Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:21-24)

Children Need To Know

Children need to know about the mighty hand of the Lord. Memorials tell the stories of past events, invoking a message of hope in the power of God to protect and provide safety for His people. When Israel crossed the Jordan River for the first time, God told Joshua to construct a memorial of twelve stones to teach the children the story of how the Lord delivered His people. Crossing the Jordan during the flood stage was a very dangerous and nearly impossible feat. When the feet of the priest, carrying the ark of the covenant, touched the river, the waters backed up, allowing the multitude of people to cross on dry land. This was not a seasonal event or natural occurrence. Only through the power of God were the waters held back.

The crossing of the Jordan River was like the crossing of the Red Sea. God delivered Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, allowing them to walk across on dry land, and when the Egyptian army came into the sea, destroyed them by returning the waters upon them. Children needed to know how mighty the hand of the Lord was. The twelve stones set up in Gilgal became teaching moments for the children. When the children asked their fathers what the stones represented, they would be told about how powerful God was to deliver Israel, giving them the victory over their enemies.

Joshua led the people in the conquest of Canaan. The first city was Jericho, and through the power of God, the city fell to the Israelites. Over the next seven years, city after city fell before the might of the army of Israel because the hand of the Lord destroyed the enemy. Jericho did not fall through the wisdom of man or the might of horses and chariots. The power of God destroyed the great fortified city. Joshua was a mighty leader, but he led the conquest of Canaan, showing the hand of the Lord defeating the people. It was important to tell the children how the cities were destroyed.

Children have natural curiosity. They need to learn many things in life to find happiness and success, but none is more important than knowing God. Parents will spend endless hours and great amounts of money to give their children everything they need, but when they do not give their children God, they have wasted their time and energy. If a child learns how to become wealthy, what have they gained when they die? Popularity is but for a moment and comes to nothing. Preparing children for life and not preparing them for God is an eternal failure. Parents spend their lives giving their children everything to help them succeed. Children need to know about the mighty hand of God. They discover that life is about the will of the Lord and that life is not for their own purpose but for the reason God created them.

Parents have a lot to teach their children. God must be in first place, first priority, and first love. Children who know and love God will find greater happiness in life than those who do not. It begins with the parents. They must learn the meaning of the twelve stones first so they can tell their children. Parents must be in awe of the mighty hand of the Lord first, so they can tell the children how powerful the mighty hand of the Lord is. They must learn that God’s hand holds the universe—the mighty hand of the Lord. Children need to know!