Memorial stones

Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you…Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan…It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” Joshua 3:10a, 11, 13

Yesterday was Memorial Day in the United States. As a nation—ever since the Civil War—we have taken time to commemorate those who gave their lives in the service of our country. We remember, lest we forget.

Our nation is full of memorials for both the famous and the obscure. Every gravestone is a type of memorial; we have the 9/11 Memorial; the Lincoln Memorial; the Jefferson Memorial; the JFK Memorial; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the World War II Memorial; and the list goes on and on. It’s important to remember; we must train our young people and their young people to remember. A nation who forgets who they are and from where they’ve come are easily subjugated by those who endeavor to rework and rewrite history.

Joshua, the man of God, knew that truth. He, under the leadership of Moses, had witnessed unimaginable miracles and works of God. He also evidently understood the enormous human capacity to forget. That’s why he asked twelve men from Israel—one from each tribe—to accomplish an unusual task while God displayed His mighty power, cutting off the flow of the Jordan River, piling up the waters in a towering heap. Instead of getting to gawk at the marvelous sight (like I would be doing), they were each directed to take up one large stone from the bed of the river and carry the boulders over to the place where they would camp that night (see Joshua 3 and 4).

Why would Joshua ask them to perform such a backbreaking task? Why not just have them pick up small or average-sized stones to carry over? Since God had moved in such a big and spectacular way, it was fitting that the memorial built to honor His mighty deed be big as well.

Joshua explained the purpose for the pile of twelve stones. He said, “Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:6-7).

This biblical account underscores five components and/or purposes of memorial stones:

1. Build it. Put some effort into remembering and honoring what God has done. If you build it, as the movie said, they will come.
2. Let it be a sign. Don’t hide your light under a bushel; don’t bury the talents God gave you; don’t be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. When Jesus is lifted up, He draws all men unto Him.
3. Let your kids see it and take interest. The stupidest advice I’ve ever heard concerning child-rearing is to not expose children to “religion”. (Let’s face it—they mean the gospel.) Parents are admonished to let their kids decide for themselves when they grow up. NO! You “suffer not” the children to come to Jesus—you let them come; you let them ask questions; you let them get good and curious.
4. Teach your kids about God’s miraculous power and provision using very real examples. The things you’ve known and heard that stir and encourage you will stir and encourage your children as well. I never had kids of my own, but I’ve probably had thousands over the years come through the classes I taught. I kept a Bible propped up with my personal things where they could see it, and every year as I introduced myself to a new group, I did so using my four C’s (and after heart surgery, 5 C’s): I’m a fanatic St. Louis Cardinals fan; I drink lots of coffee (and often spill it in class); I love cats and have a herd of them at home; I had cardiac surgery (with the eighth graders, I gave all the gory details—nothing like gore to reach a young teen’s heart!); and last, and best of all, I am a Christian who serves Christ. When I told them that final detail, every year someone’s eyes would light up—and some years, multiple eyes across the room would beam at me, heads nodding vigorously in agreement, some even pointing to themselves so I could identify them as my brother or sister in Christ. They knew then and there that my classroom would be a safe place for their personal and precious memorial stones.
5. Keep those memorial stones forever. You need those memorial stones; your children need those memorial stones; and as long as generations continue to produce new generations, they will all need those memorial stones. Don’t be guilty of burying or bulldozing those stones! Don’t let them erode with disinterest or neglect. Keep them front and center.

Dorothy 

Hear, my son, and accept my sayings And the years of your life will be many. ¹¹ I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. ¹²When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble. ¹³ Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.   Proverbs 4:10-13

© 2015 Dorothy Frick, All rights reserved.