Commentary - Joshua 4:19-24

Bird's-eye view

This passage marks a pivotal moment in the life of Israel. Having miraculously crossed the Jordan at flood stage, they are now officially in the Promised Land. But before the conquest begins, before the first sword is drawn at Jericho, God commands a halt for an act of liturgical remembrance. The twelve stones, taken from the very spot where the priests' feet held back the waters, are set up as a permanent memorial. This is not merely a historical marker like one you might see on a battlefield. This is a covenantal sign, a sacramental object lesson for future generations. The primary purpose of this monument is catechetical; it is designed to provoke questions from children. The entire event is a profound illustration of how God's mighty acts in history are to be remembered, taught, and transmitted within the covenant community. It is a story about generational faithfulness, the nature of true memorials, and the ultimate purpose of God's power, which is to cause all the peoples of the earth to know His strength and to foster a holy fear of Him forever.

Joshua's actions here establish a pattern for the people of God. We do not simply move on from God's deliverances. We build memorials. We establish liturgies. We create tangible reminders that anchor our faith in the solid reality of God's past actions. The stones of Gilgal are a type, a forerunner of the font and the Table. They are a physical testimony to a spiritual reality, designed to be seen, touched, and, most importantly, explained. The passage powerfully connects this new miracle to the foundational miracle of the Red Sea crossing, showing that the same God is at work. This continuity is crucial; God is not a God of isolated wonders but of a single, unfolding redemptive plan. The ultimate goal is doxological and missional: that the world might know and that God's people might fear Him always.

Outline

Context In Joshua

This section is the capstone of the Jordan crossing narrative, which begins in chapter 3. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the generation that perished in unbelief is gone, and a new generation stands ready to inherit the promise. The crossing of the Jordan is their defining moment, a second exodus that validates their identity as God's covenant people under new leadership. It mirrors the Red Sea crossing but also advances it; that was a deliverance from bondage, this is an entrance into the inheritance. The placement of the stones at Gilgal, which becomes their first base of operations in Canaan, is the first official act of the people on the new soil. It precedes the circumcision of the new generation (chapter 5) and the fall of Jericho (chapter 6). This ordering is significant. Before conquest, there must be consecration. Before they fight for God, they must remember what God has done for them. This act of remembrance grounds their entire subsequent campaign not in their own strength, but in the demonstrated power of Yahweh who controls the very forces of nature.

Key Issues

Stones for Storytellers

We live in an age that is pathologically forgetful. Our histories are rewritten, our monuments are torn down, and our attention spans are measured in seconds. We are adrift in a sea of digital ephemera. In stark contrast, the God of the Bible is a God of remembrance. He commands His people to set up memorials, to establish feasts, to write things down, and to tell stories. He wants His mighty acts to be embedded in the physical world.

These twelve stones are not abstract art. They are a rugged, tangible sermon. They are an anchor for memory. God knows how leaky our minds are, and He knows that the faith of one generation is only ever one generation away from extinction. The only way to preserve it is through diligent, deliberate instruction. And the best instruction is tied to a story. These stones are a story-prompt. They are designed to make children ask, "What's the deal with the rock pile?" And when they ask, the fathers are commanded to have an answer ready. This is not just about history; it is about identity. "This is who we are. We are the people who serve the God who makes paths through rivers." This is the foundation of covenantal education.

Verse by Verse Commentary

19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho.

The timing here is pregnant with meaning. The tenth day of the first month (Nisan) is the very day that the original Passover lambs were to be selected (Ex. 12:3). Forty years prior, almost to the day, they were preparing for their deliverance from Egypt. Now, a new generation prepares for their entrance into the promise. God is a master of providential timing. He is tying the beginning of the conquest directly to the memory of the Exodus. They are to see this new chapter not as a standalone event, but as the long-awaited fulfillment of the promises made on that first Passover night. They camp at a place they name Gilgal, which likely means "circle (of stones)" but will soon take on the meaning "to roll away," as God will roll away the reproach of Egypt there (Josh. 5:9). This first campsite becomes their beachhead, their initial place of worship and consecration in the land.

