JOSHUA LESSON 4
We will begin this lesson in Joshua 4:1 "And it came to pass,
when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake
unto Joshua, saying,"
We can see by "and" beginning this chapter, that it is closely
related to the last chapter. In the last lesson, we saw the priests
walk a few steps into the Jordan River with the ark of the covenant.
The water stopped flowing and stood in a heap, until the people all
crossed. This lesson begins with all the people on the west bank of
the Jordan. Now, Joshua will receive further instructions from God.
Joshua 4:2 "Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every
tribe a man," Joshua 4:3 "And command ye them, saying, Take you hence
out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet
stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and
leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night."
The twelve men that had been chosen {one from each tribe} were
each to pick up a stone where the priests had stood, and bring it to
the west side of the Jordan, to be set up as a memorial of their
crossing. These twelve men had to do this just before the water came
back into the Jordan River. The verses are not in chronological order.
Joshua 4:4 "Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had
prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:" Joshua
4:5 "And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD
your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a
stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of
the children of Israel:"
These stones were not just little stones. They were large enough
that each man brought one out on his shoulder. It was as if they lay
their load of sin down in the River, and they picked up the load of
their cross, and took it with them. The number twelve is a
representative number. These twelve men represented every individual
in their tribe. The crossing of the Red Sea was symbolic of water
baptism. The wandering in the wilderness symbolizes the walk of the
Christian through life. The crossing of Jordan into their promised
land symbolizes the Christian entering into heaven. The stones carried
into the promised land are a memorial to their successful entry. The
Christians are spoken of as lively stones. I Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as
lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
What they received in the promised land was by grace. The Christian is
saved by grace. We will see in these Israelites that, they received
cities they had not built, and crops they had not planted. By grace
are ye saved, not of yourself. Not only does "Canaanland" symbolize
heaven, but it, also, symbolizes the walk of grace of the Christian.
Joshua 4:6 "That this may be a sign among you, [that] when your
children ask [their fathers] in time to come, saying, What [mean] ye
by these stones?"
In many places in the Bible, stones have been erected in a
memorial for something special God has done. Even the secular world
would erect stones to remember some special event. The children of
Israel, who are not born at this time, will look at these stones, and
ask what they are for? Their parents are to relate the happenings here
to them.
Joshua 4:7 "Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan
were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it
passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these
stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever."
The Jordan River stood between the people and the promised land.
There were no bridges handy for them to cross over. God provided them
a way through the bottom of the river. When the priests stood in the
edge of the water, the river stopped flowing and stood in heaps at
either side of the way God provided. The stones were taken out of the
river bed, and set up on the western bank of the river in memory of
this event. Christians are led by the Spirit of God, as these people
were led by the presence of God in the ark. We, too, must explain to
our children of the wonderful things of God.
Joshua 4:8 "And the children of Israel did so as Joshua
commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as
the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of
the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place
where they lodged, and laid them down there."
These stones were taken from the place in the middle of the
Jordan, and placed on the land where the children of Israel lodged.
Joshua 4:9 "And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of
Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark
of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day."
It appears from this Scripture, that the chosen men of the twelve
tribes carried twelve large stones into the water and left a memorial
in the midst of the river. They took another twelve stones from the
midst of the river, and set them up on the western bank of Jordan. It
is as if they lay their earthly burdens down, and picked up their
cross to follow the LORD. It is as if they had left the law in the
river, and accepted the grace God provided them.
Joshua 4:10 "For the priests which bare the ark stood in the
midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD
commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses
commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over."
All of the activity of moving the stones took place, while the
priests were still in the river. The people all passed over safely,
and then, the priests passed over safely. The water did not begin to
flow again, until the priests stepped out of the water with the ark on
the west side of Jordan.
Joshua 4:11 "And it came to pass, when all the people were clean
passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in
the presence of the people."
The people viewing the ark carried by the priests, had several
purposes. It would give them strong courage for the battles ahead. It
would give them a knowledge that God would be with them. It would give
them knowledge that the priests were God's spiritual agents on the
earth. It would, also, help them to realize that Joshua was God's
choice to lead them.
