the riverbed taken to the shoreline campsite of the nation in order for a memorial to be set up. Each tribe therefore had a stone placed there representing their passage on dry ground. Additionally, Joshua had another memorial set up on the riverbed in the middle of the river where the priests' feet had stood while the nation passed by.

It isn't hard to figure out the exact reason why God had them do this. God had them set up the pile of stones so "that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that you might fear the LO RD your God forever'' (Joshua 4:24). On that grand day, God was magnified, as was his servant Joshua. It was a day worth remembering. It was an event intended to spark fear in the hearts God's enemies and faith in the hearts of His children.