# Overview Joshua Chapter 4 recounts the miraculous crossing of the #JordanRiver by the Israelites, led by #Joshua, as they enter the Promised Land. This chapter emphasizes the importance of remembering #God's mighty acts and faithfulness. After the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stand in the midst of the Jordan, the waters are miraculously cut off, allowing the entire nation to cross on dry ground. Following God's command, Joshua instructs twelve men, one from each tribe, to take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan. These stones serve as a memorial to the miraculous event, reminding future generations of #Israel's deliverance and God's power. The act of setting up the stones at #Gilgal signifies a physical and spiritual marker of God's covenant and the new beginning for the nation in the Promised Land. The chapter concludes with the people emerging from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camping at Gilgal on the eastern border of #Jericho. Joshua sets up the twelve stones at Gilgal as a lasting memorial. The narrative underscores the importance of teaching the coming generations about God's powerful deeds. The stones serve as a tangible reminder for the Israelites to pass down the stories of God's deliverance and faithfulness. It also highlights that all people of the earth might come to know the hand of the Lord is mighty, and that the Israelites might fear the Lord their God forever, establishing a lasting testimony of God's intervention and presence with His people. ## Theological Insights Joshua 4 presents a significant moment in the unfolding narrative of #Israel's journey into the #PromisedLand. This chapter highlights the importance of remembrance and the transmission of faith across generations. 1. **Memorial Stones as a Testament to God's Faithfulness**: The chapter describes the setting up of twelve stones taken from the middle of the #JordanRiver, where the #priests' feet stood firm. These stones served as a perpetual memorial for the #Israelites, reminding them of how the #LORD stopped the flow of the river to allow them to cross on dry ground. This act symbolizes God's faithfulness and power, similar to the crossing of the #RedSea in [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 14]]. 2. **Intergenerational Faith Transmission**: Joshua instructs that when future generations inquire about the meaning of these stones, the people are to recount the miraculous crossing of the Jordan. This directive underscores the importance of teaching children about God's mighty acts, ensuring that the knowledge of the #LORD and His deeds are preserved through storytelling and remembrance, as also emphasized in [[Deuteronomy/Deuteronomy Chapter 6]]. 3. **Leadership and Obedience**: The obedience of #Joshua and the Israelites to God's commands highlights the theme of faithful leadership. Joshua's role as a leader is affirmed, as the LORD exalts him in the sight of all Israel, establishing his authority just as He did with #Moses. This continuation of leadership emphasizes the necessity of following God's guidance for successful conquest and settlement in the Promised Land. 4. **Covenantal Faithfulness**: The crossing of the Jordan and the establishment of the memorial stones are acts that reaffirm the covenantal promises God made with the patriarchs, namely [[Genesis/Genesis Chapter 12|Abraham]], [[Genesis/Genesis Chapter 26|Isaac]], and [[Genesis/Genesis Chapter 28|Jacob]]. The physical act of crossing and the subsequent memorial serves as tangible evidence of God's steadfast commitment to fulfilling His promises to #Israel. 5. **God's Sovereignty and Power**: The miraculous stopping of the Jordan's waters is a demonstration of God's control over creation. This event serves as a reminder to the Israelites and the surrounding nations of the sovereignty and power of the LORD, much like the plagues in [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 7]] - [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 11]] revealed His supremacy over the gods of #Egypt. Joshua 4 thus serves as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness, the importance of remembrance, and the call to pass down the knowledge of God's mighty works to future generations, ensuring that His name is honored and revered throughout the ages. ## Thematic Connections ### Memorial of God's Faithfulness In Joshua 4, the #memorial of the twelve stones taken from the #JordanRiver serves as a tangible reminder of God's faithfulness and miraculous intervention in fulfilling His promises. This theme echoes throughout #Scripture, where memorials often serve as reminders of God's past deliverances, such as the altar built by #Jacob in [[Genesis/Genesis Chapter 28|Genesis 28:18]] and the Passover instituted in [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 12|Exodus 12:14]]. ### Continuity of God's Covenant The passage highlights the continuity of God's covenant with #Israel, as the crossing of the Jordan parallels the crossing of the #RedSea in [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 14|Exodus 14]]. This continuity underscores God's unwavering commitment to His people, fulfilling the promise made to #Abraham, #Isaac, and #Jacob, which is also reiterated in [[Genesis/Genesis Chapter 17|Genesis 17:7]]. ### Leadership and Obedience The obedience of #Joshua and the Israelites in following God's instructions to set up the memorial stones reflects a broader biblical theme of faithful leadership and communal obedience. This parallels the leadership of #Moses and the Israelites' initial obedience in the wilderness, as seen in [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 17|Exodus 17:1-7]]. ### Testimony to Future Generations The chapter emphasizes the importance of passing down the testimony of God's mighty acts to future generations, a theme that resonates with the Shema in [[Deuteronomy/Deuteronomy Chapter 6|Deuteronomy 