20 And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.

The memorial is now formally established. These are not just any twelve stones; they are miracle-stones. They were taken from the middle of the riverbed, from the place where the priests stood on dry ground. They are a physical testimony to the impossible. One stone for each tribe, signifying the unity of all Israel in this deliverance. They did not cross as twelve separate clans, but as one covenant people. Joshua, as the covenant head, officiates this liturgical act. He is not just a general; he is a spiritual leader, ensuring that the people's first act in the land is one of worshipful remembrance.

21-22 Then he said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall make your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry land.’

Here is the central purpose of the monument. It is a catechetical tool. Notice the assumption: children will be curious, and they will ask questions. A healthy culture is one where children are inquisitive about their heritage. And a faithful culture is one where fathers are prepared to answer. The responsibility for passing on the faith is placed squarely on the fathers. It is not to be outsourced to professionals. The answer is to be direct and simple, a declaration of a historical fact: 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry land.' Faith is not built on abstract principles but on the mighty acts of God in history. We are to teach our children what God has done.

23 For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as Yahweh your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed,

The explanation deepens. It was not a natural phenomenon, a lucky landslide upstream. It was Yahweh your God who did it. The personal, covenantal name of God is used. He is your God. And this act is not without precedent. Joshua explicitly connects the Jordan crossing to the Red Sea crossing. This does two things. First, it establishes continuity. The God who delivered your fathers from Pharaoh is the same God who has brought you into this land. His character and power are unchanging. Second, it validates the new generation. They have not just heard stories of the great miracles of the past; they have now experienced one for themselves. Their faith is not secondhand. They have their own story to tell, which is part of the grander story. Notice the shift from "before you" (Jordan) to "before us" (Red Sea). Joshua identifies with the older generation, reminding the people that this is one continuous history of redemption.

24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh is strong, so that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.”

Joshua concludes with the ultimate purpose, which is twofold. First, the mission to the world. This miracle was not just for Israel's benefit. It was a public demonstration of God's power intended for a global audience: that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh is strong. From the beginning, God's plan for Israel was for them to be a light to the nations. His mighty acts were signs meant to declare His supremacy over all false gods and earthly powers. The story of the Jordan crossing was meant to be told in Tyre and Nineveh. Second, the effect on Israel itself. The goal is a lasting, covenantal piety: so that you may fear Yahweh your God forever. This is not a servile, cowering fear, but a reverential awe and worshipful submission. Remembering God's power is the fuel for ongoing faithfulness. When you know what God has done, you learn to trust what He will do, and you live in holy fear of displeasing such a great and powerful King.

Application

This passage is a direct charge to every Christian family and every church. God still builds His kingdom through generational faithfulness. The stones of Gilgal have been replaced by a greater memorial: the waters of baptism and the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. These are our "stones of remembrance." They are not mere symbols, but are signs and seals of God's covenant promises, tangible reminders of a far greater deliverance.

When our children are baptized, we are piling up a stone. When we come to the Table, we are pointing to the memorial. And when our children inevitably ask, "What does this mean? Why do we do this?" we must be ready with the answer. We must tell them the story. "This water means you belong to the people of God, washed by the blood of Jesus. This bread and wine mean that Christ's body was broken and His blood was shed for you." We must tell them the story of the greater Joshua, Jesus, who did not just part the waters of the Jordan, but the waters of death itself. He went down into the grave, the ultimate river of judgment, and came out the other side, securing an inheritance for us that is eternal.

We are to be storytellers. Our homes should be catechetical centers. Our worship should be thick with remembrance. And the purpose is the same as it was for Joshua. First, that the world would see the strength of our God in the transformed lives of His people and the joyful resilience of His church. And second, that we and our children after us would walk in the joyful, reverential fear of our great God and Savior forever.