Joshua Chapter 4 presents the events immediately following the crossing of the Jordan.
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After Crossing the Jordan
After the Israelites finished crossing the Jordan River, the Lord told Joshua to select 12 men among the 12 tribes. After doing so, the men will be instructed to take 12 stones from where the priests stand. The stones are then to be carried to where the people will sleep for the night.
Joshua then did as he was told. He also spoke to the 12 men and said there was good reason why they would be carrying these stones. The stones would remain memorials that would last forever as reminders of the time when the Lord stopped the flowing of the Jordan River so the Israelites could pass.
Choosing the Stones
The Israelites quickly followed along with the orders that Joshua had given to them. 12 stones were taken from the middle of the Jordan River. The stones were then taken to the camp of the Israelites. To this very day, those stones are there in the land somewhere.
The Upcoming War
After all of the people had crossed the Jordan, the many tribes of Israel prepared for war. About 40,000 men armed themselves for an invasion of Jericho. The Lord exalted Joshua and the people were in absolute awe of Him. The Lord ordered the priests with the Ark to come out of the Jordan. Once they left the Jordan, the river started flowing once again.
About the Stones
The stones were then set up in the form of the suggested memorial and Joshua took this time to speak to his people.
Joshua once again noted the stones will help the children of the Israelites remember that God stopped the Jordan and parted the Red Sea. The stones will also remind them to remain ever fearful and in awe of the Lord.
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Joshua 4 (King James Version)
1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.