What is the meaning of Joshua 4:24? He did this - The immediate “this” is the miraculous stopping of the Jordan River and the raising of twelve memorial stones (Joshua 4:6–7). - Scripture consistently records God acting in history to produce visible, memorable events (Exodus 14:30–31; Psalm 66:5–7). - The action underscores that God, not human ingenuity, brings His people into their inheritance (Deuteronomy 8:17–18). So that all the peoples of the earth may know - God’s deeds are never for Israel’s benefit alone; they are meant to broadcast His glory (Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 45:22; 1 Kings 8:60). - The memorial stones served as a public testimony to every passer-by, Jew or Gentile, of what God had done (Joshua 4:21–24). - The verse anticipates the worldwide mission seen later in Psalm 67:1–2 and ultimately in Matthew 28:19. That the hand of the LORD is mighty - “Hand” pictures active power; Scripture repeatedly ties salvation to God’s “mighty hand and outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy 4:34; Jeremiah 32:21). - His might is unrivaled (Isaiah 43:13) and still evident in the New Testament church (Acts 4:30). - The crossing of the Jordan echoes the Red Sea crossing, reinforcing a pattern of omnipotent deliverance (Psalm 89:13). And so that you may always - The purpose is ongoing: the memory must outlive the eyewitnesses (Deuteronomy 4:9; Psalm 78:4–7). - Parents were to retell the story to each generation, keeping hope anchored in historical fact (Joshua 4:21–22). - Continuous remembrance guards against forgetfulness and drift (2 Peter 1:12–15). Fear the LORD your God - “Fear” means reverent awe that shapes obedience, not paralyzing terror (Deuteronomy 10:12–13; Proverbs 1:7; Ecclesiastes 12:13). - God’s revealed power demands a heart response: worship, submission, and trust (Psalm 33:8; Hebrews 12:28–29). - The miracle at the Jordan was designed to cultivate lifelong devotion, preventing the complacency that often follows victory (Deuteronomy 6:10–12). summary Joshua 4:24 ties God’s miracle at the Jordan to two goals: a global witness (“all the peoples of the earth”) and a perpetual, reverent obedience within His people (“you may always fear the LORD your God”). The verse reminds us that every act of divine power is both evangelistic and formative—showing the nations who God is and shaping His covenant people into faithful worshipers. |
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