Memorial Stones

Justice and truth are your virtues 

With many too vast for our words 

No mind contains the splendor of all that You are

Our God, our God has done great things 

Our God, is greater than all

Miracles are your memorial 

The promise of wonders to come 

You are the author, God You complete it all

We sang the song, Greater than All, by Hillsong this past Sunday during our worship service.  Our worship leader shared briefly before the song about how in the Old Testament, God's people would set up physical stones as memorials of God's faithfulness.  They did this so that for years to come God's people would see the faithfulness of their God, and would be reminded that when He promises to act on their behalf -- He stays true to His word.  

In the first few chapters of the book of Joshua, God calls Joshua to lead the Israelites to their promised land.  This was no ordinary feat, however.  God provided Joshua with very specific instructions to convey to the priests who would be carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord through the Jordan and into the promised land ...

"You shall, moreover, command the priests who are carrying 
the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you come to the edge of 
the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan."

(Joshua 3:8)

Once the priests dipped their feet into the edge of the water, the God of all heaven and earth promised to overtake the waters of the Jordan and cause the waters to cease flowing.  And that He did ...

"And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of 
the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan 
while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had 
finished crossing the Jordan."

(Joshua 3:17)

After the entire nation of Israel had passed through the Jordan on dry ground [talk about miracles], God instructed Joshua to appoint 12 men - one from each tribe of Israel - to take the journey back to the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing firm.  Upon arrival, the 12 men were to each pick up a stone and carry it back to the dry land that had been promised to them.  They were to set that stone up in remembrance of how God had acted on their behalf (Joshua 4:1-5).  

"Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children 
ask later saying,'What do these stones mean to you?' 
then you shall say to them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off 
before the ark of the covenant of the Lord ...

So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.'"

(Genesis 4:6, 7)

Joshua 4:9 tells us that Joshua even went a step further and set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan right at the place where the priests stood.

And when all was said and done - when every last person had crossed the Jordan, including the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord - the stones remained as proof to future generations of the faithfulness of God.  

And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan,

Joshua set up at Gilgal.  

And he said to the sons of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers

in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'

then you shall inform your children, saying,

'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.'

that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD 

is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever."

(Joshua 4:22, 24)

What precious reminders the Israelites were given by way of these stones!  The Lord knew that doubt would surely creep in at times and hearts would go astray and other gods would be served and seasons of waiting would occur ... so He led Joshua to set up markers as reminders of the fulfilled promises of God.  The one true God.  The God of heaven and earth. 

Sometimes I think I need memorial stones.  Tangible objects which act as representatives of God's faithfulness.  Markers of answered prayers.  

I want so desperately to be intentional about remembering the faithfulness of God in my life - Don't you?  And I want to impress these things upon the next generation ...

What are some of your memorial stones?  

How has God demonstrated His faithfulness in your life?

What prayers has He answered that have been monumental to you?

Are you telling others about them?

Our God, our God has done great things 

Our God, is greater than all