And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (Joshua 4:5-7 ESV)
Memorials are important reminders of great things—things that should not be forgotten, things to reflect upon and consider. A pile of stones became a reminder of God's power, faithfulness, and lovingkindness to His covenant people. The stones became a reminder for future generations to trust, worship, and obey the one true God.
Now look at this picture of a memorial monument in Washington DC.
Although it does not carry the same biblical significance as the pile of stones described in the book of Joshua, it's still a memorial of something important—a reminder for us to reflect on and consider. What if your children should ask: What do these stars mean?
Remember, reflect, and consider. Give your children the gift of memorials.
(Photos courtesy of DBKing and Billy Hathorn, respectively.)
Blog Schedule this Week: This will be our only blog post this week due to the Memorial Day Holiday.