Joshua 4:12 " And the children of Reuben, and the children of
Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the
children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:"
We remember, that their families had stayed on the eastern side
of Jordan, where they had chosen grasslands. The men 20 years old and
older had come on this trip with Joshua, to help the other tribes take
over their promised land. They have brought their arms, and are ready
to fight.
Joshua 4:13 "About forty thousand prepared for war passed over
before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho."
This forty thousand are those of the two and one half tribes
mentioned in verse 12. This is not the total number of armed men that
they had. It appears, they left some protection behind for their
families.
Joshua 4:14 "On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight
of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days
of his life."
One of the reasons for the miracle at the Jordan River, was so
the people would know the same anointing was on Joshua that had been
on Moses. Israel's respect for Joshua grew greatly at the opening of
the River Jordan under instructions given to them through Joshua.
Joshua 4:15 "And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying," Joshua 4:16
"Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they
come up out of Jordan."
This is a further explanation of God specifically telling Joshua
to call the priests out of the Jordan River. The priests obeying
Joshua shows they, too, accept the words of Joshua as being direct
from the LORD.
Joshua 4:17 "Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come
ye up out of Jordan."
This is just an explanation that Joshua did as God commanded him.
Joshua 4:18 "And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the
ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of
Jordan, [and] the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the
dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and
flowed over all his banks, as [they did] before."
We see that the miracle of the River Jordan ceasing flowing, was
for just as long as the priests remained with the ark in the water.
The instant they removed their feet onto dry land, the water of the
river flowed again, as it was in the beginning.
Joshua 4:19 "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."
Their first month [Abib} is about the same as our April. They
stopped in Gilgal, which is at the door of Jericho.
Joshua 4:20 "And those twelve stones, which they took out of
Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal."
It seems that, Joshua placed the stones, one upon another and
made a memorial with them at the camp sight of Gilgal.
Joshua 4:21 "And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying,
When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying,
What [mean] these stones?" Joshua 4:22 "Then ye shall let your
children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land."
Generations to come would see the stones erected here, and ask
why they were there? They are to tell them of the miracle of the
crossing of the Jordan River here.
Joshua 4:23 "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan
from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did
to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone
over:"
In both of these instances, the water stood in a heap at their
sides, as they crossed through on dry ground. The only real difference
was in the way it dried up. The Jordan River dried up as the priests
stepped into the water. There were no priests at the time of the Red
Sea crossing. The Red Sea crossing symbolized leaving the world
{Egypt} behind, and passing through the water {baptism}. The crossing
of the Jordan symbolized receiving heaven.
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."
This last verse shows that this reaches much farther, than just
that time. This is a sign, not to these Hebrews, but to all of
mankind. Every time they read the Bible, they should be able to see
the hand of God in this. This should encourage every Christian to
realize all over again, that we serve a Mighty God.
Joshua 4 Questions
1. How do we know this is a continuation of the last lesson?
2. What were the twelve men to take out of the Jordan?
3. What were they to do with them?
4. The verses are not always in ____________ order.
5. Why was the shoulder where they carried the stones?
6. It was as if they had lain their load of ______ down in the river.
7. The carrying out of the stones was as if they had taken what upon
their shoulders?
8. The number twelve is a __________ number.
9. Quote 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 5.
10. What they received in the promised land was by ________.
11. They received cities, they had not _________.
12. They received crops, they had not _________.
13. What does "Canaanland" symbolize?
14. Who will these stones be a sign to?
15. Who used stones as memorials?
16. The ________ ________ stood between the people and the promised
land.
17. ____ provided them a way through the river.
18. What happened, when the priests stepped into the river carrying
the ark?
19. Christians are led by the __________ of God.
20. Where were the stones placed?
21. Why was it twelve stones the leaders picked up?
22. Where were the two memorials set up?
23. Symbolically, what had they left in the river?
24. Why did the ark pass over in the sight of the people?
25. Who, from the east side of Jordan, passed over ready for battle?
26. How many men with them were ready for war?
27. Verse 14 says, The LORD magnified _________ in the sight of all
Israel.
28. What helped the people have more confidence in Joshua?
29. Who told the priests to come out of the Jordan River?
30. When did the water in the Jordan begin to flow again?
31. What day did the people come up out of the water?
32. What was Israel to tell generations to come about the stones
erected on the west of Jordan?
33. How far will this knowledge of the mighty hand of God reach?
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