Joshua 4:20
And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Joshua didn't just pile the stones; he set them up with purpose in Gilgal. This wasn't just a heap of rocks, but a deliberate monument, meant to catch the eye and spark questions for generations to come. It was designed so that children would ask, "What do these stones mean?" ensuring the story of God's faithfulness would be passed down.
Right after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, Joshua sets up twelve memorial stones at Gilgal, a place that would become a significant encampment for Israel. These stones, taken directly from the riverbed where God held back the waters, serve as a tangible reminder for future generations of God's powerful intervention. The purpose is to spark questions from children and prompt parents to recount the story, ensuring the memory of God's faithfulness is passed down.
Why did Joshua set up those twelve stones in Gilgal? It wasn't just random placement; it was a deliberate act with a profound purpose.
The twelve stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River were set up by Joshua in Gilgal to serve as a permanent, visible monument.
A Memorial for Future Generations
Imagine parents bringing their children to this spot. When the kids asked, 'What do these stones mean?' the parents could recount the incredible story of God parting the Jordan River so all of Israel could cross on dry ground. This wasn't just a history lesson; it was a way to keep God's mighty acts alive in the hearts of His people, generation after generation.
More Than Just Rocks
These stones weren't meant to be overlooked. Their placement in Gilgal was intentional, designed to spark questions and ensure the story of God's faithfulness would not be forgotten. They stood as a powerful testament to God's power and His covenant promises.
The stones were placed in a specific location: Gilgal. What's the significance of this place, and what does it symbolize for Israel?
Gilgal wasn't just a campsite; it was a place laden with spiritual significance for the Israelites, especially after their monumental crossing of the Jordan.
The First Station in the Promised Land
Gilgal marked Israel's first major encampment in the Promised Land. It was here, after leaving the wilderness behind, that they renewed their covenant with God.
A Site of Spiritual Renewal
Later, Gilgal became the site where the Israelites were circumcised, a physical sign of their covenant relationship with God. It was also where they celebrated their first Passover in Canaan. These events underscore Gilgal as a place of new beginnings, obedience, and reaffirmed commitment to God.
Setting up the twelve stones from the Jordan at Gilgal served as a powerful, tangible reminder of God's faithfulness in bringing His people into the land, a memorial meant to spark questions and teach future generations about His mighty acts.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Israelites Cross the Jordan River
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites miraculously cross the Jordan River on dry ground, marking their full entry into the Promised Land of Canaan.
c. 1406 BC
Circumcision Renewed at Gilgal
Shortly after crossing the Jordan, the new generation of Israelites is circumcised at Gilgal, a significant act of covenant renewal.
c. 1406 BC
First Passover in Canaan
The Israelites celebrate their first Passover feast in the Promised Land at Gilgal, following the renewal of circumcision.
c. 1406 BC
Manna Ceases
The miraculous daily provision of manna stops as the Israelites begin to eat the produce of the land of Canaan.
This passage describes how parents were to explain the significance of the Passover to their children, just as Joshua intended for the stones to prompt questions about God's mighty acts.
Deuteronomy 6:20-25Just as parents were to teach their children about the Law and God's commands, the memorial stones in Joshua 4 were meant to spark conversations and transmit the memory of God's deliverance.
Psalm 78:1-7This psalm explicitly calls for recounting God's wonders to future generations, paralleling the purpose of the twelve stones as a tangible reminder of God's faithfulness in bringing Israel into the Promised Land.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4The apostle Paul directly connects the Israelites' miraculous crossing of the Red Sea and their subsequent 'baptism' in the cloud and sea to Christ, the antitypical Joshua, who leads us through spiritual deliverance.
Hosea 4:15This verse, along with others in Hosea, warns against setting up 'pillars' or stones for worship, highlighting how the very stones meant to memorialize God's work could, over time, become objects of idolatry if not properly understood.
calvinJoshua 4:19-24: "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."
- And the people came up, etc Why the day on which they entered the land, and first encamped in it, is marked, we shall see in next chapter. But the name of Gilgal is given to the first station by anticipation, for this new name was afterwards given to it by Joshua on the renewal of circumcision; its etymology will be explained in its own place. Mo…
cambridgeJoshua 4:20: "And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal."
20 . those twelve stones ] which seem to have been invested with a reverence which came to be regarded at last as idolatrous ( Hosea 4:15 ; Hosea 9:15 ; Amos 4:4 ; Amos 5:5 ).
Joshua didn't just pile the stones; he set them up with purpose in Gilgal. This wasn't just a heap of rocks, but a deliberate monument, meant to catch the eye and spark questions for generations to come. It was designed so that children would ask, "What do these stones mean?" ensuring the story of God's faithfulness would be passed down.
Right after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, Joshua sets up twelve memorial stones at Gilgal, a place that would become a significant encampment for Israel. These stones, taken directly from the riverbed where God held back the waters, serve as a tangible reminder for future generations of God's powerful intervention. The purpose is to spark questions from children and prompt parents to recount the story, ensuring the memory of God's faithfulness is passed down.
Right after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, Joshua sets up twelve memorial stones at Gilgal, a place that would become a significant encampment for Israel. These stones, taken directly from the riverbed where God held back the waters, serve as a tangible reminder for future generations of God's powerful intervention. The purpose is to spark questions from children and prompt parents to recount the story, ensuring the memory of God's faithfulness is passed down.
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These twelve stones weren't just for the Israelites. They were also intended to speak to the world. What message did they convey?
The monument of stones in Gilgal served a dual purpose: to instruct Israel and to impress the surrounding nations with the awesome power of God.
Demonstrating God's Sovereignty
By setting up these stones, Joshua was creating a visible testament that would declare to all peoples that the God of Israel is the one true God, whose power is supreme. The miraculous parting of the Jordan was an undeniable display of divine might.
Compelling Awe and Fear
This public monument was meant to evoke awe and a reverent fear of God, even among those who did not worship Him. It was a divine announcement that God was actively working in the world and that His chosen people were under His protection. It was a way for God's fame to spread, compelling even unbelievers to acknowledge His sovereignty.
c. 1405-1399 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Joshua leads the Israelites in a series of military campaigns to conquer and subdue the land of Canaan.
c. 1399 BC
Division of the Land
The land of Canaan is systematically divided among the twelve tribes of Israel, establishing their inheritance.
"And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal." — Joshua didn't just pile the stones; he set them up with purpose in Gilgal. This wasn't just a heap of rocks, but a deliberate monument, meant to catch the eye and spark questions for generations to c…
