Building a Heritage

KEY VERSE: “He spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.” —Joshua 4:21,22

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Joshua 3:7 – 4:24

ISRAEL’S LONG JOURNEY was about to end after being freed from Egyptian bondage. Moses had died and Joshua was leading them into the Promised Land. First they had to cross the River Jordan which was running full because of the winter and spring rains.

As he had done so many times in their forty years of journeying, God again performed a miracle so that they could cross the Jordan dry shod. This was possible by making the water “stand upon an heap” on the upstream side of the river. (Josh. 3:13) It has been reasoned that God caused a landslide that dammed the river upstream, permitting Israel to cross safely.

The priests, bearing the Ark of the Covenant, went first. When their feet came to the edge of the river, the waters were cut off. The priests went to the middle of the river and stood on dry ground until “all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”—Josh. 3:17

Joshua had asked each tribe to select a man who would take a stone out of the riverbed where the priests were standing, making twelve in all, to be erected as a memorial where they would camp that night. This was done, and the stones were brought to Gilgal where they were set up as a memorial. Joshua also had twelve stones taken from the shore and placed where the priests had stood in the middle of the river, “and they are there unto this day.”—Josh. 4:9

The twelve stones were a memorial to Divine guidance. The crossing of the Jordan pictures the world of mankind entering the millennial kingdom of God. By seeing these stones all would be reminded of the miracles performed by God on behalf of his people. The number twelve can be associated with the tribes of Israel, the twelve apostles, and the City of God—the New Jerusalem with its twelve gates.

The spiritual rulers in God’s kingdom are patterned after the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:4-8), or 12,000 of each tribe, making a total of 144,000. In this vision that John had of the city of God, he described it as having “a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”—Rev. 21:12-14

The importance of the work done by the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles, is never to be forgotten. These will be remembered forever as the world of mankind demonstrates their obedience to God’s commandments and passes the test of obedience to them. Thus they may hear our Lord say to them: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”—Matt.25:34

This memorial was intended to remind Israel, and all mankind, of the experience they have had with sin and death. It will never be forgotten, nor will anyone forget the Author of salvation. Soon all mankind will say, “I will praise thee, O Lord [Jehovah] with my whole heart.”—Ps. 9:1

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