約書亞記4:1-24

4:1 國民盡都過了約旦河，耶和華就對約書亞說：
4:2 「你從民中要揀選十二個人，每支派一人，
4:3 吩咐他們說：『你們從這裡，從約旦河中、祭司腳站定的地方，取十二塊石頭帶過去，放在你們今夜要住宿的地方。』」
4:4 於是，約書亞將他從以色列人中所預備的那十二個人，每支派一人，都召了來。
4:5 對他們說：「你們下約旦河中，過到耶和華─你們上帝的約櫃前頭，按著以色列人十二支派的數目，每人取一塊石頭扛在肩上。
4:6 這些石頭在你們中間可以作為證據。日後，你們的子孫問你們說：『這些石頭是甚麼意思？』
4:7 你們就對他們說：『這是因為約旦河的水在耶和華的約櫃前斷絕；約櫃過約旦河的時候，約旦河的水就斷絕了。這些石頭要作以色列人永遠的紀念。』」
4:8 以色列人就照約書亞所吩咐的，按著以色列人支派的數目，從約旦河中取了十二塊石頭，都遵耶和華所吩咐約書亞的行了。他們把石頭帶過去，到他們所住宿的地方，就放在那裡。
4:9 約書亞另把十二塊石頭立在約旦河中，在抬約櫃的祭司腳站立的地方；直到今日，那石頭還在那裡。
4:10 抬約櫃的祭司站在約旦河中，等到耶和華曉諭約書亞吩咐百姓的事辦完了，是照摩西所吩咐約書亞的一切話。於是百姓急速過去了。
4:11 眾百姓盡都過了河，耶和華的約櫃和祭司就在百姓面前過去。
4:12 流便人、迦得人、瑪拿西半支派的人都照摩西所吩咐他們的，帶著兵器在以色列人前頭過去。
4:13 約有四萬人都準備打仗，在耶和華面前過去，到耶利哥的平原，等候上陣。
4:14 當那日，耶和華使約書亞在以色列眾人眼前尊大。在他平生的日子，百姓敬畏他，像從前敬畏摩西一樣。
4:15 耶和華曉諭約書亞說：
4:16 「你吩咐抬法櫃的祭司從約旦河裡上來。」
4:17 約書亞就吩咐祭司說：「你們從約旦河裡上來。」
4:18 抬耶和華約櫃的祭司從約旦河裡上來，腳掌剛落旱地，約旦河的水就流到原處，仍舊漲過兩岸。
4:19 正月初十日，百姓從約旦河裡上來，就在吉甲，在耶利哥的東邊安營。
4:20 他們從約旦河中取來的那十二塊石頭，約書亞就立在吉甲，
4:21 對以色列人說：「日後你們的子孫問他們的父親說：『這些石頭是甚麼意思？』
4:22 你們就告訴他們說：『以色列人曾走乾地過這約旦河；
4:23 因為耶和華─你們的上帝在你們前面使約旦河的水乾了，等著你們過來，就如耶和華─你們的上帝從前在我們前面使紅海乾了，等著我們過來一樣，
4:24 要使地上萬民都知道，耶和華的手大有能力，也要使你們永遠敬畏耶和華─你們的上帝。』」

 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, ³ and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, ⁵ and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, ⁶ to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ⁷ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

⁸ So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. ⁹ Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been^[a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

¹⁰ Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, ¹¹ and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. ¹² The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. ¹³ About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.

¹⁴ That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁸ And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.

¹⁹ On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. ²⁰ And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea^[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴ He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

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    約書亞要百姓立石為記，好讓以色列人的子孫可以知道上帝奇妙的作為！正如他教導百姓說：「日後你們的子孫問他們的父親說：『這些石頭是甚麼意思？』 你們就告訴他們說：『以色列人曾走乾地過這約旦河；因為耶和華─你們的上帝在你們前面使約旦河的水乾了，等著你們過來，就如耶和華─你們的上帝從前在我們前面使紅海乾了，等著我們過來一樣，要使地上萬民都知道，耶和華的手大有能力，也要使你們永遠敬畏耶和華─你們的上帝。』」

    這是很重要的，要有紀錄或記號，才能讓後來的人知道以前發生的事情。這也是為甚麼各個地區都會有石碑或銅像，讓人可以記起以前的事件與人物！而過約旦河這個事件更是上帝奇妙的作為，豈能不留下記號為念呢？

    也因為這樣，教會特別看重歷史，因為上帝所完成的事是有永恆的功效的！正如主耶穌的一生各樣的事蹟除了聖經有福音書記載，教會還用教會曆不斷的紀念，讓信徒可以隨時述說上帝透過耶穌基督所行的拯救！

    正如今天是「耶穌升天日」，讓我們藉由今天可以思考耶穌基督被上帝高舉到祂寶座的右邊，也讓我們期盼耶穌基督的再來！因為天使想耶穌的眾門徒說：「加利利人哪，你們為甚麼站著望天呢？這離開你們被接升天的耶穌，你們見他怎樣往天上去，他還要怎樣來。」(使徒行傳1:11)