Stones of remembrance

Joshua 4:4-7,"So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and sied to them, "Go over before the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jrdan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. these stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.

This was a monumental time in the children of Israel's lives--it represented the day they crossed over to the promise land that God had intended for the previous generation, but because of doubt and unbelief they never entered the promise. In Joshua chapter 4 we see the children of Israel creating a monument to honor what God had done for them by stopping the flow of the Jordan to allow them to cross over unhindered. God called them to place a monument at their camp at Gilgal and one in the river behind them--I believe that these monuments represented the faithfulness of God both in the past, in the present, and in the future. Let's look at some principles found in "the stones of remembrance.

1. Their were two monuments in the water and at camp--representing God's faithfulness in making a way in our past and at camp representing what he will do in the future.
2. The reason for the monument was for the future generations--God is always thinking generationally and put the monument for the expressed purpose to serve as a sign to the children--Joshua 4:6," In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean'? tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off...a constant reminder that God is faithful to a thousand generations to those that serve him.
3. That we are to celebrate and ackowledge God's moving in our lives everytime he proves himself faithful.
4. These rocks serve as a sign for us to take time out of our busy lives and reflect on what God has done for us and where we have come from.
5. Remind our children who God is to us and how faithful he has been--this will stir up a desire in them to want to know our generational God.

Reflecting and thanking our faithful God,

Pastor Franko