Joshua 4 - Children need boundaries!

Josh 4:6
"Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'

The importance of teaching our children about Yahweh and the wonderful things He has done for us is spoken of several times in Scripture. Elohim often tells us to use physical items such as these stones and also tassels as reminders to us and our children as to who He is and what our duties are as His people ( Deut 6:20-25).

Josh 4:7
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."

Josh 4:8
And thus the sons of Israel did, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place, and put them down there.

Josh 4:9
Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day.

Another memorial of twelve stones are placed in the Jordan itself. What is the significance of the number twelve? It would appear in Scripture that the number twelve symbolizes Israel (Ex. 24:4). There were twelve stones on the breastplate of the high priest that represent Israel also (Ex. 28:21). There are numerous passages in the Tanakh where twelve is used to represent Israel and the tribes. Why were there twelve disciples? The likely answer is that they represent all of Israel. They may each be from a particular tribe or at least represent each tribe. We are told, that in the future, the disciples will judge the twelve tribes (Luke 22:14, 29-20). We also see the link between the twelve tribes and the twelve missionaries in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:9-14).

River Valley Torah Assembly
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