These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever

 Joshua 4:1-24

In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.

To commemorate the crossing forever after, stones are taken from the riverbed. 12 to mark the place where the priests had stood, and 12 to mark the Israelites 'first base camp in the new land, at Gilgal. This is the same stretch of the Jordan where John the Baptist's ministry and Jesus' baptism took place.

Why?

The Lord did great things like Moses brought people across the red sea. So the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel. The Lord has the authority to make the river stop flowing and lift a man from normal to superman.

The 12 stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever. For people is easy to forget the grace of the Lord when they are influenced by this world. Keep in might that the Lord is my way and my blessing only.

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chap2 要從過去的錯誤中醒過來。

chap3:不再提到要回埃及，斷開埃及，斷開罪中之樂。

chap4:過河時，每個支派要抬一顆大石頭，12支派立石為記，作為以色列人永遠的記念。本章要處理的事，過去經歷許多奇事，但是在神蹟後，就抱怨。人為什麼會忘記恩典?以為神為我施恩是神的責任。不把神的作為當作恩典，就會忘記神的恩典。只有我們知道我們是不配的，就會常常感恩。我們會常把恩典當作理所當然，這些本來會發生的事都是神的恩典，我們太習慣而是以為理所當然。

立石為證是為了將這事傳下去，永遠的記念，是信仰的傳承。目的是永遠記念耶和華我們的神。

若我們記得這樣恩典，我們如何回應呢?12個碑，表示他們的合一共同體，共同回應神的恩典。積極面對挑戰，以信心回應神的恩典。

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How?

Remember the grace of the Lord and remind God's favor every morning when I reading the Bible.