12 Stones

The 12 tribes of Isreal

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Tribes of Israel

Eleven of the 12 sons were born at Haran, while the 12th, Benjamin, was born after Jacob returned to Canaan. The birth of the sons came through Jacob’s wives Leah and Rachel and their maids Zilpah and Bilhah. The sons of Leah included Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah (Gen. 29:31–35), Issachar, and Zebulun, as well as one daughter named Dinah (Gen. 30:19–21). Rachel’s sons were Joseph (Gen. 30:22–24), who became the father of Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 41:50–52), and Benjamin (Gen. 35:16–18). Jacob’s sons through Zilpah, Leah’s maid, were Gad and Asher (Gen. 30:9–13), while Bilhah, the maid of Rachel, bore Dan and Naphtali (Gen. 30:1–8).

Abraham and Sarah

Issac and Rachel

Jacob and Esau

Jacob tricks Issac into giving him his blessing and Esau gives up his birthright

Jacob ends up being the patriarch of Isreal being named Isreal

Joseph is given the coat of many colors. brothers get jealous

sell him to the Egyptians

He interprets dreams and ends up being 2nd in power in Egypt serving for 80 years

Famine happens. Brothers go to Egypt joseph doesnt seek revenge but promises to take car’e of them in that when he dies they take his body into the promise land

Joshua 4 ESV

1 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 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.’ ” 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 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.” 8 And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. 10 For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste. 11 And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. 12 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. 13 About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. 15 And the Lord said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18 And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. 19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

1st month being March-April

Just as those stones are to be a memorial as a remembrance we too have things to remind us daily of Gods blessings in our lives. It may be a picture, jewelry, wall art, etc etc.

not that we should need a reminder but we do need to remember and keep full steam ahead of what God has done for us through His Son.

your testimony should reflect that, you being a new creation should reflect that. your no longer the old person you once was..

now i saw a good illustration the other day. someone said they had been sober for 55 days and they took a drink and now they have to start all over.. thats not how God operates. we dont go backwards. we pick ourselves up and we keep moving on from were we fell.

That doesn’t give you the right to live in sin! Sin shall not have dominion over us