Question 1

What is the significance of the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River?

Accepted Answer

The twelve stones came from the very place where the priests’ feet stood while God held back the Jordan River. One man from each tribe carried a stone on his shoulder to the camp. These stones were not decoration but a sign. When children later asked, “What do these stones mean?” parents could tell how the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant and the people crossed on dry ground. The stones kept the memory of God’s power and kindness alive for future generations.

Question 2

Why did God command a memorial after the Jordan crossing?

Accepted Answer

God did not want this miracle to be forgotten once people settled into normal life. By commanding a memorial of twelve stones, God gave Israel a simple way to remember that He had brought them into the land. The stones were meant to start conversations between parents and children, so each new generation would hear how God stopped the river and kept His promise. The memorial helped the people stay grateful, faithful, and aware that their place in the land was a gift from God.

Question 3

What does this passage teach about Joshua’s leadership?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, Joshua listens carefully to God and does exactly what he is told. He chooses twelve men, gives them clear orders, directs the priests, and waits until everything God commanded is finished. God uses this event to lift Joshua up in the eyes of the people. It says the Lord magnified Joshua, and Israel feared him as they had feared Moses. This shows that Joshua’s authority came from God, and the people could trust his leadership as they moved into the land.

Question 4

Why did the priests stand in the middle of the Jordan with the ark?

Accepted Answer

The priests carried the ark of the covenant, which was the sign of God’s presence among His people. They stepped into the Jordan first and then stayed standing in the middle on dry ground while all Israel crossed over. They did not move until everything God had commanded Joshua was done. Their standing there showed faith and obedience, especially since the river had been overflowing its banks. When they finally came up out of the river, the waters returned to their place, showing that God had been holding them back the whole time.

Question 5

What does this story show about God’s power over creation?

Accepted Answer

This story shows that God rules over nature. The Jordan River was flowing strongly, yet when the ark entered, the waters were cut off and piled up, and the riverbed became dry ground. The people hurried across safely. Then, as soon as the priests’ feet left the river and touched dry land, the waters flowed back over all their banks as before. The timing makes it clear this was not a natural accident but God’s direct act. He can stop and start a river at His word to keep His promises.

Question 6

Who were the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh, and why are they mentioned here?

Accepted Answer

These groups were tribes of Israel who had been given land on the east side of the Jordan. Even though their homes were already settled, they had promised to cross over and help their brothers take the rest of the land. About forty thousand of their fighting men went ahead, armed for battle, in front of the LORD toward the plains of Jericho. They are mentioned to show that all Israel was united in this moment and that they kept the promise they had made earlier to stand with the other tribes.

Question 7

Why did the people cross the Jordan in haste?

Accepted Answer

The passage says the people “hasted and passed over.” There may have been several reasons. They were eager to enter the land God had promised to their fathers. They also respected the holy moment, knowing they were walking through a riverbed that should have been full of water. Moving quickly showed both their readiness to follow God’s leading and their sense that this miracle was not something to take lightly or delay in. Their haste matches the seriousness and wonder of what God was doing.

Question 8

How were the memorial stones meant to shape family conversations about faith?

Accepted Answer

The stones were set where people could see them, near the place where Israel camped. God expected children to notice them and ask, “What mean ye by these stones?” That question opened the door for parents to tell the story of how God stopped the Jordan, how the ark went before them, and how the whole nation walked across on dry land. So the memorial was not just for the eyes but for the mouth and the heart, helping families talk about God’s works and pass on trust in Him.

Joshua 4:1

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,

Twelve Stones from the Jordan

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Joshua 4:1

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,

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Twelve Stones from the Jordan

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