Memorial Stones - Why History is Important

"When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’" Joshua iv. 3 (ESV) 

At first, God's instructions to Joshua seemed like a rather random request. However, as we continue to read through the chapter, we find that there was a reason why the Lord told the people of Israel to gather those stones; a reason that Joshua knew was important.  Joshua said to the people of Israel, "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 iv. 6-7 (ESV) It was important for the people of Israel to remember what God had done. So important that He had them set up a physical memorial that would cause their children to ask them about it. 

This story wasn't just meant to entertain the children who heard it, it was supposed to teach them about the God they served - who He was and what He had done. It was meant to show them that, if they would obey the Lord, He would be faithful to make a way for them. That is why the story needed to be remembered. The question is, are there stories that we should be remembering? Events that we should retell that they might build our children's faith? Yes, there are! To begin with, the entire bible is a collection of stories that have been preserved to teach us about God and how to serve Him. As Christians, it should be our first priority to remember and learn from these stories. 

There is, however, a great deal of history that has taken place since the bible was written. In this, we find that there are even more stories that have been recorded for us. Stories of men and women, some of whom lived for God and some of whom didn't. My mom once told me that it was important to learn history because all of it is His Story. The story of God told through the lives of countless people. These historical accounts cannot hold the same authority as those contained in the canonized Word of God and yet they still hold lessons that are valuable for us. There are stories of people who stood for God at great cost, stories of God's power and of answered prayers, stories of those who refused to give their lives to God and lived for their own pleasure instead. History shows us the results of those choices and lives, whether good or bad.

Has anyone ever said to you, "Trust me, you don't want to make the same mistake that I did."? If you were wise you listened to the advice that followed this statement as well as to the story that went along with it. In the end, you may have disagreed with that person's perspective and the advice they gave you. Perhaps you decided that the benefits of the decision they were counselling you against outweighed its consequences. On the other hand, you may have decided to learn from their experience and make a different choice. Either way you got to 'stand on their shoulders' and see the situation from a vantage point that was different to your own. I would imagine that the person who was advising you wishes that they had been given such an opportunity! Now, what if I was to tell you that such an opportunity is available to you, not just once in a while, but in every situation - regardless of who you know or the nature of the choices you are having to make! You have the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of all those who have gone before you - or at least those who have been recorded in history, which is no small number- and  I can assure you that whatever situation you may be facing, there is someone who has faced it before you. 

"That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes i. 9) 

You have the chance to see what someone else did when they were in the situation that you now find yourself in and you are being given the opportunity to find out how those choices turned out. You have the chance to stand atop the shoulders of those who went before you and gain a better perspective. So why would you choose to stand on ground level and learn things the hard way? 

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana. 

We may not have memorial stones set up to help remind us, but we do have stories that have been recorded for us and the lessons they contain are important to remember. I'm excited to share this journey of learning alongside you! 

In Christ

quiana