6:4-9]], where parents are instructed to teach their children about God's laws and deeds. The stones serve as a teaching tool, prompting questions from future generations about God's miraculous work. ### God’s Sovereignty Over Nature The miraculous stopping of the Jordan's waters reaffirms God's sovereignty over nature, a theme consistent with numerous biblical accounts where God exercises control over natural elements, such as the plagues in [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 7|Exodus 7-11]] and Jesus calming the storm in [[Mark/Mark Chapter 4|Mark 4:35-41]]. This demonstrates that creation itself is subject to God's will and purpose. ## Prophetic Fulfillments ### The Crossing of the Jordan The miraculous crossing of the #JordanRiver described in Joshua 4 can be seen as a fulfillment of God’s promises to the Israelites and a foreshadowing of future prophetic events. This event parallels the parting of the #RedSea in [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 14]], another demonstration of God's power and faithfulness. It sets the stage for the fulfillment of the promise made to #Abraham regarding the inheritance of the land ([[Genesis/Genesis Chapter 15|Genesis 15:18-21]]). ### The Twelve Stones The twelve stones taken from the Jordan and set up at #Gilgal serve as a memorial to the miraculous crossing and symbolize the unity of the twelve tribes of #Israel. This act fulfills God’s instruction in [[Deuteronomy/Deuteronomy Chapter 27|Deuteronomy 27:2-3]] to set up stones as a monument to God's deliverance and covenant with Israel. This also anticipates the future establishment of Israel in the Promised Land, fulfilling the promise to the patriarchs. ### The Role of the Ark of the Covenant The centrality of the #ArkOfTheCovenant in the crossing event points to its significance as the representation of God’s presence and covenant with His people. This foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence among His people through Jesus Christ, as seen in [[Matthew/Matthew Chapter 1|Matthew 1:23]], where Jesus is called "Immanuel," meaning "God with us." ### The Fear of the Nations God’s miraculous act at the Jordan River instilled fear in the surrounding nations, as stated in Joshua 4:24. This fulfills the prophetic declarations about God’s power being known among the nations, similar to the fear instilled by the Red Sea crossing ([[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 15|Exodus 15:14-16]]). This points forward to the eschatological vision where all nations will recognize God’s sovereignty, as prophesied in [[Isaiah/Isaiah Chapter 2|Isaiah 2:2-4]]. ### The Establishment of Memorials The erection of a memorial at Gilgal is a prophetic act that underscores the importance of remembering God’s mighty works. It anticipates the New Testament emphasis on remembering Christ’s work on the cross, as instituted in the Lord’s Supper ([[1 Corinthians/1 Corinthians Chapter 11|1 Corinthians 11:23-26]]), where believers are called to remember His sacrifice and proclaim His death until He comes. ## Verses - **Joshua 4:1** - "When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua," - **Joshua 4:2** - "“Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe." - **Joshua 4:3** - "Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’”" - **Joshua 4:4** - "So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel." - **Joshua 4:5** - "He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of #Israel." - **Joshua 4:6** - "We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future, your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’" - **Joshua 4:7** - "Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”" - **Joshua 4:8** - "So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there." - **Joshua 4:9** - "Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day." - **Joshua 4:10** - "The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the Lord’s commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed." - **Joshua 4:11** - "And when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the Lord as the people watched." - **Joshua 4:12** - "The armed warriors from the tribes of #Reuben, #Gad, and the half-tribe of #Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan, just as Moses had directed." - **Joshua 4:13** - "These armed men—about 40,000 strong—were ready for battle, and the Lord was with them as they crossed over to the plains of #Jericho." - **Joshua 4:14** - "That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses." - **Joshua 4:15** - "The Lord had said to Joshua," - **Joshua 4:16** - "“Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to come up out of the riverbed.”" - **Joshua 4:17** - "So Joshua gave the command." - **Joshua 4:18** - "As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant came up out of the riverbed and their feet were on high ground, the water of the Jordan returned and overflowed its banks as before." - **Joshua 4:19** - "The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at #Gilgal, just east of Jericho." - **Joshua 4:20** - "It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River." - **Joshua 4:21** - "Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’" - **Joshua 4:22** - "Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’" - **Joshua 4:23** - "For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over." - **Joshua 4:24** - "He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”" ### Cross-References by Chapter - **Crossing of the Jordan** - [[Joshua/Joshua Chapter 3]] - **Ark of the Covenant** - [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 25]], [[Numbers/Numbers Chapter 10]] - **Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh** - [[Numbers/Numbers Chapter 32]] - **Memorial Stones** - [[Deuteronomy/Deuteronomy Chapter 27]] - **Parting of the Red Sea** - [[Exodus/Exodus Chapter 14]] - **Location of Gilgal** - [[Joshua/Joshua Chapter 5]]