Watch as two stone piles are raised, one in the river and one out of the river. What do they mean?
The people had crossed over but the priests hadn’t moved. There they stood with the ark in the dry riverbed. Why? God had something more to do. He wanted not one but two memorials of this occasion. First, “The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: ‘Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight’” (Jos 4:1-3). So twelve representative men, acting on behalf of the people, each went down into the riverbed, wrestled a boulder onto their shoulder, and carried it to the place where they encamped, at Gilgal. “Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood” (v 9). Think first of Joshua’s work. Once the Jordan returned, the world couldn’t see that marker. Only faith could see it. What does it say to us? “I have been crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20). Then there was a landmark everyone could see. What did they say? Tell your children when they ask, said Joshua, “that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan” (v 7). This is the believer’s testimony: There was a day when I was supernaturally brought through death by Christ’s death for me. Now I’m safe on redemption ground. The world doesn’t understand what it means that I am crucified with Christ, but God help me to show them the rest of the verse every day: “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”