Synopsis
With the priests holding the ark of the covenant in the
middle of the river Jordan and with the waters parted as a result, the
Israelites cross the river bed and don’t get their feet wet. However, one man
from each of the tribes is told to stop and get a rock from the river bed right
where the priests are standing. These rocks are to be placed at their campsite that
evening to remind everyone about the miracle at the river Jordan. Joshua then
stacks up 12 rocks where the priests are standing in the middle of the river bed
to make a monument where the crossing occurred, these rocks are supposed to
still be there, according to the Bible anyway. And when all this is done, the
priests leave the river bed and the river flows once more. We are told this
show of Godly force was done to make sure that all the people of the earth fear
God.
Or to put it another way:
They managed to cross the river and they collected rocks as
souvenirs.
Favorite bit
I don’t have one.
What’s annoying
It’s a bit repetitive. This chapter basically tells the
story of the stones collected three different times. I’m not even going to
provide you with a quote.
Verse most likely to be quoted out of context
(Joshua 4:24)" 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." If you are leading an army that is claiming to
have God on your side, this is a quote you will want to consider putting on
your uniforms or in your logo somewhere. However, in context, it comes off as
God boasting a bit.
Moral Lesson
Keeping reminders of special events is important.
